East Tyrol detectorists organise to support archaeological research

Amateur archaeologists in East Tyrol have formed a club to document finds and make them available to researchers, while discouraging uncontrolled treasure hunting, ORF reported.

The members use metal detectors to search for coins, brooches and other metal objects, including among the remains of the Roman city of Aguntum. Hobby archaeologist Michael Jost said the group’s privately purchased equipment was newer than some of the devices used by archaeologists.

The club was founded in 2024 on the initiative of retired scientist Harald Stadler. It now has 22 members, including two 14-year-old students who also take part in training courses, he said.

Finds range from Roman coins to Bronze Age objects. One member showed a bronze axe and a bronze point dated to between 800 and 1,000 BC. Jost said he had found a gold hoard eight years ago that included a Renaissance-era ring, but had not made a comparable discovery since.

The group says it aims to support research by documenting and reporting valuable finds. Some finds are divided between the finder and the landowner under a law described by Jost as a Roman Hadrianic division law.

Permits are required for private excavations. Searching or digging without the knowledge of the Federal Monuments Office is not allowed, and landowners’ consent is also required.