detection lovers
For those of us who don't know about it, metal detecting is a fun way of looking for treasure. Is that the right idea, or are we wrong about it?
It doesn't have much to do with reality. That's just a cliché about this hobby. The only real treasure is the attraction humans have always had towards the unknown. In fact, it's exercise that you do in natural surroundings either by yourself or with company. Detecting gives you the emotion of finding things you don't know you'll find.
How and when did this hobby start? How did it become a pass time for thousands of people?
It first started in the States at the end of the Second World War. At that time, the army had thousands of metal detectors for finding mines. Soldiers knew they could be used for finding metallic objects and started to use them as a pass time. That's how detecting became popular in the civilian world too. It started in Spain in the mid-70's. The US soldiers at the bases as Morón de la Frontera and Rota probably introduced it.
Are there special laws or norms about how to use metal detectors?
Each autonomous community has its own laws. However, they all forbid using them in archaeological and historical sites. This pass time's only compulsory norm is to carry it out in a fair, legal manner.
What does a metal detector feel when he/she finds something interesting?
The most exciting moment isn't when you find something, it's when the metal detector starts beeping and you still don't know what you're going to find. At that moment of doubt, tension, adrenaline and nerves go all through your body. You're taken over by the desire and impatience to know what the detector's signal means. Very few pass times offer that sensation of mystery up until the very last moment. What's more, that sensation can be prolonged by studying and investigating and piece you've found. Finding an empty bullet from wartime can bring up thousands of questions: Which side were they on? The date of manufacture? The weapon used? In the right hands, metal detectors can be a source of culture.
What can you find with a metal detector?
Anything with metal in it. Metal detectors have found everything from false teeth and meteorites to whole aeroplanes.
Metal detectors can also make important archaeological discoveries, although that is also highly controversial.
It isn't an easy situation. The various different laws in Spain don't make it easy for archaeological discoveries to be accepted. Coming across archaeological remains by chance can be a problem for metal detectors. If they come across them any other way, though, this is no problem whatsoever. Public administration and archaeologists say that making a hole in the ground to uncover things, if they turn out to be archaeological remains, can cause damage. But for that to happen, that area of land must have been untouched for a long period, and we are always pointing out that we only look in areas which have been used for agriculture and on beaches. What's more, our devices only look down 25-30 centimetres.
Are there competitions? What are they like?
We've been organizing championships for the last ten years. There are many different types. One type is when we hide bits of metal in an area of land. Another type is "decontamination". In this type of championship, whoever finds the largest amount of scrap metal wins. The hardest, most technical competition is the "inspection". In this one, as well as finding metal you have to tell what type of metal it is before digging it up and only using the device's signal.
What does the Spanish Metal Detectors' Society do?
Our work is to agree on legislation about our pass time, avoid misunderstandings and minimise complaints and fines. We are a non-profit making organization, we do not touch archaeological remains or damage nature. People who do such things are not detectors, they are thieves, and we are completely against that. We take care of our hobby, promote it and make it better known in a positive way.
An interview with Francisco Javier Matas Adamuz
President of the Spanish Association for the Defense of the Metal Detection.
http://www.buscametales.com
It doesn't have much to do with reality. That's just a cliché about this hobby. The only real treasure is the attraction humans have always had towards the unknown. In fact, it's exercise that you do in natural surroundings either by yourself or with company. Detecting gives you the emotion of finding things you don't know you'll find.
How and when did this hobby start? How did it become a pass time for thousands of people?
It first started in the States at the end of the Second World War. At that time, the army had thousands of metal detectors for finding mines. Soldiers knew they could be used for finding metallic objects and started to use them as a pass time. That's how detecting became popular in the civilian world too. It started in Spain in the mid-70's. The US soldiers at the bases as Morón de la Frontera and Rota probably introduced it.
Are there special laws or norms about how to use metal detectors?
Each autonomous community has its own laws. However, they all forbid using them in archaeological and historical sites. This pass time's only compulsory norm is to carry it out in a fair, legal manner.
What does a metal detector feel when he/she finds something interesting?
The most exciting moment isn't when you find something, it's when the metal detector starts beeping and you still don't know what you're going to find. At that moment of doubt, tension, adrenaline and nerves go all through your body. You're taken over by the desire and impatience to know what the detector's signal means. Very few pass times offer that sensation of mystery up until the very last moment. What's more, that sensation can be prolonged by studying and investigating and piece you've found. Finding an empty bullet from wartime can bring up thousands of questions: Which side were they on? The date of manufacture? The weapon used? In the right hands, metal detectors can be a source of culture.
What can you find with a metal detector?
Anything with metal in it. Metal detectors have found everything from false teeth and meteorites to whole aeroplanes.
Metal detectors can also make important archaeological discoveries, although that is also highly controversial.
It isn't an easy situation. The various different laws in Spain don't make it easy for archaeological discoveries to be accepted. Coming across archaeological remains by chance can be a problem for metal detectors. If they come across them any other way, though, this is no problem whatsoever. Public administration and archaeologists say that making a hole in the ground to uncover things, if they turn out to be archaeological remains, can cause damage. But for that to happen, that area of land must have been untouched for a long period, and we are always pointing out that we only look in areas which have been used for agriculture and on beaches. What's more, our devices only look down 25-30 centimetres.
Are there competitions? What are they like?
We've been organizing championships for the last ten years. There are many different types. One type is when we hide bits of metal in an area of land. Another type is "decontamination". In this type of championship, whoever finds the largest amount of scrap metal wins. The hardest, most technical competition is the "inspection". In this one, as well as finding metal you have to tell what type of metal it is before digging it up and only using the device's signal.
What does the Spanish Metal Detectors' Society do?
Our work is to agree on legislation about our pass time, avoid misunderstandings and minimise complaints and fines. We are a non-profit making organization, we do not touch archaeological remains or damage nature. People who do such things are not detectors, they are thieves, and we are completely against that. We take care of our hobby, promote it and make it better known in a positive way.
An interview with Francisco Javier Matas Adamuz
President of the Spanish Association for the Defense of the Metal Detection.
http://www.buscametales.com
