Reporting an archaeological find
Have you made an archaeological find? A Roman coin, for example? You must report your find to the Minister van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap – OCW (Minister for Education, Culture and Science). This is not just if you think something you have found has antique value. This also applies to finds made using a metal detector.
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Archaeological finds
An archaeological find is a valuable object that has been hidden for centuries and whose owner is no longer alive.
If the object you found is not classified as an archaeological find, then you can keep the object. If the object is an archaeological find, you must share half of its value with the owner of the land where it was found.
Reporting the archaeological find
You can make a report by completing a vondstmeldingsformulier (finds notification form) (in Dutch). This can be done on the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (Cultural Heritage Agency) website.
Reporting your find is of great value to archaeologists. With each find, archaeologists can expand their reconstruction of the past. Archaeologists are given 6 months to study the object in detail. In return for this, the find becomes your property.
Difficulty completing a vondstmeldingsformulier
If you find it difficult to complete the vondstmeldingformulier, please contact an archaeological depot (in Dutch) or an ArcheoHotSpot (in Dutch). You can also get help from someone who works for the municipality and specialises in the field of archaeology.
Reporting a maritime artefact
If you have found a maritime artefact, such as a shipwreck, or objects left in the water during religious rituals, please report this using the vondstmeldingsformulier – maritime objecten (maritime finds notification form) (in Dutch).
Laws and regulations (in Dutch)
Erfgoedwet, artikel 5.10, lid 1