Standing in front of display boxes full of centuries-old coins, weathered war relics, and other artifacts, Rob Hilt explained how a simple metal detector can help unearth buried history.
But it isn’t as simple as going to a field and walking around hoping to find something, he told the Bridgeville Area Historical Society at the group’s March 27 presentation.
It starts with books and old maps, trying to locate areas where pieces of the past might be buried underground.
“I spend a great deal of time in libraries,” he said. “There are a lot of hours that go into finding places.”
In the past few years, Hilt has dug up an Civil War-era hat plate, colonial American cufflinks, and coins from virtually all eras of American history.
Hilt began the presentation sharing the stories behind artifacts he found. Around the 26-minute mark, he discusses technical matters including how metal detectors work and how he identifies areas likely to contain buried history.