Rural agents of the Generalitat de Cataluña denounced last September a person who had appropriated a total of 1,793 projectiles of the third Carlist war (1861-1865) in the Urgell region. It was one of the near thirty inspections for illicit use of metal detectors that this body carried out in 2024, among which competencies is the protection of cultural heritage found in the natural environment.
Agents denounce that the recreational use of metal detectors in the natural environment “It has been consolidating”. “It is a tool widely used by archeofurives (people who show on finding archaeological or historical interest with these devices),” they point out in A note.
Remember that, if administrative authorization is not available, the use of metal detectors to locate archaeological objects or of historical interest is an illegal activity«Either in an inventoried archaeological site or on a land without any protection, Regardless of the ownership of the place is private or public».
32% of the inspections were located in the regions of Lleida, 25% in those in Barcelona, 18% and 14% in those of Catalonia Central and Gerona, respectively, 7% in Tarragona and 4% in land of the Ebro.
61% of the inspections were carried out in non -inventoried sites such as archaeological sites, while the remaining 39% was carried out in an inventory archaeological site or within a radius of 150 meters of the deposit.
As a consequence of these inspections, criminal proceedings have been opened (with the confiscation of the devices and localized objects), initiated administrative sanctioning files or the regulations that affect said activity have been remembered, in coordination with the Department of Culture.
Rural agents intervened a person who was denounced in the Urgell region until 1,793 mini -type projectiles of the third Carlist war, which weighed 60 kilograms in total and came from eight deposits.
Two altered deposits
Two emblematic archaeological sites, such as The Moorish TowerIn Gandesa (Terra Alta) and The Tozal of the Pleta in Belianes (L’Ergell), were also the subject of archeofurtive activity and both cases also involved the opening of criminal proceedings.
The Catalan Cultural Heritage Law establishes that, given the finding or location of archaeological or paleontological remains, either within the framework of a work, an agroforestry work or any other activity in the natural environment, The administration should be given within a maximum period of 48 hours and not touching or extracting the remainsboth in the terrestrial and underwater environment.
Otherwise, there is a risk of altering the archaeological context, causing the loss of information provided by archaeological objects when they are collected and studied in situ, following the archaeological methodology carried out by professionals, especially when they can relate to each other and with the structures where they are.
From the corps of rural agents an appeal is called and remembered that:
• Legislation prohibits search of archaeological or paleontological remains, unless it is an authorized intervention.
• If you find an archaeological or paleontological rest by chance, either in the natural environment or within the framework of a work, agricultural or forestry work, it is necessary Give the administration.
• If it can be avoided, Never remove archaeological or paleontological remains of the ground, subsoil or seabed; You have to photograph, manage and give notice to 112, rural agents, to the Department of Culture or to the Underwater Archeology Center of Catalonia (CASC) in the case of remains located in the aquatic environment.
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