The southern region of the United States is filled with rich history, making it a detecting playground for those who enjoy uncovering relics and artifacts that are usually reserved for museums and history books. That is the case for 16-year-old Britain Wilkerson Lockhart, whose journey began at the early age of 12 years old. Now with more than three years of detecting experience, Britain has had exceptional success around his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
Britain’s metal detecting interest was piqued after hearing his father’s stories about treasure hunters searching for lost relics and coins. His next trip to the beach was spent digging frantically for whatever he could find.
Living in the South, Britain has a keen interest in unearthing Civil War relics and historical artifacts. “The part I enjoy most about metal detecting is being able to connect with history,” Britain said. “Every single relic, coin or artifact has a story. Being able to be the first one to touch that history is priceless to me. I am in it for the passion not for profit.”
Britain claims he owes much of his success to his patience and his detectors. He uses Minelab’s X-TERRA 705, GPX-4500 and the brand-new GO-FIND 60. “I use Minelab metal detectors because they have integrated the newest technology,” Lockhart said. “I also get great depth with all of my machines, meaning I can dig and look for relics that other detectorists have missed with other machines. Minelab makes awesome products that have made detecting better and made it easier to retrieve history from the ground.”
Britain has found numerous objects dating back to the Civil War era. In order to share his most successful finds with other treasure hunters, he started his own YouTube channel, Depths of History. Now with more than 1,700 subscribers and more than 80,000 views, people are figuring out why his hobby is one worth watching.
Britain’s favorite find was a Union Civil War eagle breastplate, a decorative buckle worn by soldiers. Other finds include Confederate and Union bullets. His finds even date back to the Revolutionary War; and many jewelry pieces and silver coins relate to World War II.
The hobby interests Lockhart mainly because he never knows what will be next. Each spot worthy of further exploring could be anything from a piece of rubbish to a 200-year-old artifact. “The surprise and thrill of relic hunting is what I mostly enjoy,” Lockhart said. “These relics tell the story of our nation’s past and would likely be undiscovered if it were not for this hobby and metal detectors.”
