John Gimlette

It’s time to stop sneering at metal detectorists

The vast majority of significant finds are now unearthed by amateurs – including the Nebra Sky Disc, the centrepiece of the British Museum’s recent Stonehenge exhibition

The Nebra Sky Disc, one of many significant treasures unearthed by metal detectorists. [Alamy] 
issue 19 November 2022

As a teenager growing up in Cheshire I had a metal detector. Although I was slightly ashamed of it, I found all sorts of intriguing things: shrapnel, a French coin, a Khartoum Racing Club key ring, an adze and a silver brooch in the shape of a lobster. All went well until I found a second world war bomb in Tatton Park.

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