Elsewhere in the world, the practise is often mocked, but in Denmark, "detectorists" - amateur archaeologists who track down treasures from the past with a metal detector - are seen as a vital asset, so much so that the national museum is devoting an exhibition to them called "Jagten på Danmarkshistorien" - meaning "Searching for the history of Denmark" in Danish. "We are building our history together," says Line Bjerg, the curator of the exhibition, who highlights the voluntary work of these archaeology enthusiasts. "What they do is really important". In the Scandinavian country, former home of the Vikings, people can use their detectors almost anywhere, provided they have the permission of the landowner and do not dig beyond the top layer of soil. Any finds which seem old must be handed over to the local museum, which will offer an initial evaluation before possibly passing it on to the national museum, which determines the finder's reward on a case-by-case basis. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES