Do it yourself treasure hunting is big in the United Kingdom. Many hobbyists use metal detectors, such as in the fictional activities of Danebury Metal Detecting Club in the TV Comedy The Detectorists. Another popular past time is ‘Mudlarking’ on the Thames and other UK rivers, in search of artefacts and treasures of history. In this course we look at some of the significant finds made, the clubs and associations, and the rules, regulations and debates arising around this area of interest.

DELIVERY MODE

• Online

SUGGESTED READING

• What lies beneath: meet the real life metal detectorists, The Guardian
• Mudlarking on The Thames - in hunt of treasures in London, British Heritage Travel

COURSE OUTLINE

• Archaeology in the United Kingdom: an introduction
• Famous finds by ‘amateurs’, including Sutton Hoo (1939)
• The arrival of the metal detector
• Metal detecting in fiction (The Detectorists comedy)
• Metal detecting today – key finds and trends
• The history of Mudlarking on the Thames (searching for valuables by the river)
• Books and TV documentaries about Mudlarking
• Trends and debates in both metal detecting and mudlarking – in danger of being loved to death?

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Understand the popularity of metal detecting and mudlarking in the UK
2. Appreciate the attraction of the hobby/ and some of the key finds
3. Understand some of the debates about ownership and regulation that arise