Christmas in the trenches

Machine translation of the original editorial information.

Archived issue; a purchase offer is not currently confirmed.

Inside this issue

1. 16 · Diogenes on an SA (NSKK) dagger
2. 22 · The Mystery of the Šumava Tassili
3. 34 · Collecting things is the real deal

Historical introduction: prices, events and dates refer to the original publication.

Dear readers,

The ‘special’ issue of Detektor revue (labelled No. 6/2018) has just left the printers; we’ve done our best to ensure you’ll find it in your letterboxes before Christmas Eve as our little Christmas present. And we have already started preparing the first issue of next year, which you should receive by the end of February. But back to this ‘Christmas’ edition. As always, we’ll give you a sneak peek at it in advance.

This month’s ‘Artefact of the Month’ feature presents a rare badge belonging to the builders of the Bouda fortress. Christmas is – or should be – a festival of peace and tranquillity. Petr Bjaček describes how Czech soldiers in the Austro-Hungarian Army experienced Christmas during the war, drawing on surviving diaries, memoirs and correspondence in his article ‘Christmas for Our Soldiers during the World War’. In our regular ‘Archaeological Snippets’ column, you’ll find the oldest depiction of Jesus Christ, learn that people were already recycling in the Palaeolithic era, and we’ll take you to Peru to discover unique sculptures from the pre-Columbian era. ‘The last day of April’ – that is what the legendary treasure hunter Kazim, a war veteran through and through, called his surprising spring discovery of a Bronze Age hoard – a find that was a surprise not only to him but also to archaeologists. ‘Diogenes in Search of a Man with an SA (NSKK) Dagger’ is the title of another article by our Slovak contributor PetkoZberatel, who presents unique items from his exceptional collection of bladed weapons – this time, it is a rare type of SA (NSKK). In the ‘Advice’ section, we’ll shed some light on the half-forgotten profession of the First Republic’s district roadmender, based on a single find.

‘The Secret of the Šumava Tassíli’ is the title of an article about a unique discovery made by treasure hunters and enthusiasts researching the history of their region, who are associated with the Královský Hvozd Museum in Nýrsko; the article was written for us by Karel Velkoborský. Another story by Acci, a master at unearthing unique and surprising stories buried in the layers of time, this time from the Eastern Front of the Second World War, is entitled ‘Light Under the Lamp’. Next comes the traditional column ‘The Button Collector’s Advice’, which its author, Ivo Tomáš – a collector and expert not only on military buttons – has approached in a slightly unconventional way for the festive season. In the seventh instalment of a series of interviews with Kasander, the treasure hunter Nek recalls the early days of metal detecting in the Czech Republic in the 1990s and beyond. This episode, in which he gives you a glimpse into his extensive collections, is aptly titled ‘Collecting things is the real deal’. ‘What is your greatest treasure-hunting experience or find?’ is the question we asked treasure hunters in your favourite poll. Those interested in military technology will not be disappointed this time either – another study by the military technology historian Jan Škarka is devoted to an outstanding weapon from Škoda in Plzeň: the 24 cm heavy howitzer model 39/40 (type U). ‘With the kids by the sea, or you reap what you sow’ – that’s the title Viki gave to his story about finding a gold ring, which has a nice twist to it.

‘On the hunt’ for beasts with a metal detector is not a report from equatorial Africa, but a short story by the master of treasure-hunting tales, Václav Moravec, set in the tame ‘wilderness’ of Central Bohemia.