Access All Areas: Metal Detecting and the Mediation of Rural Landscapes
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 14/12/2016

Metal detectorists experience the historic landscape with an immediacy that prioritises individual  encounter  and  interpretation  above  what  might  be  associated  with  a  more  traditional  archaeological observation. In rural areas of England and Wales, an estimated 15,000 detectorists  are searching  their local area  regularly  (24.7% more  than once a week), making discoveries and  recording findspots in a system largely uncontrolled by the heritage profession.  For many, metal detecting is  typical of what Stebbins  (2001) has described as ‘serious leisure’, a  complex pastime which encourages the hobbyist to commit considerable time and resource over a long period, being increasingly satisfied as time goes on. Contrary to still‐pervasive preconceptions  about detectorist attitudes, with 85.9% of this population searching close to home and a reported  median of 10 years spent detecting, the significant investment made by many of these hobbyists  has caused them to develop a unique sense of attachment to their local landscape. Indeed, some  detectorists seek to expand their practice by becoming involved in archaeological projects ‐ and yet  the number and range of opportunities available is disappointingly limited. Contrary to the digital  sphere,  where  volunteers  have  been  mobilised  as  ‘citizen  archaeologists’  by  innovative  crowdsourced  projects  (Bevan  et  al.  2014),  there  remains  a  lack  of  creativity  amongst  practical  projects for detectorist involvement. One explanation may be that the relative freedom from convention and control experienced during  legal metal detecting remains an issue for some archaeologists, suggesting a perspective that those  with professional training have the greater claim to the archaeology of rural areas than an amateur  population.  This  paper  would  use  original  quantitative  and  qualitative  data  to  explore  the  metal  detectorist  experience of rural landscapes, to reassess their motivations and their potential contribution, and to  make some suggestions about mediation and the incorporation of detectorists into heritage practice  going forward.

Felicity Winkley  University College London.

Session 5: Rural Politic
CHAT Annual Conference Orkney 2016: Rurality