In 2020, a series of large features were identified, set within two arc-like structures, to the north and south of Durrington Walls henge (Gaffney et al. 2020). Based on geophysical survey and borehole investigation, combined with the results of previous, commercial fieldwork, 15 features were interpreted as either large pits or probable pits. Five additional features were identified from aerial photography or topographic modelling as being of potential interest. Some of these features, on the 'northern arc', were assessed by their original investigators to be naturally occurring sinkholes (Leivers 2021). Following the interpretation of these features as a single pit alignment, some discussion has taken place relating to the origin and nature of these features and their association with Durrington Walls henge (Ruggles and Chadburn 2024). This debate has taken place without the benefit of the results of more recent research undertaken both in the field and laboratory. In 2021, further investigations were carried out over 'northern arc' features 13D and 16D, as well as over the 'southern arc' features 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A. This work also provided an opportunity to survey anomaly ii at Larkhill, and to revisit 'southern arc' features 5A, 7A and 8A. The latter three had been surveyed and cored in 2019 and identified as pits. New fieldwork also provided the occasion to utilise a wider range of analytical techniques than previously, and the application of novel geochemistry and sedaDNA methods generated sediment stratigraphies and detailed environmental histories for individual pits. The results of geophysical survey and borehole investigations reinforce the overall similarity between those features previously identified as pits or probable pits, as well as those investigated in the recent field campaign. Consequently, with confirmation of pit 16D as a new addition to the 'northern arc', the total of pits/probable pits in the overall series has risen to 16. However, to the west of Durrington Walls, in Larkhill, a magnetometer survey over anomaly ii did not reveal a magnetic response consistent with a large pit-feature, although this area is heavily disturbed by later development and the survey results at this location cannot be regarded as conclusive. Currently, the majority of features identified during the two seasons of work at Durrington continue to be interpreted as corresponding to large pits or modified features which, irrespective of any possible natural origin, emerged during the later Neolithic to form part of a larger, prehistoric pit structure surrounding Durrington Walls.

With increasing use of destructive analysis in archaeology, a tension has arisen between the need to preserve osteological collections for future generations and to use them now for the public benefit of knowledge generation. Existing guidelines mostly address curatorial issues, or focus on pre-sampling steps, rather than presenting protocols that can assist researchers in being more responsible regarding invasive analysis and the preservation of osteological collections. This article therefore presents guidelines for the recording of archaeological tooth samples prior to destructive analysis in the form of a process diagram accompanied by written instructions. The aim is twofold: to promote good practice in preserving a record of a sample before its destructive analysis, and to provide accessible material that can be used in lectures or training to assist students in visualising common laboratory processes in the field of bioarchaeology, as well as for public outreach and knowledge exchange. The diagram is enriched with laboratory videos for each step, and should help demystify the laboratory process for general audiences.

Nineteenth-century remains in Gravesend (Kent, UK) were revealed by excavation, chiefly comprising buildings, along with wells and cesspits. Historic maps, newspaper archives and other sources have been used to interpret the majority of the site as a low status 'slum' accessed from narrow pedestrian passageways (Bull Yard, Horn Yard, Swan Yard and Market Alley). These areas comprised a poorly planned mixture of dwellings and premises including slaughterhouses, piggeries, warehouses and other commercial and small-scale industrial properties. A newspaper account described a view of the interiors of dwellings glimpsed through broken windows on Market Alley as 'A state of things which ought not to be permitted' (Gravesend and Dartford Reporter, 12 July 1879). Some parts of the site (Bank Street and Queen Street) were occupied by higher status dwellings and premises, including a medium-sized coach factory.

This publication documents the exciting and complex decision-making processes during the course of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)-funded OTHER EYES project through a text-based interactive game (Twine). We invite you to play the game first or after reading the introduction.

The papers presented in this issue describe current successes, opportunities, and remaining challenges in engaging with metal detecting and its outputs — both social and scientific — within the Nordic region and beyond.

In a growing number of countries, the activities of hobby detector users are lauded as a vital source of information about the past. The present paper argues that this statement is not unequivocal. An all too idealist view of the impact of detector finds and of the recording schemes that capture and publish this data, obscures the laborious process that constitutes the heuristic stages of finds research. As a case study of select types of (pre-)Viking Age metalwork found across multiple northern European countries demonstrates, metalwork data are dispersed across multiple sources, often not conforming to academic standards. This situation complicates the retrieval, validation, processing and publication of information and hampers participation of the interested public. Through the case study analysis, the paper explores the factors contributing to the knowledge potential of detector finds data and the suboptimal sources containing such data. As a conclusion, it provides pointers forward for individual researchers and the discipline at large.

While a still young but growing body of literature has begun mapping the positive effects that engagement in archaeological activities is proving to have on mental health and general wellbeing (see e.g. Everill and Burnell 2022; Sayer 2023), the literature on the positive effects of metal detecting as archaeological practice is so far scarce. This scarcity stands in stark contrast to the self-reported positive experiences of practitioners in e.g. Denmark (Dobat et al. 2022; Dobat and Dobat 2020) and the UK (Dobat et al. 2020; 2022; Winkley 2016). In this article, we contribute to this burgeoning field by comparing two programs that engage military veterans in archaeological metal detecting activities; the American Veterans Archeological Recovery (AVAR) and the Danish VETEKTOR Buddy program. The aim is both to point to the distinct potential of archaeological metal detecting in general, and more specifically to its particular relevance and value for veteran communities. Focusing on veterans' own experiences, we show how archaeological metal detecting holds a unique potential for empowering practitioners and inducing enduring health benefits. Our argument is that the realisation of this potential, especially for veteran communities, depends on crafting programs or frameworks that foster both a sense of independence and commitment. Moreover, while the comparison of these two programs points to the necessity of taking national traditions and structural frameworks into account when designing similar initiatives, our intention is also to push the archaeological community's understanding of the role avocational archaeological metal detectorists may play in engendering good archaeological field practice within the detectorist community, and underscore the value of engaging veterans in archaeological practices in general.

This article presents and explores the reflections of students enrolled in the master's course 'Small finds — grand stories. The use of metal detector finds in research and dissemination', which took place in the spring term of 2023 at Aarhus University, Denmark. Metal detector archaeology has emerged as a vital field, with many practitioners demonstrating advanced expertise in the identification, documentation, and management of finds, skills that align closely with the rigorous methodologies expected by professional archaeologists and museum institutions. This article proposes that archaeologists should embrace a cooperative approach between archaeologists and the metal detecting community — a relationship that is pivotal not only for the preservation of a good relationship with the detecting community but also in the fields of cultural heritage and the advancement of research. The primary objective is to propose an innovative model for integrating metal detector archaeology into educational contexts through university curricula.

This article presents and discusses the practice of Norwegian metal-detecting from the perspective of Innlandet County. The authors perceive hobby metal-detecting in Norway as an essentially good thing even with its downsides, and believe that a collaborative approach is the best way to preserve the past in the plough zone. The case study of the Innlandet practice is based on first-hand experiences of the Innlandet archaeologists. We present how the Innlandet practice has emerged, how archaeologists communicate with detectorists, and how the archaeological context of finds in the plough zone is understood. In our opinion, general in situ protection in the plough zone is the 'worst practice' within the Norwegian legal framework.

This article examines the scientific and cultural heritage management opportunities and challenges that have arisen in Finland owing to the growing popularity of recreational metal detecting. We will first introduce the phenomenon as it has developed over the last decade and then discuss public finds as characterful cultural heritage data, examining their archaeological potential as well as the biases that arise from the manner this material has been acquired. We will provide a large-scale overview of geographical and temporal patterns that emerge from the data through computational analysis, and argue it possesses significant and still mostly untapped potential to enhance our understanding of the Finnish past. As a special case study, we will analyse the distribution of select Late Iron Age (AD 800-1200/1300) female dress accessory types recovered in southern Finland, considering them as expressions of regional material cultures and as evidence of interregional and even international connections in the past.