Brent Thompson Publishes Book About Metal Detecting

By Mia Freneaux

    Brent Thompson, shown with some of his metal detecting discoveries and his book Metal Detecting Louisiana, My Stories.

    Brent Thompson has always enjoyed occasional fishing trips.  Then his good friend introduced him to metal detecting, and this time, the hobby "hooked" him!
19 years' of metal detecting have yielded him a harvest of fascinating artifacts, good friends, and plenty of adventure stories.  Brent, who never enjoyed history in school, now finds himself somewhat of an expert on Civil War artifacts.  He has written articles for several hobbyist magazines, including "Western and Eastern Treasures" and "Digger".  The thrill of what metal detecting enthusiasts actually term "The Hunt" keeps him going. 
    Contrary to popular belief, a person does not just buy a metal detector and immediately discover gold.  Planning and research are very important, as is the ability to recognize what you've found.  "I research old diaries and maps of an area, then I look for a field that has been recently plowed.  But before I do any searching, I get the owner's permission to go on their property."  Trespassing is a large problem for landowners, especially near famous sites like Port Hudson, which is why legitimate hobbyists are careful to ask for their approval.  "Once I've obtained permission, I wait for a good rain.  The combination of plowing and rain helps to reveal any relics there may be."  Brent then carefully combs the property with his detector, sweeping the land in very tight formation, all the while using his eyes to locate any objects which may be lying right on the surface.  Once the plot has been scanned in one direction, he returns and scans it in the opposite direction.  Thus a single property can yield finds for years.  Civil War era belt buckles from Louisiana alone can be worth up to $10,000, but Brent's fascination stems from appreciation for the craftsmanship and historicity of the item itself.
    One of Brent's prized finds is a brass belt buckle.  It perfectly illustrates why a hunter never throws away anything without determining what it is.  He found a tiny piece of irregular metal one day.  The next day, he found another.  He found that the one piece mated with the other.  He continued to hunt until he found all 7 pieces, which when repaired revealed a beautiful, unique hand crafted belt buckle, dating from the Mexican American War.  Brent explained, "Brass, after it's been in the ground for a lengthy period, becomes so brittle it will explode if dropped from waist high.  This is why knowing how to properly clean the metal is so important as well."
    Brent's discoveries led him to writing a book: "Metal Detecting Louisiana, My Stories".  In it, he describes many of his top finds, along with photographs of each artifact, and how he discovered them.  The history of an area, how the item came to be where it was found, and the story it tells of its former owner are all what inspired him to write.  Brent shared, "We've all got stories, things that happen to us.  Do we write them down?  I realized, if I don't write them down, they will be lost." 
    Brent will be doing a FREE Central Cultural Foundation Coffee Hour at Central Perk on Thursday July 10 from 7-9 pm, bringing with him his equipment, a display of artifacts, and his fascinating stories of the hunt. Bring the kids!  "It's a great family hobby," Brent said, "Being out together on a beautiful day, you can put everything away and just enjoy the time.  Finding the objects is just lagniappe."
    To find out more about "Metal Detecting Louisiana, My Stories", contact Brent at [email protected].  You can also meet him at book signing events at PriceCo Supply on Wednesday, June 30, at Sullivan's Hardware on Saturday, July 12,  and at Reynerson's on Saturday, August 2. If anyone is interested in how he wrote the book and published it, he would be glad to share that information as well.