If three clarinets…

Machine translation of the original editorial information.

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Inside this issue

1. 22 · The mystery of the ‘Slavkov treasure’
2. 36 · Bulgum – the oppidum at Stradonice
3. 42 · SA Honour Dagger

Dear readers,

This issue of Detektor magazine, dated 1/2022, comes into your hands at a time when – to quote the poet – ‘winter has drawn a blanket of snow up to its chin, but the women’s hair already smells of the incense of spring’s promises…’ In many places, there are still vast expanses of snow, and astronomical spring is still (or already?) some three weeks away, but surely the fields and meadows are already beginning to smell of the ‘incense’ of wonderful finds for all of us. In short, another treasure-hunting season is beginning, even for those who let their metal detectors rest over the winter. And the contents of this year’s first issue clearly show that the editorial team at Detektor revue and its contributors certainly did not rest over the winter. We trust that you will find something of interest to read here, which may serve as inspiration for your own searches, but also – as we never fail to emphasise – perhaps as a stimulus to write an interesting article yourself.

The editorial team wishes you good health, happiness and as many wonderful finds as possible this spring!

So what can you look forward to in Detektor Revue No. 1?

In the opening section, ‘Artefact of the Month’, under the heading ‘Greetings from the “darkness”’, we present a small but interesting find: a gilded cross of the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuit Order. ‘If Three Clarinets…’ is the title of a report by Kasandra on the discovery of an extraordinary ‘Sudeten’ find – an old milk jug which, amongst other things, concealed three 18th-century clarinets. Here are the eagerly awaited results of the 13th annual Author’s Competition for prizes, and we are also announcing the winners of the thirteenth edition. ‘An overturned purse?’ – that is how Tomáš Buchta titled his article about the surprising discovery of Prague groschen. Just about every treasure hunter would be thrilled to find a beautiful little bell. Roman Liebzeit found as many as three in the space of a single year, so he took a closer look at this phenomenon in an article provocatively titled ‘Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells...’ In our regular column ‘Let’s Save History’, we once again follow how treasure hunters are helping to preserve our archaeological heritage. ‘The “Restoration” of the HJ Knife’ is the title of an article describing, in an unconventional way, the restoration of an HJ knife, which was sensitively carried out by Kazim. The following article, in which Zdeněk Chromý, under the promising headline ‘The Mystery of the “Slavkov Treasure”’, provides a well-informed analysis of the legend surrounding the lost treasury of the Russian Imperial Army, which continues to capture the imagination of treasure hunters. In this issue, too, you’ll find answers to your questions about button finds in the regular column ‘The Button Collector’s Advice’, prepared for you by button expert and collector Ivo Tomáš. What is most important for a successful search? That is the question we put to treasure hunters in the next instalment of your favourite Poll. In his article What War Tastes Like, Kazim set out to trace the origins of a fairly common find from battlefields and internment camps – aluminium food tins. Kasander shares his personal recollection of the legendary traveller Miroslav Zikmund. Josef Procházka reveals some of the secrets of the most significant La Tène hillfort in the country in the article ‘Bulgumi – the Stradonice oppidum’. In the article ‘The SA Honour Dagger’, we present a unique bladed weapon from the Third Reich, awarded to the highest-ranking SA commanders for outstanding or honourable service. Here is another chapter in the history of weapons produced by Czechoslovak manufacturers, compiled for you by military technology historian Jan Škarka; in this instalment, he focuses on the legendary giant 42 cm howitzer. And, of course, we cannot leave out a short story, this time penned by František Vegricht, which the author has titled Wasserjungfer.