fossicker

/ˈfɑsɪkər/
noun
  1. A person who searches or rummages, especially for valuable or interesting items.
    • At the antique fair, she was a dedicated fossicker, always finding hidden gems.
    • The fossicker in the library discovered a first-edition novel.
    • The fossicker spent hours combing the beach for sea glass.
  2. A person who searches for gold or minerals in abandoned mines or waste piles.
    • A group of fossickers set up camp near the old mine shaft.
    • The old fossicker showed the tourists how to pan for gold in the stream.
    • He was known as the best fossicker in the region, always finding a few specks of gold.