Finds: both a blessing and a curse

Slovaks often avoid reporting historical finds


Archeology can easily interrupt construction if a site is likely to contain reminders of centuries gone by.

While discovering an archeological find on private land would seem to please both the landowner and the local museum, authorities say that Slovaks often conceal discoveries out of concern that archeological research will greatly prolong the construction process.

Archeologists warn that there is a specific procedure to follow

when making finds and that they should 

refrain from trying to dig the objects up. Photo: SITA

However, the biggest problems are that people far too often simply don’t know how to proceed when treasures pop up under their feet and are unaware that failing to act could leave them liable to a hefty fine, archeologists say.

The law on the preservation of historical monuments requires anyone who discovers an archeological find to notify the regional monuments’ office or the local government within two days.

But Matej Ruttkay, the head of Archeological Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Nitra, said that people often don’t inform authorities about discoveries.

“Usually an anonymous source informs us,” Ruttkay told The Slovak Spectator.

Sometimes it happens that people contact the authorities and report alleged archeological discoveries only to stop an ongoing construction because they assume that the Archeological Institute has the authority to do so, said Ruttkay.

However, Ruttkay was quick to add that it is more or less only a myth that making an archeological discovery on a private construction site means the end of the construction for good.

Regardless of reason, anyone who fails to inform authorities of an archeological find on private property can be fined up to Sk100,000 (€3,000), Jaroslava Schmidtová, the head of archaeological research in Rusovce and an employee at the Bratislava City Museum, said.

Štefan Jaborek, a resident of Rusovce, near Bratislava, is one of those who informed the authorities about an archeological item in his garden. While digging the ground, he found a richly decorated helmet dating back to the Roman Empire. The helmet made of copper alloy was well-preserved and it turned out to have considerable historical value.

“As our family had a very good relationship with local archeologists, my father brought the helmet to Rusovce’s museum,” Maria Jaboreková, Jaborek’s daughter, told The Slovak Spectator. “He did not get any money for it.”

Today, the helmet is in Rusovce’s museum and the name of the finder is indicated under the discovery. Jaborek’s name is also mentioned in a book written about Rusovce’s history, which was published in 2008, said Jaboreková.

Rusovce was proclaimed a monument zone in 1990 after numerous historical objects were found there. One of the most significant discoveries was Gerulata, a Roman military camp that was part of the Roman border in the second century AD.

Professionals warn that there is a specific procedure people have to follow when finding such discoveries and they should refrain from trying to dig the objects up or remove them.

“The item must remain in its original place until the archeologists arrive,” Schmidtová said. “It is very important for us, because the ground around the discovery can identify the period the item comes from.”

Ruttkay said that after a discovery is reported the archeologists take prompt action and usually arrive at the site the same day.

According to Schmidtová, it might even been financially rewarding to report the discovery, since the finder is eligible for 20 percent of the value of the find. If the item is made of precious metal, the person is eligible for the full price of the discovery, based on valid legislation.

But experts warn that it is extremely difficult for non-professionals to judge an object’s worth, so the safest bet is always to call an archeologist.

“For a non-expert it is hard to distinguish an archeological discovery from a worthless object, and it often happens that the discovery is delivered to the police,” said Ruttkay. “It most frequently happens with human bones.”

However, if it turns out that the item found on private land is worthless, such a fact comes to light very soon.

“First of all, we have to decide if the object is an archeological discovery and then the way the research will be done,” Ruttkay said.

According to Schmidtová, before arriving to the site, archeologists have to know all the information about the plot: the location of the building on it, its proportion, altitude, etc.

And the owner of the land is required to make the land available to archeologists.

Schmidtová admits that if an archeological discovery is large, the research could take a while.

One of the ways to protect people from such situations is to declare certain areas a historical monument zone and do in-depth research before plots are sold, Schmidtová concluded.

Special to the Real Estate Guide 2008