Detective anonymously sent his find to museum; fears conviction

The National Museum of Ireland recently received a package containing two perfectly preserved Bronze Age axes. The donor was an anonymous metal detectorist who wanted to share a common cultural heritage, but was also afraid criminalization - in Ireland, metal detecting is banned and carries heavy fines and imprisonment. It's one of the countries where, thanks to a strict law, the vast majority of finds end up in privatecollections, and people who would like to cooperate in safe circumstances prefer to search in secret.

Museum staff have described the 4,000-year-old axes as a "significant archaeological find" and are now trying to track down the sender to find out the most important thing - the context of the find. The letter said the axes were discovered in County Westmeath using a metal detector. In the letter, the sender expressed a wish for the axes to be conserved by the museum. According to museum staff, the letter gave no further details of their provenance.

The artefacts, dating from between 2150 and 2000 BC, were, according to the museum, 'thoughtfully packed in foam cut-outs and cardboard, which ensured their safe transportation.' This is certainly appreciated by the experts; it is clear that the finder was careful and cared about the condition of the objects. However, they also appeal to the consignor to contact them again, saying it is "essential" that archaeologists are informed of the exact location of the find.

"We are thrilled with the discovery of these Early Bronze Age axes," said Matt Seaver, deputy curator of Irish antiquities at the museum. "But to really understand their significance, we need to know where they were found," he said, adding that knowing the context of archaeological discoveries helps experts "piece together ancient settlement patterns and cultural practices."

The finder's concerns are not surprising: throughout Ireland, it is illegal to use a metal detector to search for archaeological objects unless you have written permission from the government to do so. Those convicted of this offence can face fines in excess of £1.5 million. They can also be sentenced to imprisonment for up to three months, combined with the above fine.

According to the museum, "severe penalties are in order as unauthorised metal detecting can cause serious damage to Ireland's archaeological heritage.' Nevertheless, staff have urged the sender to get back in touch and promise that his personal information 'will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and will be used solely to verify the location of the find and its circumstances."It is questionable whether this system is effective and motivating.

This case is certainly not an isolated one; a similar incident occurred in 2016, for example, when anonymous parcels containing Bronze Age axes and Viking jewellery were sent to the Kildare Street Museum. At that time, too, the museum and government officials appealed for finders, but so far no one has come forward.

Roman Nemec

Sources: bbc.com, smithsonianmag.com, museum.ie
You can see the nearly 4,000 Bronze Age finds found by metal detectors in the Hunting History - Bronze Age section

The 2016 finds were sent in plain envelopes

Finds from 2016

The axes were carefully packed