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Reporting chance finds

One of the most exciting things about archaeology is its unpredictability - new questions and new discoveries mean that the subject is never static. Thousands of important archaeological objects are found every year by members of the public; most are found by metal detector users, others by people gardening or out walking. The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) was introduced to encourage finders to report their chance finds, so that information about them can be recorded and made available to everyone with an interest in the past, and the scheme therefore relies completely on the goodwill of finders.

I studied archaeology at Durham University and undergraduate courses in Roman coins, pottery and glass gave me the experience and enthusiasm for working with archaeological finds. A Masters degree also at Durham, investigated a Roman site in Lincolnshire through field-walking, geophysical survey and a controlled metal detector survey. This yielded hundreds of metal objects and pot sherds of various periods and was a good preparation for my work as a FLO (Finds Liaison Officer).

Finds Liaison Officers might have different archaeological backgrounds, but all have an interest in material culture, dealing with huge quantities of artefacts from the Palaeolithic period onwards. There are currently twelve FLOs and we have regular meetings and training days on artefacts of different periods. We remain in regular contact via email especially to exchange ideas on the identification of unusual objects.

New discoveries

A mystery copper alloy artefact  © My role as a Finds Liaison Officer for PAS is dependent upon building and maintaining relationships of trust with finders, so they are encouraged to record their finds. This new archaeological information has enormous potential to enhance our understanding of the archaeology and history of England and Wales, and it is the thrill of these new discoveries, and the detective work involved in identifying and interpreting them, that keeps my job diverse and challenging to the extent that there is no such thing as a typical day.

Today I'm starting with a trawl through my emails. Ursula, a local detectorist who has been recording her finds with the PAS since 1999, has sent me a scanned image of a really interesting 'mystery' object for identification. The object is made of copper alloy and has three conjoined circular loops placed around a depiction of a human head at the centre. I haven't seen anything quite like it before, but luckily, after a quick scan through some reference books, I find an almost identical example excavated from the Roman fort at Richborough, Kent. It's some form of horse harness strap union (a device which joins the straps on a horse harness), and dates to the first century AD - it's a very unusual object and I phone Ursula to arrange a meeting so that the object can be recorded and illustrated.

Centuries of finds

An unusual find - a 6th century stone sculpture  © The artefacts brought in vary enormously, from Palaeolithic flint handaxes to Iron Age coins, and from Roman nail-cleaners to medieval belt strap-ends and post-medieval book clasps - the list is endless. It is essential to record as much information about the find as possible - when the object was made, what it is made of, how it is decorated, whether it is broken, what it was used for.

Many of the objects fall into particular categories and are easily identified through their similarity with published examples, but unusual or unique objects are also well represented.

Some of the most unexpected finds that I've recorded include a sixth-century stone sculpture depicting Brahma, in the Gandharan style, which originated in what is now Pakistan but was found in the rockery of a Winchester garden, a Victorian gold false-tooth plate with two porcelain teeth intact, and a 1787 token for the New Haymarket Theatre.

Identifying finds

Sally takes some details during a finds day  © On most days I get a visit from at least one metal detectorist, calling to collect their identified artefacts and to show me their recent discoveries, and today is no exception. After a phone call from one detectorist, Mike, keen to tell me about a medieval brooch he found over the weekend, it's a rush to get ready for another visit - I need to get Mike's finds fully recorded before he arrives for his appointment. He is an independent detectorist, not affiliated to any of the local detector clubs, and searches in villages in the Meon Valley of Hampshire. He is always keen to show me what he's found, and to have the objects identified, recorded and discussed.

Today he has brought a further 30 objects in for identification - largely Roman coins and pottery sherds. The more common finds are just as important as the unusual items, and as well as metalwork we are keen to see all pottery and flint artefacts too. Mike has been plotting the locations of all his finds on large-scale maps, and some interesting patterns of artefact distribution are emerging. Not only are the objects important in their own right, but in many cases they also allow us to identify new archaeological sites that have not previously been recognised.

Detecting the facts

An intriguing silver Anglo-Saxon fitting  © Another finder, Derek, visits in the afternoon with some exciting objects, including an artefact that qualifies as potential treasure under the Treasure Act 1996, because of its age and its precious metal content. It's a silver, Anglo-Saxon fitting of some sort, with animal decoration, and dates from the ninth century. It is an unusual object and I'll need to do some more research on it.

Derek and I complete the Treasure Act 1996 receipt form, which will notify the local coroner of the find and will accompany it to the British Museum for further study. If a local museum wishes to acquire this object, Derek and the landowner will be compensated with its full market value, otherwise it will be returned - we'll have to wait and see.

I spend a couple of hours preparing a lecture for a local history society. The society is keen to learn about finds that have been discovered in their area, and it's encouraging to know that there is so much interest in the data being recorded.

I've put together a hand-out of images of a selection of finds that I've recorded, and hope that this will be useful to them. The PAS website makes the recorded information generally available, but giving talks to local societies, colleges and other groups is another effective method of disseminating information about local finds.

Heading for the clubs

A Minerva wax spatula handle - a local find  © My final duty is an evening visit to a metal-detecting club in Newbury. These clubs tend to meet every month, often in pubs or in members' homes, and I regularly attend meetings in Hampshire and neighbouring counties. West Berkshire will not have a Finds Liaison Officer until December 2003, so it's important to make contacts, meet detectorists, and explain the aims of PAS.

In some areas, such as Norfolk and Suffolk, liaison between archaeologists and metal detectorists has been on-going for many years. In other areas, including Hampshire and West Berkshire, the reporting and recording of finds used to be much more sporadic, but after overcoming some reservations finders are increasingly happy to report their discoveries.

On this occasion I'm returning finds that I collected at the last meeting, including a very unusual Roman miniature figurine of a goat, a silver penny depicting King Cnut, and a Roman spatula handle depicting the goddess Minerva. This would have been attached to a spatula, which would have been used to spread wax onto writing tablets. After some lively discussion with finders, I finally leave the club with more artefacts to record - and a bottle of sherry that I won in the club raffle.

Find out more

Books

Conservation for Metal Detectorists by Richard Hobbs, Celia Honeycombe, Sarah Watkins (Tempus Publishing, 2002)

Achaeology: Methods, Theories and Practice by Paul Bahn and Colin Renfrew (Thames and Hudson, reprint 2002)

Guides to identifying coins and artefacts

Identifying Roman Coins by Richard Reece and Simon James (Spink and Son Ltd, 1986)

Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England and the United Kingdom edited by Peter Seaby (published annually by Spink and Son Ltd)

Ancient Brooches and Other Artefacts by Richard Hattat (Oxbow Publishing, 1992)

Dress Accessories: Medieval Finds From Excavations in London by Geoff Egan and Frances Pritchard (The Stationery Office, 1991)

Detector Finds by Gordon Bailey and edited by Greg Payne (Greenlight Publishing, various editions)

Links

Treasure Act and Code of Practice in England and Wales:

Searching for archaeological objects in Northern Ireland:

Treasure Trove in Scotland:

Council for British Archaeology Factsheet:

About the author

Sally Worrell studied archaeology at Durham University, graduating in 1994. In her research Master of Arts degree looking at a multi-period site in Lincolnshire, she acquired a wide ranging expertise in artefact studies. Subsequently she worked as a research assistant specialising in Romano-British Glass and was also involved with fieldwork projects. Since 1999, Sally has been working within the Portable Antiquities Scheme as the Finds Liaison Officer for Hampshire and is based at Winchester Museums Service.