Dr. Martin Rundkvist is a Swedish archaeologist, journal editor, public speaker, skeptic, atheist, lefty liberal, bookworm, and father of two.
Two months ago my metal detecting team and I were visited in the field by the Swedish State Broadcasting company's TV science show for kids, Hjärnkontoret. They tell me they're running the story tonight, somewhere between 1830 and 1900 hours Swedish time. For those who choose to watch, it may be entertaining to know that minutes before the TV crew appeared on site, we found a 4th century ring made of a material we don't talk to the media about. So in the footage, everybody's quietly euphoric yet clamming up, while the TV people are being really thrilled to get to try out a metal detector and find iron nails. They were really nice, I wish we could have shared with them.
The show's supposed to be available here until 30 June in WinMedia and RealMedia formats, though I haven't been able to make it work myself. Try it!
Comments
.....not sure my last comment came through so i'm asking again:
Who made the rock carvings, hällristningar?
Is this a sensitive matter?
I've already asked several archaeologists but they haven't answered me.
Posted by: Z | May 30, 2007 9:52 AM
I don't understand, please explain more. We don't know the name of a single person in Scandinavia before AD 1, if that's what you wonder.
Posted by: Martin R | May 30, 2007 10:12 AM
Hehe
Forgot to write the sentence:
Was it the Sami people?
Is this why it is such a sensitive matter?
Posted by: Z | May 30, 2007 10:33 AM
Hjärnkontoret, Systembolaget, Riksantikvarieämbetet...
So many wonderful words - can't help loving the swedish language!
Posted by: Henrik | May 30, 2007 10:40 AM
The 4th C ring, was it made of burnt clay, or quartz or something like that!? I mean, you hardly ever talk about items made of these kind of material...
Posted by: Lars L | May 30, 2007 11:28 AM
Z, I'll write a blog entry in reply to that question.
Henrik, I have the same warm feelings for the Danish. "Forskellige gjenstander"!
Lars, it was made of slag and resin caulking. Hush, don't tell anyone!
Posted by: Martin R | May 30, 2007 1:17 PM
Oh, that´s why you appeared so stunned in "Hjärnkontoret", lucky you finding slag and resin and that kind of stuff.. Just saw the show! Great!
Posted by: Lars L | May 30, 2007 1:26 PM
Sweden opens Second Life embassy
link
Posted by: Tegumai Bopsulai, FCD | May 30, 2007 2:27 PM
in second life one may use nuclear weapons with impunity
Posted by: clucas | May 30, 2007 2:56 PM
Hey, nice job on the TV yesterday! Very professional.
Posted by: paddy | May 31, 2007 7:48 AM
Thanks man! They did make me look good in editing.
Posted by: Martin R | May 31, 2007 7:49 AM
If the 4th C ring is not okay to talk about in the media, why is it ok to blog about?
For example - if the danger is theft, potential thieves can and do use google when scouting for opportunities, and, as a general rule, the workplace and place of living of most people who blog, even many of those who have gone to some effort to keep themselves anonymous, can be found by anyone willing to do a few hours of online searching.
If the danger is an unpalatable media frenzy, well, reporters use google, and read blogs.
Posted by: llewelly | May 31, 2007 9:17 PM
You won't find this page if you google the name of the offending material.
An enterprising looter needn't hire a private detective to hunt me down, he could just look me up in the phone directory. And if he wants the coordinates of a find, the archives where I file my fieldwork reports are open to anyone.
There are two main reasons that I don't mention finds made of slag and resin caulking to the media or in plain text on blogs. Also, I speak about my metal-detecting sites only with the parish name, not the farmstead.
1. That way, only looters willing to put in some effort will find the site, cutting down the number of potential looters dramatically.
2. That way, I don't get ostracised by my colleagues and the County Archaeologist, who are quite afraid of looters.
If one day I run into a ploughed-out precious-metal hoard, then there will be no hint of that find here until years afterwards when we've exhausted the site.
Posted by: Martin R | June 1, 2007 6:25 AM
Couldn't get it to work, but i am sure it was good.
Posted by: Organic Chemistry | August 5, 2007 9:16 PM