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    Metal Detector and Archeology
    Metal Detector and Archeology
    Metal Detector and Archeology
    Ebook136 pages1 hour

    Metal Detector and Archeology

    By Frank Keith

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Everyone has his or her own reasons for metal detecting and surely we all have fun at it, regardless what the motivation for it is. Treasure hunting is one reason for pursuing this hobby. The term treasure hunter is perhaps the most often one used to describe someone who uses a metal detector to seek metallic objects hidden in the ground. Others go for the gold when they go gold prospecting. Coin shooting is another widely used term—and reason. And many simply go out to a beach for some beach combing. Or how about doing some basic metal detecting, at such popular places like recreational areas, ballparks, fairgrounds or even playgrounds?
    This leaves one more type of prospecting called relic hunting. The primary reason for this type of metal detecting is just as the idiom says—to hunt for relics. I’m sure most everyone knows the definition for relic. Here is the definition for those who don’t: An object that has endured the passage of time. Something treasured for its age or historic interest. There are more definitions for relic, but I don’t think that an old person or a piece from a saint’s body awakens our interest. A synonym for the type of relic we hunt is artifact.
    A much more refined form of this particular activity may be called archeological metal detecting. This type of metal detecting is very rewarding, and brings many new insights to our past and it gives our hobby an extra special touch. But, before this goes any further, an important point must be addressed. Consider the following: to repeat the above, remember that the unsystematic uses of metal detectors have had an adverse affect upon historic sites worldwide. This does not include the benign forms mentioned before, such as beach combing or coin shooting. And there is absolutely no harm by trying to find gold nuggets, jewelry, etc. No, it’s the destructive form of metal detecting that aims to seek historic relics, which have some type of archeological value. This is especially true when historic sites are ransacked in order to get at these items.
    Join me in this work to see what you can do to prevent inadvertent ransacking of historic sites. But not only that. Increase your skills in the finer points of this hobby, such as documentation, determining artifact position, effective cleaning and preserving of artifacts and proper storage and much more.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherFrank Keith
    Release dateMar 27, 2017
    ISBN9781370532971
    Metal Detector and Archeology

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      Book preview

      Metal Detector and Archeology - Frank Keith

      Metal Detector and Archaeology

      By Frank Keith

      Copyright © 2017 by Frank Keith

      All rights reserved

      The contents of this work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any way or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the author.

      For Brennan

      Happy Birthday, My Dear Son!

      Table of Contents

      Introduction

      Metal Detecting and Archeology

      1 Excavation & Documentation

      1.1 Determining artifact position

      1.2 Global Positioning System

      1.3 Determining Reference Marks

      1.4 The Grid System

      1.5 Artifact Registry

      1.6 Maps

      1.7 Creating a Custom Map

      1.8 Photography

      2 Artifact Cleansing & Restoration

      2.1 Basic Cleaning

      2.2 Iron / Steel

      2.3 Preserving Iron/Steel

      2.4 Lead

      2.5 Copper / Brass / Bronze

      2.6 Silver

      2.7 Aluminum

      2.8 Tin

      2.9 Gold

      2.10 Electrolytic reduction

      2.11 Electrolytic Process

      3 Restoration

      3.1 Wood, leather and textiles

      3.2 Cleaning

      3.3 Preservation

      4 Artifact storage

      5 Dating Artifacts

      History and Metal Detecting

      Some Personal Experiences

      Conclusion

      Other books & services by Frank Keith

      Introduction

      It was a warm summer night in central Germany. The date was July 4th, 1999. A couple of men slowly made their way over the flattish summit of a hill. The hill is called the Mittelberg, located in the natural preserve Saale-Unstrut-Triaslan in the southern part of the state of Sachsen-Anhalt [Saxony-Anhalt]. As they scoured through the area with their metal detectors, they kept a sharp lookout for anyone else that might be nearby or approaching. What they were doing was highly illegal.

      This incident, although it happened years ago already, is still considered the most spectacular case of archeological looting in Germany’s history. They uncovered a disk, made of copper and gold and weighing over four pounds and just over a foot wide. Along with this item the men had also found a couple of bronze swords and various other relics.

      However, it was the disc that later shook the scientific world. What they had found during their illegal hunt for ancient treasure and valuable artifacts was the Himmelscheibe von Nebra. It’s known as the Nebra Star Disk or sometimes Sky Disk in English. Though it seems not very spectacular to the layman, it is considered a very valuable discovery. Why? That’s because it is mankind’s oldest depiction of the heavens, older yet than even those of ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia.

      Image 1 Himmelscheibe von Nebra

      The hilltop is a well-known archeological site, which scientist had been studying rudimentary for some time. The place used to be a bronze-age settlement, and it is strictly forbidden to seek artifacts there by anyone who is not associated with the official scientific team. But these guys weren’t a part of the team and neither did they care about any rules or laws. They are what the Germans call Raubgräber, or illegal treasure hunters or tomb raider in English. Unfortunately, they’re not alone. And this endeavor has next to nothing to do with Hollywood’s romantic depiction of wayward swashbuckling adventuring.

      Metal detector, treasure hunter—these words sent a shiver up and down the backs of archeologists, anthropologists and lawmakers in many places around the world. The Nebra Star Disk story is only one of many. With their increased performance, low price, increased availability and low weight, metal detectors have in the past few years made a bigger impact upon this hobby than ever before. And unfortunately, these same factors also made a major impact in the realm of archeology. No one really knows what amount of damage has already been caused to hundreds or even thousands of historic sites throughout the world. And no one can tell how much more will be caused in the future. But one thing is definite; the experts all agree that the damage is very significant and it will continue being so into the future. And the loss of artifacts to these dubious characters is not only bad news for scientists or governments; it is for the rest of us too. We all lose when artifacts are robbed and the information they could provide, both from the objects themselves and from the ground that got wantonly excavated, gets lost. And why is this happening? It is an old story; only to satisfy these people’s own personal greedy interests.

      With this book, I’d like to attempt convincing metal detectors to re-think some of their priorities. As you read on, you will see what is meant.

      The impact of us metal detectors upon archeology, that is, the damage and loss of artifacts we are causing is bad enough. Another viable consequence may be an increase in laws that could make metal detecting more difficult for us to pursue in the future, if not nearly impossible. This scenario is already a reality in many places in Europe and in the US. The reader will doubtlessly agree that it is always the same, regardless what the issue is; a few rotten apples ruin the whole barrel. That is, the few lawbreaking and dissolute metal detectors potentially ruin this hobby for the majority of the law-abiding rest. It is perhaps wishful thinking to change the minds of those people who have no morals, at least most of them, but there’s hope that the vast majority of those possessing stronger moral character will see the necessity to change their way of prospecting.

      It would be very desirable if metal detectors everywhere would become more aware what an impact they have become in the field of archeology and that they can become a positive aspect in this realm of science. Only a few see that they have the potential of becoming a significant and positive force in this field.

      But what can the average metal detector do to help the archeologist or archeology as a whole? He or she is usually not a trained and educated scientist. Besides the lack of required knowledge, there’s no budget, no sophisticated equipment and no laboratory. True, there’s nothing significant a layman can do in this field of science, but the little that each person could accomplish will add up. It all starts with a change of attitude, then a desire to follow it through and finally accomplishing it. Being a positive aspect of archeology is a great reward and not nearly as difficult as it at first seems, and it makes this hobby a lot more fun.

      It is a fact that metal detectors, alone through their sheer numbers, account for a large amount of new discoveries in archeology and for the greatest part this happens unintentionally. In more than a few instances this has already been the case. If you are aware about what you have read thus far in this work, you might stop digging in such a site and report it to the authorities. This is a positive step and a rewarding one too, seeing that it was you who made the discovery. It might otherwise never be known if you must keep it a secret. If for some reason it is legal to do so and you are the one to excavate at this site, having the knowledge to do it right goes a long way to recover and to preserve the relics and the information in the ground.

      NOTE: I do not advocate digging in historic sites. I do not advocate taking significant artifacts home. I do advocate stopping to dig at a historic site as soon

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