Er de alle løsfunn? Metallsøkfunn og potensialet for bevart kontekst under pløyelaget

Abstract

In Vestfold County we have since 2013 seen a marked rise in metal detecting finds being delivered to the county archaeologists by amateur detectorists. These finds are a source of both joy and grief for archaeologists all over Norway. Should we see these finds as noncontextual random finds or do they relate to a more complex situation over which we simply do not have full insight? In this article we discuss the possibilities of investigating sites with clusters of metal detecting finds with geophysical prospection. Two case studies in Vestfold County are presented, both of which have provided clusters of metal finds, and we compare the results from the metal detecting with results from geophysical prospection. By doing so our aim is to contribute to further discussion of the possibilities of preserved archaeological contexts under the plow soil.

Publication
VIKING, Norsk Arkeologisk Årbok