Metal Detecting E-Book

John Clark

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Since the appearance of the first commercially available metal detectors in the 1960s, the hobby of metal detecting has developed rapidly and, as the technology has improved, more and more people have become metal detectorists. This is not surprising since metal detecting is an enjoyable and exciting leisure-time pursuit that is accessible to almost everybody, regardless of age or fitness. Moreover, metal detecting need not be an expensive hobby and there is a wide range of metal detectors to suit almost every budget.Contents include: How to go about buying your first detector; The principal types of detectors, their advantages and disadvantages and how to use them; How to recover and identify buried objects and clean them; Detecting inland, on beaches and underwater, and the safety precautions required in all three environments; The law relating to metal detecting, how to search for potential sites and how to gain the necessary permission to search on private land. Superbly illustrated with over 100 colour photographs depicting equipment, detectorists at work and interesting and important finds. Essential reading for those who are considering taking up metal detecting, as well as those who have already become detectorists. Metal detecting is an enjoyable and exciting leisure-time pursuit - it is not an expensive hobby and there are metal detectors to suit every budget. Clearly written and brimming with helpful information and tips. Superbly illustrated with over 122 colour photographs and 15 diagrams. John Clark is an experienced metal detectorist.

Leseprobe

METAL DETECTING

An Essential Guide to Detecting Inland, on Beaches and Under Water

John Clark

Copyright

First published in 2009 by The Crowood Press Ltd, Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book edition first published in 2013

© John Clark 2009

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

ISBN 978 1 84797 538 6

Disclaimer The author and the publisher do not accept any responsibility or liability of any kind, in any manner whatsoever, for any error or omission, or any loss, damage, injury or adverse outcome, incurred as a result of the use of any of the information contained in this book, or reliance upon it.

CONTENTS

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Preface

Introduction

1 Developing an Interest in Metal Detecting

2 Principal Types of Detectors

3 Buying a Detector

4 Using Your Detector

5 Identification and Recovery of Targets

6 Safety First

7 Clothing and Ancillary Equipment

8 Searching for Sites and Community Opportunities

9 Finding Land to Detect on

10 Metal Detecting and the Law

11 Inland Detecting

12 Beach Detecting

13 Safety and Equipment for Underwater Detecting

14 Underwater Detecting

15 Cleaning and Presenting Finds

16 Outstanding Finds

Appendices

One: The Bernard Phillips Report

Two: The Society of Thames Mudlarks and Antiquarians

Three: An Introduction to Eyes-only Searching

Four: Signals Using a Minelab Xterra 305 Detector

Useful Contacts

Index

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to Dorothy, Susan, Jeremy, Nigel, Ali, Jane, Imogen, Harvey, Olivia and Sienna

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to thank the following for their valuable help in the preparation of this book:

The Wyvern Historical and Metal Detecting Society

Pete Hyams for all his help

Ken James for military badge displays and general help

Brian Sherry, Ken Fry and Gavin Fry for each being ‘a detectorist’

Louise Crossley for Club work input

Darwin Turner for his field walking report

Dave Philpotts for his Saxon brooch photos

Dave Ebbage for his report on detecting in France

Brian Cavill for photos and Roman finds

Doug Kirk for photos of the gold half guinea

Eileen Coe for photos

Leon Slee for user proof reading and translation

Pat Haigh for illustrations

Sebastion Melmo for Mudlarking report

Thad Loring-Lee for translations

Richard Gosnell for information for ramblers

Bernard and Cynthia Lloyd for proof reading

Bernard Phillips for the archaeological report on the Saxon burial

White’s Electronics (UK) Ltd for photos and technical information

Minelab International Ltd for photos and technical information

Swindon Museum for help with images of their displays

Radio 105.5 Swindon for help with presentation

Kyrie Davis for Natural Lifestyle coaching

Jerry Clark for proof reading

PREFACE

What makes this book different to any other in the field of metal detecting? Well, in my view it is one of the few books to reflect on more than fourteen years of detecting by a husband and wife team. This provides a broad view on many aspects of the hobby and these are reflected throughout the book.

From the moment I was asked to write this book I worried about how to start, having had little experience of writing. Should I open by thanking all those who helped me put it together through their experiences, photos and stories?

Yes, of course I must say a very big thank you to them all. I could not have done it without them.

Particular thanks must go to my friend Peter Hyams, who put my name forward to the publishers. Peter provided so much help with the accounts of his Roman hoard and Saxon warrior burial site located on the Downs in North Wiltshire. My thanks also go to all the members of the Wyvern Historical and Detector Society for their help and support, and to the many experts who gave their time and specialist knowledge so willingly.

It was Sue, my wife, however, who came up with the definitive opening line. It had been a dull and overcast spring day in the Murcia region of Spain. She had been detecting along the beaches on the Mediterranean side of a spit of land, while I had been working in the shallow water on the lagoon side. It was the kind of day when without our hobby we would have been stuck in our motor home reading or out spending money to keep ourselves entertained.

When we regrouped later in the afternoon and swapped stories of our finds we found that between us we had recovered: 54 Euros, four gold rings, seven silver rings and a 29 gram platinum ring. In just one day we had found items worth up to one thousand pounds.

Later, while relaxing with a cup of tea on a seafront seat, Sue captured the essence of this book perfectly when she said, ‘Oh, what a wonderful hobby!’

The day’s finds: ‘Oh what a wonderful hobby!’

INTRODUCTION

Euro coins from different member countries of the EU. The reverse of the coin indicates the country of origin.

I have been metal detecting for more than fourteen years and tend to specialize in beach and underwater detecting. During that time I have recovered items of historical interest, various types of artefacts and pieces of modern jewellery that together have contained more than 2.8kg of gold and 7kg of silver, supplemented by platinum and other precious metals. In addition I have discovered the equivalent of well over £21,000 in various European currencies. The introduction of the Euro in 2001 was not to everybody’s liking, but it has made my life much easier now I have only one currency to deal with, irrespective of which European country I am detecting in.

Within the book I shall be showing and using metal detectors manufactured by two companies, Minelab and White’s. Both make highly competent and respected products that I regularly use.

My friends at the Wyvern Historical and Detector Society share my passion for the hobby. Many of them have found items dating back several thousand years, from small individual artefacts to a hoard of Roman coins. You only have to attend one of our monthly meetings in Wiltshire to see the rich and diverse finds that are on display and also to realize how much pleasure may be derived from metal detecting.

I used to find that, when I took my dog for a walk, people would often pass the time of day with me, commenting about the dog or maybe the weather. Much the same happens when out with my metal detector. Perhaps the metal detector provides people with an excuse to start a conversation? I do know, however, that some of the questions I am most commonly asked when out detecting, whether on farmland, beaches, or in the water, are ‘What are you doing?’, ‘What made you get into detecting?’ and ‘How can I get started?’

Artefacts displayed at a club meeting. (Brian Cavill)

I normally reply that this is the kind of hobby nobody makes you get into. It may awaken a desire and a curiosity that is already within you, but otherwise you may never fully understand what it’s about.

Are you the kind of person who promises the children a day at the beach, building sand castles and playing beach games, only to find that by lunchtime it has become a day for beachcombing, fossil hunting or searching rock pools?

I wonder what might be there?

If you like fishing, are you especially interested in working out where the fish are and what they will be feeding on? Perhaps you enjoy sea fishing and study the tides and the currents. In short, do you look forward to the planning that goes into the hunt?

Do you relish the time of year when you can gather mushrooms or blackberries; do you gather windfall apples and fruit? Do you look forward to a glass of home-made sloe gin by the fire at Christmas while remembering the beautiful autumn days when you gathered your natural harvest of fruits?

Do you like to go cockle- and mussel-picking or netting shrimps, planning the trips to suit the tides?

Do you like history and researching subjects or solving problems? Perhaps you are a member of your local historical society?

All of these pastimes require detailed planning and research, local knowledge and the desire to hunt and gather. If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then this book is for you.

There are various ways in which you can make a start, ranging from field walking and searching using just your eyes to buying a detector from the small ads or from eBay. Throughout this book I will endeavour to guide you to an enjoyable future in the hobby and, who knows, it could even be a profitable one. We will meet other detectorists and the various clubs and organizations devoted to the hobby, and consider the do's and don’ts, both legal and ethical. I will evaluate the different suppliers and the types of detectors they offer. We will look at how to acquire your first machine and where to look, covering options offered by shops, magazine adverts and the Internet – who you can trust and whom you should be wary of.

There is research into the tools and techniques used to recover the items that the detector may indicate are buried in the ground or underwater, the clothing and general equipment we use on land searches and the different items needed for beach and estuary detecting. There is the opportunity to take a detailed look at the more specialized equipment required for underwater detecting.

Help will be found on how to look for land to detect on and obtain the landowner’s permission, and how to find other detecting places, even in town centres. There are endless possibilities to help within the local community to further the good name of metal detecting by offering a ‘Free Finds Service’ to anyone who has lost something of value.

These men spend hours picking cockles.

We look at the law concerning detecting and finds, who administers these laws and what to do if you find something significant. By knowing the rights of ownership and following the correct procedures you can help ensure that both you and the landowner receive the full amounts to which you are entitled. Examples of letters to landowners and tenants are provided, requesting permission to detect on their land, as well as sample contracts for agreements between detectorists and landowners, setting out the terms of ownership of any items that may be discovered. Consideration is also given to recording finds and how to report them officially, if required.

A recent innovation that will be covered is the handheld GPS (global positioning system), which can give a location down to 10 square metres and is becoming increasingly useful.

Throughout the book there is advice about safety and the precautions you should take. I make no apologies in advance if I sometimes repeat this in different contexts where I consider it to be necessary. Although some people may think of metal detecting as a sedentary hobby, certain aspects of it can take us into situations that may be dangerous if we do not understand and follow some basic rules.

I will take you through beach detecting, describing how to understand the tides and read the information the beach is giving, and show you where to search while on the beach. The differing tourist cultures in various countries can have a dramatic effect on the volume and value of your finds. I will help you understand what happens to an item when it is lost and how vast amounts of coinage, gold and silver is to be found on the beaches of shallow inshore waters. This chapter alone could make the whole experience of detecting very lucrative.

Typical handheld GPS unit.

There will also be a chance to take a close look at underwater detecting in freshwater leisure lakes, estuaries and in the sea. From personal experience I can vouch that underwater detecting in the Mediterranean, even in winter, is much more pleasant than the North Sea in summer!

We will look at ways of cleaning and displaying your finds, whether they are delicate artefacts that may be hundreds of years old or modern money and jewellery.

Some metal detectorists have developed special interests, such as making replicas of ancient artefacts.

Shells found whilst beachcombing.

On occasion I have had the opportunity to help improve understanding and general interest in metal detecting within my community by giving talks and presentations to clubs and other organizations. Recently I have also been asked to put together a monthly radio programme for a local radio station covering all aspects of metal detecting. I hope this book, too, will help spread the word. Welcome to my hobby!

By definition ‘A detectorist is an eternal optimist’

CHAPTER 1

DEVELOPING AN INTEREST IN METAL DETECTING

I have found that most people who get into metal detecting are by nature hunter-gatherers who hadn’t previously come across a metal detector. It may take many trips out with the detector before any collectable finds are found. As with many such activities, it is one of the pleasures of the hobby that it can be enjoyed at various levels of involvement.

Stones have unique and attractive individual markings.

MEANS OF SEARCHING

‘Eyes Only’ Searching or Field Walking

In the days before I acquired my metal detectors, I would spend hours searching ‘eyes only’ on beaches or inland and we still have exotic shells we found beachcombing on Mediterranean beaches. In addition there are a number of unusual stones brought back from Spain for our garden and some enormous pinecones from the forests of southwest France.

Celtic gold stater coin found by a French farmer while walking his fields.

On my detecting trips I regularly see people who are really enjoying their leisure time. Some are gathering a rich harvest of natural treasure, such as fruits, fungi and vegetables, which may be found by gleaning the fields after the harvest season. Others may be taking advantage of the sea’s bounty, collecting cockles, mussels and shrimps as well as fishing. Some will be looking for man-made items while field walking, such as pieces of ancient pottery and flint tools, or metal objects such as coins, buckles, musket balls, horseshoes, tools and perhaps even ancient weapons. Many detectorists carry out an ‘eyes only’ search of a site before detailed searching with a detector, since often an indication of human activity can be more quickly spotted using this method. Guidance as to the kinds of objects you can find while ‘eyes only’ detecting is given in Appendix Three.

The Society of Thames Mudlarks and Antiquarians, most commonly known as just the Mudlarks, is a famous and well-respected club in London. It was founded as an ‘eyes only’ club and has the unique status of being permitted to dig the Thames foreshore at low tide. Although this is a very messy and potentially dangerous branch of the hobby, if not carried out properly, it can be tremendously rewarding and members have made finds dating from modern times right back to the Stone Age. You can read about the Mudlarks in more detail in Appendix Two.

Mudlark finds from the Thames foreshore.

Searching with a Tool

The next logical step after ‘eyes only’ searching is to use an aid or tool. The first method of detecting using a tool to find what was underground and hidden from sight was dowsing. The origins of the technique are unknown, although it has been claimed that the stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury in England and at Carnac in France are laid out on so-called ‘ley lines’, which can easily be detected using dowsing rods.

Dowsing is still used commercially for finding precise locations at which to drill bore holes for water. It is, of course, not electronic metal detecting but it is known that the earth emits a faint electromagnetic field, which, although very weak, can still be ‘read’ in various ways. There are numerous things underground that can have an effect on the earth’s magnetic field, such as water, oil and buried manmade items. Dowsing can identify these changes in magnetism.

Modern dowsing rods: dowsing has been used as a search method for thousands of years.

Searching with a Metal Detector

The next step, and the one on which this book is focused, is to go from being a searcher to becoming a detectorist! Metal detectorists are patient people who enjoy the chase. In my experience many of them enjoy researching and studying old maps and records; if their intended trip should take them to the coast or an estuary they may also be prepared to check things like tide tables and reports published by the Receiver of Wrecks.

DETECTING FOR ALL

I recently carried out a survey among members of my detecting club and others with whom I go detecting. While the sample was small, the results are informative about those who take part in the hobby.

90% have been ‘hunter gathering’

50% have been ‘field walking’

30% are women

90% regularly detect on land

50% regularly detect on beaches

25% have a disability of some degree

Metal detecting is not a strenuous hobby and can be enjoyed by almost anyone from the very young to the more mature. I know of one man in Weston-super-Mare who still beach detects at eighty years old. He says that the detector is a bit like having a dog: it gets him out for some exercise on dull or windy days when he would not otherwise make the effort to go for a walk. At the other end of the age range, on the beach in Torquay I met a young boy of ten struggling with a secondhand detector he had been given. It was not adjusted for his height, he did not have any headphones or digging tools and he had no instruction manual. I provided him with some headphones and a spare beach scoop I had with me, and then spent the afternoon with him and his mother. It was a joy to see his face when he found his first coins. Before it was time to go home he had already talked his mother into getting headphones and other bits and pieces against birthdays and Christmases stretching into the future. He optimistically promised to pay her back with the money he would find on the beach.

I’ll show you how to do it.

For those who are retired and have grandchildren, spending time metal detecting with them is a wonderful way to bridge the generation gap. I recently had a day out detecting on Southport beach with two of my grandchildren, finding enough money to split it evenly between them. My grandson was very happy as we found some toy cars, and my granddaughter was delighted to have found a ‘dinosaur bone’. On returning home she spent an hour trying to find the phone number of the local TV news desk to break the story. It was, of course, a cow’s thighbone – but the story will remain a family favourite for years to come. It is a pleasure to be part of a hobby that benefits from having all age groups involved. The older club members certainly find it rewarding to be able to pass on their knowledge and experience to the younger members, though many of them are so quick to learn that they keep us older ones on our toes. In return they help us with various computer programs that are used with the latest generation of detectors. They also assist us in some of the Internet research we get involved with.

Toy cars are always popular finds with the children.

Despite its popular image, metal detecting really is an equal opportunity hobby. Almost a third of my club and detecting friends are women and I suspect that many wives and partners detect together. I also know of many couples who go metal detecting and don’t belong to the club, so the percentage overall is certainly greater. Modern detectors are much lighter than those produced in the past and do not need a great deal of strength to operate them. Moreover, when it comes to digging to recover finds you only have to visit a gardening centre to see that most of the gardening is done by women. In our distant past it was traditionally the woman in the family group who would do the gathering. I think that in part this is because they often have more patience and tenacity: if I am ready to give up after an unproductive period, it is often one of the women in the group who encourages me to carry on.

An X-terra 30 Minelab detector in use. They are very light, so will be very suitable for anyone with reduced upper body strength.