Discovery report of a ground monument (chance find)

You must report archaeological or paleontological finds or features that you have found, for example while walking or gardening, or that have come to light during construction work, to the responsible authority.

You can use this form to report archaeological or paleontological finds or features that you have found while walking or gardening, for example, or that have come to light during construction work. The basis for this is the obligation to report finds of ground monuments in accordance with the Hessian Monument Protection Act. Was the find discovered during building work? Then please note that the find and the discovery site must be preserved in their unchanged condition for one week after discovery.

Hesse State Office for Monument Preservation or Lower Monument Protection Authority of the city or municipality

None

Forms/online services available: yes

Written form required: no

Informal application possible: yes

Personal appearance necessary: no

None

• You will usually receive confirmation of receipt of your find report within 2 weeks (by email if you have provided your email address).
• If you have any questions about your report, you will be contacted using the contact details provided.

The find and the discovery site must be reported immediately to the competent authority. If the find was made during construction work, the site must be preserved in its original state for one week after discovery.

Usually within 1 to 2 weeks depending on the volume.

There are no fees.

Your find report will be recorded in our local archive. Finds reports can be very important as they can indicate archaeological and paleontological sites hidden in the ground.