Post by Leslie Sarkany on Mar 27, 2022 3:03:56 GMT -5
Thank you for taking the time to include the profile and outline of the interview. Metal detecting is a great hobby and most of us know only a superficial amount about the items we find. Archeological information is not our forte. We find the items do minimal research and continue on searching. Our research is mostly on the history of the area so as to led to dig sites. Over the years I have found that talking to older folks has been the best resource for this and has led to some wonderful locations. I see that in the profile the writer could not find the articles I wrote that were published. If you wish I could bring them with me.
In the profile I would appreciate taking out the Halifax Police reference and just say police as well as adding a law and Security instructor in NFLD,NWT and here. Also I have never been to Europe just the UK and have also detected in USA, Jamaica, Cuba (once next trip they confiscated my machines) and Dominican Republic doing both land and shallow water.
Emailed my mate Jim in Brant Broughton UK who I stay with each year and the brooch was not found in Bourne but Digby in the Lincolnshire area. Will try and attach his email that I sent him.
In the first set of questions the brooch is the only artifact that is Saxon that I have dug so far. Also have dug Roman coins and fan brooch, gold hammered coins from Edward to the Henrys. As for taking up the hobby I was 14 when I swung my first machine which was owned by a fellow I played ball with. Growing up in Hubbards we have two major beaches and used to do them. However in those days it was more about looking at the young ladies on the beach than hunting . Softball at that time was the real focus as Hubbards Kingfishers as we were known won 3 province championships from bantam, juvenile to junior. When a policeman I seriously started swinging as a form of exercise and stress reduction. In those days I might have seen one other detectorist a year now see one about every 3rd time out. In 53 years of detecting I have no bucket list left. Just as happy finding a penny, as a piece of jewelry. Person favorite finds have to be religious items. I noticed to that the writer has not made mention of the types of machines and the advancements of those since I began. "Digaholics" (word I invented) know a heck of a lot more about the various machines than the items they unearth. I could bring you a find from just about anything you can think of. Will call you about this and other items I can just show you briefly . Used to wear a necklace with about 180 gold and silver rings as a conversation piece to get folks talking to me in the hope of new leads for place to work. This resulted in 2 places that I wrote articles on. I also have hobby cards which I give out offering my services for free to find lost items on their property or land markers again directed at conversations that might make new sites available.
On the second set of questions the brooch was found on the Digby farm that Jim and I had a permission on. Telby coins, large cartwheels and decorative pins were also found on this site. As far as importance in my collection not very as I'm a crow and like shiny things like silver coins and jewelry. Got to explain that detecting is like deer hunting. Once you shoot the deer the fun is over while in detecting once an item is found you look for the next item. The thrill is the hunt and the company of your digging mate....the experience of getting into the zone! As for value one has to be aware to a point but like stamp collecting (have been doing that for over 60 years) a five cent stamp is just as desirable if it fills a hole in your collection as a five hundred dollar stamp. As for value about 200 pounds UK. Have an artifact book of dug finds of the UK that Jim gave me and that is not in there but similar ones are listed could bring that book too. Collecting ancient artifacts and coins is a hard task given our limited history in Canada but a highlight was the three Carthaginian coins I found in Dartmouth and were shown on the tv show "Curse of Oak Island." I often wonder how they got here. Checked with a buddy and had them cpiced to see if stolen...not. Sort of think in the old days a sailor had traded for them and lost them around the lake when getting fresh water. had a junior archie interested and I showed him where I found the three circa 90ad coins and never heard further.
As for the third set of questions that is beyond my scope of knowledge. What I focus on is Nova Scotia History and folklore as every tale has an ounce of truth in it somewhere.
Fourth set of questions again deal with would I like to own more Saxon items. Different UK sites are attributed to different periods. So its a hit miss depending on your permissions and the rallies you attend. I personally would not buy an artifact and am a purest that would only collect what I dig. I am a detectorist not a collector but have books full of finds in chapters of type of finds.
As for the final set of questions I can only say that I will dig as long as I can walk. Continue going each year to the UK which is the mecca of the hobby. Continue going to the Caribbean with the wife and doing the beaches and water there. The greatest joy of the hobby is the friendships along the way and returning items lost by the owners. As for what would I say to a person getting into the hobby...do it. Some benefits include getting outside, friendships developed and of course finds. Be one with your machine and read the code of ethics associated with the hobby. Machines run from a couple of hundred dollar to a couple of thousand dollars. Consider what type of hunting you wish to do, warranty and service as well as how much you wish to shell out. I own several machines with my fav being a Garrett Freedom 3 Plus which is older than most detectorist I run into.
Have many interesting "happenings while detecting I could relate also. Again the interview seems too focused on the finds and not the experience. Will phone you before the date for further suggestions miss.
From Jim's email
Best of luck with the Doc mate
Re the brooch
Saxon bronze bow brooch prob 6th..7th century AD
Found next to the village of Digby in Lincolnshire date on pic
In the profile I would appreciate taking out the Halifax Police reference and just say police as well as adding a law and Security instructor in NFLD,NWT and here. Also I have never been to Europe just the UK and have also detected in USA, Jamaica, Cuba (once next trip they confiscated my machines) and Dominican Republic doing both land and shallow water.
Emailed my mate Jim in Brant Broughton UK who I stay with each year and the brooch was not found in Bourne but Digby in the Lincolnshire area. Will try and attach his email that I sent him.
In the first set of questions the brooch is the only artifact that is Saxon that I have dug so far. Also have dug Roman coins and fan brooch, gold hammered coins from Edward to the Henrys. As for taking up the hobby I was 14 when I swung my first machine which was owned by a fellow I played ball with. Growing up in Hubbards we have two major beaches and used to do them. However in those days it was more about looking at the young ladies on the beach than hunting . Softball at that time was the real focus as Hubbards Kingfishers as we were known won 3 province championships from bantam, juvenile to junior. When a policeman I seriously started swinging as a form of exercise and stress reduction. In those days I might have seen one other detectorist a year now see one about every 3rd time out. In 53 years of detecting I have no bucket list left. Just as happy finding a penny, as a piece of jewelry. Person favorite finds have to be religious items. I noticed to that the writer has not made mention of the types of machines and the advancements of those since I began. "Digaholics" (word I invented) know a heck of a lot more about the various machines than the items they unearth. I could bring you a find from just about anything you can think of. Will call you about this and other items I can just show you briefly . Used to wear a necklace with about 180 gold and silver rings as a conversation piece to get folks talking to me in the hope of new leads for place to work. This resulted in 2 places that I wrote articles on. I also have hobby cards which I give out offering my services for free to find lost items on their property or land markers again directed at conversations that might make new sites available.
On the second set of questions the brooch was found on the Digby farm that Jim and I had a permission on. Telby coins, large cartwheels and decorative pins were also found on this site. As far as importance in my collection not very as I'm a crow and like shiny things like silver coins and jewelry. Got to explain that detecting is like deer hunting. Once you shoot the deer the fun is over while in detecting once an item is found you look for the next item. The thrill is the hunt and the company of your digging mate....the experience of getting into the zone! As for value one has to be aware to a point but like stamp collecting (have been doing that for over 60 years) a five cent stamp is just as desirable if it fills a hole in your collection as a five hundred dollar stamp. As for value about 200 pounds UK. Have an artifact book of dug finds of the UK that Jim gave me and that is not in there but similar ones are listed could bring that book too. Collecting ancient artifacts and coins is a hard task given our limited history in Canada but a highlight was the three Carthaginian coins I found in Dartmouth and were shown on the tv show "Curse of Oak Island." I often wonder how they got here. Checked with a buddy and had them cpiced to see if stolen...not. Sort of think in the old days a sailor had traded for them and lost them around the lake when getting fresh water. had a junior archie interested and I showed him where I found the three circa 90ad coins and never heard further.
As for the third set of questions that is beyond my scope of knowledge. What I focus on is Nova Scotia History and folklore as every tale has an ounce of truth in it somewhere.
Fourth set of questions again deal with would I like to own more Saxon items. Different UK sites are attributed to different periods. So its a hit miss depending on your permissions and the rallies you attend. I personally would not buy an artifact and am a purest that would only collect what I dig. I am a detectorist not a collector but have books full of finds in chapters of type of finds.
As for the final set of questions I can only say that I will dig as long as I can walk. Continue going each year to the UK which is the mecca of the hobby. Continue going to the Caribbean with the wife and doing the beaches and water there. The greatest joy of the hobby is the friendships along the way and returning items lost by the owners. As for what would I say to a person getting into the hobby...do it. Some benefits include getting outside, friendships developed and of course finds. Be one with your machine and read the code of ethics associated with the hobby. Machines run from a couple of hundred dollar to a couple of thousand dollars. Consider what type of hunting you wish to do, warranty and service as well as how much you wish to shell out. I own several machines with my fav being a Garrett Freedom 3 Plus which is older than most detectorist I run into.
Have many interesting "happenings while detecting I could relate also. Again the interview seems too focused on the finds and not the experience. Will phone you before the date for further suggestions miss.
From Jim's email
Best of luck with the Doc mate
Re the brooch
Saxon bronze bow brooch prob 6th..7th century AD
Found next to the village of Digby in Lincolnshire date on pic