Program:

11:00 "Introduction to the seminar" (Andres S. Dobat, Aarhus University)

11:15 "Recording Public Finds in England and Wales" (Michael Lewis, British Museum)

12:00 Lunchbreak

13:00 "Using metal detecting in Viking Age research in England" (Julian Richards, University of York)

13:45 "Metal detector finds and research in England" (Jane Kershaw, University College London)

14:30 coffee

15:00 "MEDEA: the goals and development process of an online platform for recording metal-detected finds data" (Pieterjan Deckers, Brussels University)

15:45 "Metal detector finds, settlement and land exploitation AD 400-1200 in the Limfjord Region, Northern Jutland – A cross-regional analysis" (Torben Trier, Aarhus University & Nordjyllands Historiske Museum)

16:30 "Concluding remarks" (Mads Holst, Aarhus University & Moesgård Museum)

Background of the conference:

Since the early 1980s, metal detector surveying conducted by amateur archaeologists has contributed significantly to our knowledge of the past. Only within the last two years, the total number of finds handed over to the collection departments at the Danish National Museum for reassure trove evaluation increased from 7,176 in 2014 to 9,756 in 2015 and these numbers are expected to increase even further in the coming years.

However, due to this enormous increase in numbers, metal detector archaeology has developed into a burden for archaeological museums, who are struggling to maintain the pace at which new finds are turned in. Only a small fraction of metal detector finds produced during the past decades is accessible to members of the public and researchers. Hence, Danish metal detector finds are hardly integrated in research and public dissemination. Similar problems have emerged in other countries, and different solutions have been tested or are being developed. The seminar presents a selection of these projects and how they have contributed to the use of metal detector finds in research.

The seminar is meant to provide a source of inspiration and a forum for discussion on how Danish archaeology is to tackle the growing number of metal detector finds in the future, and how we can exploit their full potential for research and public dissemination. Particular focus will be on the potential of central recording of metal detector finds as a basis for research.

The seminar is part of the project ‘Danske Detektorfund’ (working title), which aims to develop and implement a user-driven recording scheme for metal detector finds in Denmark.

Organiser: Project group ‘Danske Detektorfund’ in cooperation with Aarhus University and Moesgård Museum

Funding:

The seminar is funded by KROGAGERFONDEN and the AU Research program for Materials, Culture and Heritage (CAS)

Registration:

For obligatory registration visit: auws.au.dk/Change_or_challenge_conference

Lunch: A picnic lunch-packet can be ordered and purchased for 100 DKK in advance via the registration webshop!