AN ANALYSIS THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKS AND JOURNALISTIC NEWS ABOUT METAL DETECTORISM IN ARGENTINA

Metal detectorism can be studied as a particular way that collecting takes in the contemporary world. Since the end of the 20th century, this activity has gained great impulse and visibility. On a global scale, its development combines different ways of interaction, both physical and virtual, and entails several tensions due to its impact on the archaeological heritage and the different legal frameworks. Here we present some preliminary results from a survey about metal detectorists in social networks and their visibility in national and international news of digital media in Argentina. With this information we intend to discuss the importance of those ways of sociability in terms of the growth of metal detectorism. Furthermore, we intend to learn about detectorists' experiences and their motivations. This proposal is part of an ongoing doctoral research that aims to problematize the tensions between collecting practices of heritage objects by detectorists and their public management in Argentina.