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Dubbodoo t1_iv9c940 wrote

Reply to comment by UrTheReasonBidenWon in A 1000-year-old Viking silver treasure found in Sweden by drexa24

Unfortunately Sweden has pretty much nuked amateur metal detecting which will heavily reduce the number of finds. You're not even able to detect on your own property. Unlike the UK, who actively promote it and generously reward any significant finds. People are more likely to now melt a find down since they would receive little reward for turning it in, and there's the possibility of being fined depending on the circumstanes of the discovery. The worst part is that these laws only impact folks who love history and want to report their finds and have no impact on nighthawks since they will be detecting and stealing regardless.

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rlnrlnrln t1_iv9eb6h wrote

If you find treasure containing valuable metal, you get the value of the metal.

But the idea is also to let things remain in the ground for the future, when new methods may be available.

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Dubbodoo t1_ive1q2z wrote

I don't believe you do. In the UK you get the value of your finds, but in Sweden I'm fairly certain they use a few factors to determine the award and it is usually quite small (in comparison to the value of the find if it's precious metals). I'd have to check into it again; I had researched it a few years ago when I was visiting and was thinking of bringing my detector. Quickly learned I couldn't.

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GothWitchOfBrooklyn t1_iv9t1n6 wrote

Wow really? That's like a hobby here in the us, my neighbor also uses a metal detector to clean up metal on an old neglected property he bought too. It's fun!

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FarHarbard t1_iv9uff5 wrote

A lot of archaeologists dislike American amateurs as well, they don't often document the provenance of a find so they lose much of the historical context.

It is one thing to go scavenge lost watches at the beach, but when it comes to people digging up colonial and pre-colonial artefacts it can be damaging.

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GothWitchOfBrooklyn t1_iv9v5w0 wrote

Ah yeah, I guess I just meant on your own property. Not going after historical areas

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