“I now look forward to the future, by finding things from our past…”Exploring the potential of metal detector archaeology as a source of well-being and happiness for British Armed Forces veterans with mental health impairments

Dobat, Andres Siegfried; Wood, Sultan Oruc; Svensmark, Bo; Schmidt, Sören; Dobat, Armin S.

doi:10.1080/13527258.2019.1639069

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…There is an attendance fee, which normally covers the costs of running the rally (including profits for the event organizer) but might also benefit a local charity. Detecting for Veterans, which organizes large-scale metal-detecting events, also has charitable aims—to support veterans of the British armed forces suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (Dobat, Wood, et al 2020; Massey 2021). The group has nearly 6,000 members and has raised over £14,000 for two armed-forces charities since it was formed in 2017, highlighting the contradiction between the social benefits that rallies can provide and the damage rallies might cause to the archaeological record.…”

Section: When Is a Rally A Rally?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Metal-Detecting Rallies

Wessman

Deckers²,

Lewis³

et al. 2022

Adv. archaeol. pract.

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Hobby metal detectorists search for archaeological finds as individuals and within groups, the latter being the focus of this article. Such groups come together as “clubs” and “meetings,” but also as part of large, often commercially run events typically known as “rallies.” All these activities are attractive to detectorists because they provide them with access to land to search, along with the promise of making interesting (even valuable) discoveries, and they have a social dimension. They are common in England and also well established in several countries in northwest Europe, partly due to changing legislation. Although policies and mechanisms are often in place for collaboration with individual detectorists and even local metal-detecting clubs, larger events (not least, the large-scale commercial rallies increasingly occurring in England) present challenges for professional archaeologists, specifically in relation to the capacity to properly record finds and manage potential damage to the historic environment. To respond appropriately to these changes, a greater understanding of detectorists’ events is needed. For this reason, we explore and define the scale, nature, and diversity of group events, relating them to different legislative and cultural contexts in Flanders (Belgium), England (and Wales), and Finland. Subsequently, we outline challenges associated with group events and identify possible ways forward.

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Section: When Is a Rally A Rally?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Metal-Detecting Rallies

Wessman

Deckers²,

Lewis³

et al. 2022

Adv. archaeol. pract.

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“…Finally, there are those for whom detecting is more of a personal project, fulfilling a need to 'get out of the house' and find some mental relaxation (e.g. Thomas et al, 2015;Winkley, 2016;Immonen & Kinnunen, 2017;Dobat et al, 2019b;Wessman, forthcoming).…”

Section: Metal Detector Complexitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Much of its appeal lies in the fact that metal detecting allows practitioners to act creatively as producers of their own local and personal histories, in contrast to being passive consumers of expert archaeologists' narratives. Studies of the motivations of detectorists (Thomas, 2012;Winkley, 2016;Dobat et al, 2019b;Wessman, forthcoming) show that many are driven by a desire to enter into a personal and hands-on dialogue with the past and hold or even own a piece of history ( Figure 5). Their finds give them a direct connection to the past and allow them to connect intimately with 'their' heritage and history.…”

Section: Social and Ethical Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a Cooperative Approach to Hobby Metal Detecting: The European Public Finds Recording Network (EPFRN) Vision Statement

et al. 2020

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Hobby metal detecting is a controversial subject. Legal and policy approaches differ widely across national and regional contexts, and the attitudes of archaeologists and heritage professionals towards detectorists are often polarized and based on ethical or emotive arguments. We, the European Public Finds Recording Network (EPFRN), have implemented collaborative approaches towards detectorist communities in our respective contexts (Denmark, England and Wales, Finland, Flanders, and the Netherlands). Although our motivations are affected by our national circumstances, we base our work on an agreed set of goals, practices, and visions. This article presents the EPFRN's vision statement and provides insight into its underlying thoughts. We hope to create a debate on how to develop best practice approaches that acknowledge the inherent challenges of hobby metal detecting while realizing its potential.

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“…Winkley 2016; Dobat et al . 2019)—is the desire to have direct engagement with the past, rather than an experience that is mediated via experts and passive museum displays (Dobat et al . 2019).…”

Section: Responsible and Responsive Collecting: Re-nuancing Motivationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2019)—is the desire to have direct engagement with the past, rather than an experience that is mediated via experts and passive museum displays (Dobat et al . 2019). Other motivators include wellbeing derived from being outdoors, opportunities for socialising and an interest in the technological aspects of metal-detecting devices (Thomas 2012).…”

Section: Responsible and Responsive Collecting: Re-nuancing Motivationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The dangers of conflating responsible and responsive artefact stewardship with illicit and illegal collecting

Thomas¹,

Pitblado

2020

Antiquity

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Archaeology and private artefact collecting have complex and inextricably linked histories. Archaeologists have long drawn attention to criminal activity among collectors, but to assume that all private owners of cultural material—and any archaeologists who interact with them—have ill-intent or engage in illegal behaviour can cause as much harm to the archaeological record as the criminal actions themselves.

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“I now look forward to the future, by finding things from our past…”Exploring the potential of metal detector archaeology as a source of well-being and happiness for British Armed Forces veterans with mental health impairments

Cited by 20 publications

References 24 publications

Metal-Detecting Rallies

Metal-Detecting Rallies

Towards a Cooperative Approach to Hobby Metal Detecting: The European Public Finds Recording Network (EPFRN) Vision Statement

The dangers of conflating responsible and responsive artefact stewardship with illicit and illegal collecting

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