Featured Have I struck gold?! Detector find

Different thread.

 

Almost everything comes under PAS, if you're sensible. They're a very useful bunch.

 

This thread:

From hours ago, forgot to hit Post Reply.

 

NOT UNTIL I happened to be looking at a smaller image of the ring (right way up!) on my computer, did I FINALLY see the image of the HORSE!!!!!!!!!!!! AND NOW IT JUMPS OUT CLEAR AS A BELL!!!! DON'T know why I couldn't see it before, but at least it's as plain as the nose on my face NOW!!!!

 

I'm no looter. I found one ring and cleaned it improperly. Maybe you need to relax a bit

 

lesson learned..........keep hunting !

 

?

Please take it to the local museum. The local museum may be able to track down its history. Please give them photos of the original state as well.

These rings aren't very valuable (financially) anyway, and I can't think of anyone giving any money for it in its current state. Its only value now is for local history.

 

And watch them weep

 

I will if you get some proper training, and respect for your country's heritage.

 

Why would they weep? Years ago we dug up thousands of Native American pottery shards.The local museum and college told us they didn't even want to look at them.

 

And IMO all of that is understandable and I bet you learned from this experience which is the most important part. In this case I don’t think you destroyed anything of significant value either. The board wouldn’t have jumped on you in quite the same way had you not openly said that you had no interest in archaeology. That statement shows a total lack of respect to all that archive and research their items regardless of their intent to just use their find for personal gain, entertainment,
or historic reference.

The biggest issue here IMO which Im not sure was already mentioned is that you must find out if you have legal access to treasure hunt where you did. That land belongs to someone whether it be the government or private land. The laws regarding this vary by country but you basically need permission to hunt with a detector.

Pulling something out of the ground is way different than stumbling on a find at a garage sale. For all you know that piece could be the first to work it’s way up from a site containing other materials. It really needs to be documented. It’s the right thing to do if not for you, then for others. Bring the ring to your local museum and learn the laws for treasure hunting on the land of others in your country.

 

branvan is not in the US, he is in Germany.

I just checked the German legal situation surrounding finds. Although laws are different in the different 'Lands' of Germany, you always have to take it in to the appropriate authority or to the local museum, providing all the relevant information. In some Lands you have to hand it in, in others they make a record of it, and if it isn't of great historical or other value you can take it back home with you.

 

Because a potentially 500 year old ring that could have told a story or been a vital part of a jigsaw puzzle has been nearly destroyed?
Because a piece of history needs to be professionally assessed before being handed back as worthless?
And because it might, just might, have been very special.
If I was an assessor of archaeological finds that gave a damn and that item that *might* have been really special was handed in nearly destroyed I might weep!.
It's not about how much it's worth in monetary value that means it's ok to damage it or not, it's also it's historical and sociological interest that gives value.It's the equivalent of melting down a gold hoard that you find. It's still gold, but melted down it has lost its historical value so just becomes gold. The ring damaged as such becomes just a ring.
A while ago, there was a TV programme on the top 10 most important archaeological finds. Ahead of all the silver and gold were stone tablets ( or carved out of something similar I can't quite remember) with writing on them. It was the equivalent of a shopping list and lists of everyday life. It was voted the top find because of what it told us about life back then.

 

i put lol on the end , you just struck a nerve with the others as original patina means everything now days , don't take it personal, but don't shun us for it either it's how we are and everyone with any experience in this field is going to raz you about it , keep hunting ,keep posting , read a lot of the stories here , you aren't the first to do it and won't be the last .

 

Wood. The Vindolanda tablets, made by Batavians in a Roman fort by Hadrian's Wall.
The Batavians were a people from the Netherlands. (We still love shopping. )

 

All this supports why I think the PAS and the Finds Officers for larking are such brilliant institutions. Mind you, our scheme does incentivise finders to declare.

 

Thankyou. I knew someone ( you!) would know what I was babbling about!. I wonder if it's on YouTube as I'd like to watch it again. How did they get to Hadrian wall I wonder?. Do you think it's the equivalent of a shopping list left in a trolley at Tesco these days?

 

The Batavians were conquered by the Romans, and their first born sons were kidnapped by the Romans to serve in the Roman military. That backfired to a certain extent, the most famous Batavian revolt was led by the son of a Batavian king who was trained as a Roman officer under the Romanised name of Claudius Civilis. Unfortunately the Romans beat them yet again. Probably because the Batavians kept making lists of everything.

This is Rembrandt's painting of "The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis":

 

I love a history lesson!

 

And a nice Rembrandt.