Archaeological fieldwork on sites discovered by metal detectorists on arable land: Selli, Seliküla, Tarva and Kabila

Abstract

The KUM-TA 4 project focuses on archaeological sites discovered by hobbyists located on cultivated farmland. The project aims to find effective methods for documenting and researching these monuments and to integrate the data obtained into a broader understanding of Estonian history. In 2024, we organised fieldwork at four sites located in different counties of Estonia. In summary, it can be confirmed that the cultural layer of archaeological sites on intensively cultivated farmland is rather poorly preserved. Even based primarily on areas of concentration of finds, it is possible to analyse, for example, the distance between burial and settlement areas and other patterns of landscape use. Analysis of the finds allows us to estimate the duration and continuity of use of a site, as well as its possible size in the past.