How to Relic Hunt With a Metal Detector

Metal detecting can turn up interesting and valuable relics. Depending on the geographic location of a relic hunt, metal detectors can reveal buried remnants, including Indian arrowheads, coins, old weaponry, gun shells, wagon wheels and many other interesting artifacts. For serious coin and antique collectors, metal detecting is an enjoyable and exciting hobby. The single most important key to successful metal detecting is finding a promising location for relic hunting.

• 1

  Drive to a forest preserve. Metal detect around old stone walls or foundations in the woods. Stone walls and foundation blocks indicate a previous structure where people once lived or worked, which means you're likely to find old relics accidentally dropped or buried in the ground.

• 2

  Inspect the forest for old overgrown trails. Use your metal detector along the edges of the trail. Old trails may have been used for wagon travels, and you might find discarded items along the edges beneath the surface.

• 3

  Hold your metal detector over the beaches and banks of rivers and streams. In olden times, people washed their clothes in waterways. Old coins, jewelry and other relics may have accidentally fallen from clothes onto the shores.

• 4

  Study the history of a particular farm or field of interest. Ask landowners or farmers for permission to metal detect their fields. Historical fields are good places to find relics left over from battles or native Indian tribes' campsites.