What have I found?

Many important objects are found by people who are not archaeologists.

If you think you have found something of interest, please let us know by following these guidelines. We can discover more about the past by keeping a record of these finds. While we will try our best to identify your object, it is not our job to decide how much it is worth.

If you are interested in knowing more about the monuments people built in the past consult the DFC Historic Environment Division (HED) website. HED records, protects, conserves and promotes Northern Ireland’s historic environment. You can access information on thousands of historic monuments/ archaeological sites and on maps via their website.

Reporting your find

The law requires people to promptly report all archaeological objects they find to the Museum. For more details, see in particular Part III of the Historic Monuments & Archaeological Objects Order (Northern Ireland) 1995.

If you can, please contact Greer Ramsey and Niamh Baker with a photograph of your find and provide as much detail as possible:

• your contact phone number
• your name and address
• when and where you found the object
• the size of the object (or a scale in the photograph)
• a description of the object, including what it is made from (if you can tell)

We will contact you when we have read your email and performed some preliminary research. Please do not bring the find into the museum, there may be no one on hand to help you.

What happens to my find?

Unless the object classifies as Treasure, the museum will return the object after it has been recorded. Perhaps it could be donated for research or display?

Main Image: Detail of the Corrard ‘torc’, County Fermanagh – an item of Bronze Age gold jewellery.