Danes find record-breaking summer weather (danefæ refers to good weather or fine days)

Equipped with metal detector devices, more Danes are discovering thousands of objects that have been well hidden in the black soil from our ancestors' time.

The Danish hunt for treasures is growing so rapidly that payments for finder's fees for the third time in a few years have set new records.

Last year, the National Museum paid out 8.95 million Danish crowns in treasure compensation.

This is over eight times more than ten years ago.

The hobby is no longer limited to bearded, male amateur archaeologists, but has spread to young people, women, and families as well.

Everyone contributes to saving historical artifacts before they risk being lost.

Some finds are so special that they are declared treasures. As a reward, finders receive a treasure compensation.

Payments in 2023 were 3.75 million Danish crowns higher than the previous year and nearly a million more than the previous record from 2020.

In general, the number of treasures has been significantly increasing.

"More detectorists are coming, and we are exploring new areas," says museum inspector Line Bjerg from the National Museum. "The hobby combines motion, nature, and a sense of community, as you often go out with someone. And there's the thrill of finding something," she adds.

In recent years, there have been particularly many finds in North Jutland, Bornholm, and West Zealand, while many finds are also starting to appear from South and Southern Jutland.

In Vejen Municipality in 2016, detectorists discovered the largest known gold hoard from the Viking Age in Denmark, Fæstedskatten.

In 2023, 20,859 objects were submitted for treasure assessment at the National Museum.

The large amount of material is a challenge for the National Museum.

"But it's important that we manage to save these artifacts for future research. They shouldn't be disturbed for too long in the plow layer before they are destroyed, and we lose valuable knowledge," says museum inspector Line Bjerg.

It's uniquely Danish that ordinary people can go on a hunt for historical artifacts in the ground. It's forbidden in most other countries.

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