Things We Found in the Ground, Roman Found‘s “wholesome” (Shortlist) debut on metal detecting, has just received a lovely shout-out in Current Archaeology magazine:

“The authors encourage responsible practice, highlighting the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the importance of leaving the countryside as you find it – and, while the book contains only sparse black-and-white illustrations, their words paint a thousand pictures.”

Read the full review here.

In this guide-that’s-not-a-guide, metal detectorist cousins Ellie and Lucie explore their local landscape, getting to grips with the hobby, history and themselves along the way.

Beginning with their first meeting in over 20 years at their grandfather’s home in Lincolnshire, the two cousins – Eleanor and Lucilla – quickly learn that each has a fascination with unearthing historic artifacts, which will set them off on their metal detecting journey…

Over many weeks and months spent digging countless holes, the pair make startling discoveries: about the objects they find and what they tell us about our ancestors, about themselves and who they are as people, and about the power of community, as they forge connections with local villagers, detectorists and history lovers along the way.

This charming tale of (self-)discovery will capture the hearts and minds of those seeking escapism through the buried history that we walk over every day.

Things We Found in the Ground is out now. Grab your copy here or, better, via your local bookstore and bookshop.org.

Follow Roman Found on Tiktok @romanfound and Instagram @romanfound.