The History of Treasure Hunting

A short talk on all aspects of treasure-hunting will be followed by a roundtable discussion and audience Q&A. Led Professor Johannes Dillinger, author of Magical Treasure Hunting in Europe and North America. A History and editor of Treasure and Treasure Hunting in Law and History. With Dr John Naylor, National Finds Advisor at the Ashmolean Museum; and Dr Charlotte Houghteling, Researcher in cultural property at Oxford Brookes School of Law.

Who hasn’t dreamt of finding treasure? The dream is a familiar one, but has changed beyond recognition over the centuries. Treasure-hunting was feared in the Middle Ages as a threat to faith and morality, but flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries. Complex magical practices arose as a way of locating treasure, and of protecting people from the spirits who supposedly guarded it. Only in the 19th century did treasure-hunters start to combine historical research with the use of sophisticated technology. This led in turn to tensions between professional archaeologists and amateur metal detectorists. Meanwhile treasure has become a staple of literature and entertainment culture – from Beowulf to Tolkien and the ‘Tomb Raider’ franchise – as well as a hotly debated topic among lawyers.

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