“As of 2025, there’s a daunting backlog of more than 50,000 objects in a secret “secure facility” awaiting evaluation.”
Denmark lets anyone with a metal detector hunt treasure if they hand it over, and finds went from 5,600 a year to over 30,000. Three full-time staff assess all of it. The backlog is now 50,000 objects and processing takes at least 2.5 years. The program works, and the state will not fund the part that makes it work.