There are many people who pursue the hobby of metal detecting to simply search for valuable items such as gold jewellery on the beach, no matter how old it is. However, there are others who are avid historians and amateur archaeologists and who maintain a particular interest in finding items of historical value or ancient relics.
Relic hunting is a wonderful aspect of metal detecting as a hobby. With relic hunting you can also look for items that are non-metal such as clay pottery or porcelain. These are often found alongside metal items at particular sites. There is much fascinating history to be gleaned from the study of these objects.
There are those metal detectorists who have become so expert at relic hunting, that they only hunt for items from specific periods of history - for example, the Bronze Age or the Iron Age. Britain, in particular, is littered with many interesting implements from these epochs. Then again, there are others who pursue more recent history and look for World War II relics. Whatever period fascinates you the most (perhaps they all do), there is no doubt that it adds a very exciting and challenging dimension to your treasure hunting if you take a historical interest.
Here are some tips for you if you want to pursue relic hunting:
· It is often slightly more physically taxing to pursue relic hunting than it is to metal detect in more common places such as beaches. You need to go to areas that are not frequented by people (at least not recently) and go off the beaten path to find ancient sites.
· You need to plan properly beforehand. If you are going into remote areas, you must plan well ahead and take all necessary equipment with you including maps, compasses, GPS, headlamps, change of clothes, spare food, bag for finds and bag for trash.
· You need a good metal detector, probably a slightly more expensive one. There are companies that produce machines that are specialized for relic hunting. These have a special setting that can detect all metals, regardless of size. A good metal detector for relic hunting should also not be affected by heavy mineralized soils. Ancient relics often occur in soils of this type and you don't want to be driven mad by loads of false-positive signals. You also need a metal detector that has a relatively large search coil (larger than the regular search coil for less expensive machines).
Ken Rowsby is a passionate treasure hunter. If you'd like more great tips on metal detecting hunts [http://metaldetectingfortreasure.com/metal-detecting-finds] then please visit [http://metaldetectingfortreasure.com/metal-detecting-finds].
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