Hvordan har metallgjenstander funnet veien til pløyelaget?

Resultater fra et metodisk prøveprosjekt på Storhov i Elverum

Sammendrag

Due to increasing hobby metal detecting, archaeological museums receive thousands of finds each year. To improve
our understanding of their depositing history and possible connection to structures beneath the plough-zone, the
Directorate for Cultural Heritage selected the find-rich field at Storhov in Elverum for a pilot study. This article presents
an outline of the results from the three-part methodological survey at Storhov; comparing and assessing metal
detecting finds, results from archaeological excavation, and interpretations from GPR survey on the site.
In light of these results, the article discusses how the metal detecting finds ended up in the ploughsoil. Based on types,
dates and distribution of finds and structures, we conclude that most of the finds – ornaments, tools, and small items
carried in a belt or in a pouch – were distributed through manuring or lost while working in the field. Thus, when
systematic metal detecting on a site predominantly produces such finds, it is a suitable method to bring forth information
on cultivation in the Iron and Middle Ages. The results also suggest that in sites where such metal finds dominate, there
is potential for finding remains from settlements and graves, either on the site or nearby. However, such finds cannot be
regarded as a reliable guidance to the precise location of such structures – if at all preserved. We regard our analysis
and tentative conclusions as a step towards developing a methodological package and a set of assessment criteria for
heritage management of the metal rich sites and research on the finds.