Who owns it?

In the UK the situation is as follows,

There was a change in the law in 1997 which has required buried treasure to be reported. This has led to a huge increase in the number of artefacts being offered to museums. The new rules offer an incentive to treasure seekers to declare the treasure because they will gain half of the proceeds of its sale.

If it is officially declared as treasure by the local coroner, the proceeds are split between the owner of the land where the artefact was found and the finder. In 2001, Chris Bradshaw shared in a £250,000 reward after he found a Bronze Age golden cup in Kent.

Dr Roger Bland, head of portable antiquities and treasure at the British Museum, said treasure seekers not only turned up surprising finds, they also often revealed entirely unknown sites to archaeologists.

In Britain-Yes. All treasure belongs to the Crown.Normally the finder is entitled to a reward based on the value as assessed by the British Museum.

It is a difficult topic. I believe in property rights, and believe that it should be yours. However, I know in my line of work if someone is building a house on a property and discovers an archaeological site you must stop work and have it investigated.

You have to understand that any archaeological treasure belongs to all humanity. It represents our historical background. It is unethical for anyone to keep it to himself.

depends on which country you happen to be in. Just about every country has different laws.

i don't know in your country but in mine about a third it's mine and the rest belongs to the state....

hope it helps

I'd call it mine, but keep it sort of hush hush.