The almost explosive growth in the number of metal detecting enthusiasts can be understood without any statistics, just by looking at the plowed fields on weekends. Many believe that the main reason for this is cheap yet high-quality metal detectors, which have been widely available on the domestic market. I think a little differently. An inexpensive and accessible metal detector could be bought 10 years ago. The same Aska at the start of sales was very affordable for 90% of those who became detectorists in the last three years.
I believe that the main reason for the growing popularity of device-based searching is the opportunity to try this hobby without buying a metal detector. This year, I met at least five newcomers in metal detecting in the field, who got their devices from relatives or friends.
Someone's son gave them a detector after buying a new one, someone inherited it after their father-in-law passed away, while a garage revealed an Aska 350, but more often a person became an enthusiastic treasure hunter thanks to temporarily using a friend's or colleague's metal detector. People tried it, went out into the field, got hooked, and then clearly realized that they needed to buy their own metal detector.
However, I want to move from statistics to the essence of my note. Why is it that every year there are more and more device-based searching enthusiasts in our country??
Nature abhors a vacuum. The point is that enthusiasts of metal detecting, or treasure hunters, or, as archaeologists contemptuously call us — looters, have occupied the niche that official archaeological science does not even want to recognize as a niche in science. I am talking now about ordinary diggers who trample kilo meters of plowed fields and cover miles in the endless forests. They make up 99.99% of all diggers. Yes, there are also those who climb mounds, ancient towns, and settlements marked in the State Archaeological Register. They are a separate topic, but I am talking about ordinary diggers.
Here, in 99% of cases, the "finds" of metal detectorists are typical lost items. That is, coins and objects lost outside the cultural layer.
Modern archaeological science does not know how to systematize, study, and bring such items into scientific circulation. There are no methodologies, scientific works, or any systematic requirements. Gradually, this is being developed; young archaeologists, at their own risk, contrary to established norms, begin to use the methods of metal detectorists.
An example of this is the sword found this year by archaeologists of the Kulikovo Field expedition. According to the official version, the sword was found during planned archaeological excavations. But, in my opinion and according to the available data, it was actually found while walking through the forest with a metal detector. Which, by the way, is prohibited by existing archaeological survey regulations.
What will archaeological science look like in the future?
It is quite expected that the development of instrument-based search theory will influence classical archaeological science. For example, there is a burial from the Bronze Age that was studied and excavated, say, back in the Soviet period. It is located in a forest, which means that somewhere nearby there should be a settlement from the same period. In Soviet times, the settlement was not found because the forest was not plowed, and archaeologists had no opportunity to see the pottery. Now, with the help of a metal detector, it is possible to find this very settlement in just a couple of weeks of wandering and scanning the forest in squares.
Unfortunately, at present, such archaeological explorations are beyond the existing legislation and, most importantly, are fiercely criticized in the academic archaeological community. Well, while they are figuring out what to do and how to proceed, this undoubtedly interesting niche of sources of historical facts is being occupied by amateur metal detectorists.
The big problem is that these finds are currently not recorded or systematized. Sorry, esteemed archaeologists, but here everything depends entirely on you. And the issue cannot be solved by bans alone. Competent and constructively-minded amateur metal detectorists are a colossal resource that you are ignoring.
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