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    1. Home
    2. Family, home and community
    3. Family history, heritage and museums

    Archaeology and treasure

    Northern Ireland's landscape has evidence of over 9,000 years of human activity. Archaeological sites and monuments, archaeological objects and maritime remains have been discovered. Sometimes certain archaeological objects are uncovered and classified as 'treasure'.

    What to do if you find an archaeological object

    If you discover an archaeological object you must tell one of the following within 14 days

    •  National Museums Northern Ireland' (NMNI) 
    • Department for Communities Historic Environment Division
    • police

    If the object is easily carried you should also deposit it with one of the bodies mentioned above. They can keep it for up to three months to allow proper examination and recording.

    Occasionally, certain types of archaeological objects are uncovered in Northern Ireland which are classified as treasure. It may be difficult for you to decide if the object you find might be treasure, but the archaeologists in the Historic Environment Division or the NMNI who you report your find to should be able to help.  Once an object is classified as potential treasure, the discovery must be reported to the Coroners Service.

    How 'treasure' is described

    In Northern Ireland treasure is defined as:

    • a prehistoric object containing gold or silver
    • two or more prehistoric base metal objects
    • 2-9 coins which are at least 300 years old and are at least 10 per cent gold or silver or more than 10 coins which contain some gold or silver
    • objects which are at least 10 per cent gold or silver and are at least 300 years old
    • objects found in association with treasure or where treasure was found previously

    Using a metal detector

    If you want to use a metal detector, you should be aware that there are restrictions on searching for archaeological objects. 

    It is an offence to search for archaeological objects, if that search involves disturbing the ground, without an archaeological excavation licence issued by the Historic Environment Division:

    • Archaeological Excavation Licence Documents 

    It is also an offence to have a detecting device on a protected site (scheduled sites and monuments and State Care monuments) or to remove an archaeological object from a protected site without the Historic Environment Division's consent:

    • Historic environment contacts

    More useful links

    • Family history, heritage and museums
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    Family history, heritage and museums

    • Archaeology and treasure
    • Archives for family and local history
    • Finding information on historic monuments and buildings
    • Historic buildings and monuments
    • Museums and galleries
    • Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
    • Research family history at the General Register Office NI (GRONI)

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