DIGGING GUIDES

Getting Started

You can't just get a metal detector and start digging anywhere. Here in the UK, we have a few laws surrounding the hobby of metal detecting which ensure the longevity of our hobby, so there are a few things you need to know before getting started.

Everything you need to know can be found here:

National Council of Metal Detecting: https://www.ncmd.co.uk/beginners-guide/
Portable Antiquities Scheme: https://finds.org.uk/guides/detecting-guidance
The Treasure Act 1996: https://finds.org.uk/treasure

94% of all archaeological finds in Britain are made by metal detectorists. So we can’t stress how important it is to record your finds. In England and Wales we have the Portable Antiquities Scheme, a project managed by the British Museum and Museum Wales, to record all archaeological finds made by the public. Within your region you will have a Finds Liaison Officer, who is responsible for recording all finds in that area. Your part is entirely voluntary, the only finds you are legally obligated to report are those which fall under the Treasure Act, but without this scheme metal detecting likely wouldn’t be legal, so supporting it by recording finds is crucial. To date, over 1.5 million finds have been recorded onto their publicly available, national database, adding to our collective knowledge and providing important data for future archaeological research.

Permission Research

Looking to understand a bit more about your permission? Maybe you have 1,000 acres and don't know where to start... A bit of aerial archaeology can help to point you in the right direction, and you don't have to be an academic, or an expert, or even pay for any expensive software to get you started.

Here are some of our favourite online resources for obtaining that bird's-eye view:

Over a century of Ordnance Survey maps available for direct comparison with modern satellite imagery. Keep an eye out for old footpaths and water features. The National Library of Scotland's Side-by-Side Historic Map Viewer: https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/
The result of over 30 years of aerial photograph mapping projects with historic sites drawn and labelled. We would recommend switching on 'hand-drawn mapping' in the layers. Historic England's Aerial Archaeology Mapping Explorer: https://historicengland.org.uk/research/results/aerial-archaeology-mapping-explorer/
To strip back the vegetation and reveal hidden features and structures which aren't visible on standard aerial imagery. LiDAR Finder: https://lidarfinder.com/

Finds Identification

We've found that finding out the history behind your finds can be just as exciting as its first appearance in the soil. But there are hundreds of types of artefacts out there (including dozens of niche Medieval dress accessories), so it is important to have some solid reference guides you can return to again and again.

We've built several lists and recommendations for building your digging library over on Bookshop.org, which is an online bookstore dedicated to keeping our local and independent bookshops on our high streets.

Find our Bookshop.org Store here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/romanfound

But here are a few essential metal detecting guides to get you started: