Britain's Secret Treasures
Page 28
All finds recorded by the PAS are added on to its online database (www.finds.org.uk/database). This is publicly available so that all can learn about the past, although precise findspot information and personal details are restricted. Most finds added to the database are photographed, measured and weighed. By logging onto the database you can see descriptions and images of finds recorded, and can discover more about the past by searching for finds from your area, or for types of finds you are interested in. For example, if you have seen a find in this book that interests you, you can learn more about it by logging onto the database (using the PAS find number) or discover finds found nearby or of a similar type. To date the PAS database provides access to over 900,000 finds, of which more finds are being recorded and logged every day. Besides appealing to people with an interest in archaeology and history, the data is now a powerful research tool being used by academics and researchers. The data is beginning to rewrite the history of this country. But amazingly this data is not generated by professional archaeologists, but ordinary members of the public.
To learn more about how you can contribute to one of the largest archaeology projects in the world, visit www.finds.org.uk/getinvolved.
Scotland, Northern Ireland and UK dependencies
In Scotland and Northern Ireland there is a legal obligation to report ALL archaeological finds, as is the case in most UK dependencies (such as the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man). If you find archaeology then the simplest thing to do is take it to your local museum and say you wish to record it. They will then advise you on what to do next. There are important restrictions relating to the use of metal detecting devices in Northern Ireland.
The Treasure Act 1996
Recording with the PAS is voluntary, but there is a legal requirement to report all finds of Treasure. In England and Wales (and Northern Ireland) finders of Treasure are required to report such discoveries to the coroner in the district in which the find was found within 14 days. In practice many (if they live in England or Wales) will contact their local FLO who will report the find on their behalf.
The Treasure Act 1996 allows museums in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to acquire Treasure finds. If this happens a reward, equal to the full market value of the find, is normally split equally between the finder/s and landowner/s. The find is valued by a committee of independent experts known as the Treasure Valuation Committee, though any interested party may wish to commission his/her own valuation for the committee to consider. The acquiring museum then has to raise the money to pay for the reward. Increasingly some finders/landowners are waiving their right to a reward, so that museums can acquire Treasure at no or reduced cost, thus saving the public purse. If a museum does not want to acquire a find then it is disclaimed (by the Crown) and returned to finder/landowner.
Summary definition of Treasure
The following finds are Treasure under the Act, if found after 24 September 1997 (or, in the case of Category 2, if found after 1 January 2003):
1. Any metallic object, other than a coin, provided that at least 10 per cent by weight of metal is precious metal (that is, gold or silver) and that it is at least 300 years old when found. If the object is of prehistoric date it will be Treasure provided any part of it is precious metal.
2. Any group of two or more metallic objects of any composition of prehistoric date that come from the same find (see below).
3. Two or more coins from the same find provided they are at least 300 years old when found and contain 10 per cent gold or silver (if the coins contain less than 10 per cent of gold or silver there must be at least ten of them). Only the following groups of coins will normally be regarded as coming from the same find: hoards that have been deliberately hidden; smaller groups of coins, such as the contents of purses, that may been dropped or lost; votive or ritual deposits.
4. Any object, whatever it is made of, that is found in the same place as, or had previously been together with, another object that is Treasure.
5. Any object that would previously have been treasure trove, but does not fall within the specific categories given above. Only objects that are less than 300 years old, that are made substantially of gold or silver, that have been deliberately hidden with the intention of recovery and whose owners or heirs are unknown will come into this category.
6. An object or coin is part of the ‘same find’ as another object or coin if it is found in the same place as, or had previously been together with, the other object. Finds may have become scattered since they were originally deposited in the ground.
Scotland and UK dependencies
Scotland and UK dependencies (such as the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) maintain the Common Law of Treasure Trove. In essence most (if not all) archaeological finds in those places needed to be reported by law and therefore finders there should notify their local museum of any archaeological discoveries.
Portable Antiquities Scheme database numbers for featured artefacts
Find out more at www.finds.org.uk/database, and type in the database number in the search box.
EAST
Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk
Happisburgh Handaxe, Norfolk, NMS-ECAA52
Billingford Amulet, Norfolk, NMS-7BEED8
Sedgeford Hoard, Norfolk, PAS-B1F065
Sedgeford Torc, Norfolk, PAS-F070D5
Baldehildis Seal, Norfolk, PAS-8709C3
Saltfleetby Spindle Whorl, Lincs, LIN-D92A22
Carlton Knight, Notts, SWYOR-D37EE5
Navenby Witch Bottle, Lincs, LIN-49FC12
Spanish-American Gold Doubloons, Lincs, LIN-55BFE7
Hawking Vervel, Norfolk, NMS-82AD63
Syston Knife Handle, Lincs, LIN-536F87
SOUTH EAST
Hertfordshire, Essex, London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex
Ringlemere Cup, Kent, PAS-BE40C2
Near Lewes Hoard, E Sussex, SUSS-C5D042
Anarevitos Stater, Kent, FASAM-FCD3A2
Rochester Cufflink, Kent, BM-CAA2C7
Putney ‘Brothel’ Token, London, LON-E98F21
Hockley Pendant, Essex, ESS-2C4836
Canterbury Pilgrim Badges, Kent, PAS-B1BD65
Seal Matrix of Stone Priory, Surrey, SUR-B74173
Beddingham Nose, Sussex, SUSS-05BC17
Hackney WWII Hoard, London, PAS-867115
Epsom Horse Harness Boss, Surrey, SUR-23EF78
George Humber’s Distinguished Conduct Medal, Surrey, SUR-5ADA50
Helmet Cremation Burial, Kent, KENT-FA8E56
North West Essex Ring, Essex, ESS-E396B1
Ashwell Hoard and the Goddess Senuna, Herts, PAS-9708E3
SOUTH WEST & BORDERS
Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Hereford, Shropshire, Wales
Frome Hoard, Somerset, SOM-5B9453
Llanbedrgogh Viking Treasure, Anglesey, Wales, NMGW-C5EE45
Pitminster Toy Cannon, Somerset, SOM-D20D91
Nether Stowey Hoard, Somerset, SOM-849CA3
Leopard Cup, Monmouthshire, S Wales, NMGW-9A9D16
Langstone Tankard, Newport, S Wales, NMGW-9C0216
Nesscliffe Ritual Spoons, Shrops, HESH-9A4B83
Mourning Ring, Shrops, HESH-E35784
Dartmoor Sword, Devon, DEV-BB4AF7
Prisoner of War Farthing Pendant, Shrops, HESH-40E833
CENTRAL & SOUTH
Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Leicestershire
Milton Keynes Hoard, Bucks, PAS-833958
Tisbury Hoard, Wilts, WILT-E8DA70
Hallaton Treasure, Leics, PAS-984616
Marcus Aurelius Bust, Northants, BERK-E24C84
Chalgrove Hoard and Coin of Domitianus, Oxfordshire, PAS-879F02
Tanworth Comb, Warwickshire, WAW-250340
Boar Badge of Richard III, Leics, LEIC-A6C834
Winchester Gold Hoard, Hampshire, PAS-845331
&nb
sp; Roman Slave Shackle, Hampshire, HAMP-C45106
French Forgery Hoard, Hampshire, HAMP-E4E185
Isle of Wight Axehead, IoW, IOW-E579D4
Pegsdon Mirror, Beds, reported before PAS
Daventry Visard Mask, Northants, NARC-151A67
Bentley Miniature Book, Hampshire, HAMP527
NORTH WEST
Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria
Staffordshire Moorlands Ilam Pan, Staffs, WMID-3FE965
Crosby Garrett Helmet, Cumbria, LANCUM-E48D73
Silverdale Hoard, Lancashire, LANCUM-65C1B4
Staffordshire Hoard, Staffs, WMID-0B5416
Chinese Coin Hoard, Barrow in Furness, LANCUM-0095B8
Ursula’s Virgin Badge, Preston, LANCUM-61F133
NORTH EAST
Yorkshire, Durham, Northumberland
County Durham River Assemblage, Durham, NCL-2C40A4; FAPJW-AB59E5 (sample)
Cautopates Roman Figurine, Yorks, SWYOR-9FCBB3
Vale of York Viking Hoard, Yorks, SWYOR-AECB53
Holderness Cross, Yorks, YORYM214
West Yorkshire Ring Hoard, Yorks, SWYOR-F86A02; SWYOR-3B5652 (sample)
Durham Cloth Seals, Durham, PUBLIC-9B0430
Kellington Dental Block, Yorks, LVPL-85A4D6
Hadrian’s Wall Coins, Northumberland, NCL-EE2655 (sample)
Alnwick Sword, Northumberland, NCL-7EF795
Holy Island Mason Hoard, Northumberland, NCL-B02245
Only finds from England and Wales are recorded by the PAS
Further Reading
Prehistory
Chris Stringer; Homo Britannicus (Penguin)
Jill Cook; Ice Age Art: arrival of the modern mind (British Museum Press)
Barry Cunliffe; Europe Between the Oceans 9000BC–AD1000 (Yale University Press)
Francis Pryor; Britain BC (Harper Perennial)
Mike Parker Pearson; Stonehenge: Exploring the Greatest Stone Age Mystery (Simon and Schuster)
Roman Britain
Sam Moorhead and David Stuttard; The Romans who Shaped Britain (Thames & Hudson)
Guy de la Bedoyère; Roman Britain: A New History (Thames & Hudson)
Richard Hobbs and Ralph Jackson; Roman Britain (British Museum Press)
Early Medieval
Robin Fleming; Britain after Rome (Penguin)
Nicholas Higham and Martin Ryan; The Anglo-Saxon World (Yale)
Sally Crawford; Anglo-Saxon England (Shire)
Michael Wood; In Search of the Dark Ages (BBC Books)
Neil Oliver; Vikings: A History (BBC Books)
Medieval
Ian Mortimer; The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England (Vintage)
Marc Morris; Castle: A History of the Buildings that Shaped Medieval Britain (Windmill)
Paul Hindle; Medieval Roads and Tracks (Shire)
Post Medieval & Modern
Chris Skidmore; Bosworth: The birth of the Tudors (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Ellis Wasson; A History of Modern Britain: 1714 to the present (Wiley-Blackwell)
Emma Griffin; Liberty’s Dawn: A People’s History of the Industrial Revolution (Yale)
Andrew Marr; The Making of Modern Britain (Macmillan)
Gabriel Moshenska; The Archaeology of the Second World War: Uncovering Britain’s Wartime Heritage (Pen and Sword)
General
Ruth Brocklehurst; The Usborne History of Britain (Usborne)
David Ross; Scotland: History of a Nation (Lomond)
Simon Jenkins; A Short History of England (Profile Books)
Jon Gower; The Story of Wales (BBC Books)
W. G. Hoskins; The Making of the English Landscape (Little Toller)
Oliver Rackman; The History of the Countryside (Phoenix)
Lucy Worsley; If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home (Faber and Faber)
Paul Bahn; Archaeology: A very short introduction (Oxford University Press)
Portable Antiquities Scheme and Treasure Annual Reports (British Museum)
BM objects in focus
Kevin Leahy and Roger Bland; The Staffordshire Hoard
Sam Moorhead and Anna Booth; The Frome Hoard
Gareth Williams and Barry Ager; The Vale of York Hoard
Picture Credits
All pictures courtesy of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, except for: p19 (left) © Norfolk County Council and photo by Norfolk Identification and Recording Service; p19 (right) © Norfolk County Council and Drawing by J Gibbons; p28, p177, p202, p232, p238 © The Trustees of the British Museum; p46 © Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery; p69-70, p97 © Museum of London; p76 © Canterbury Archaeological Trust; p92 © Mark Humber; p105, p121, p127-8, p133 © National Museum Wales; p136 © PAS Cymru; p143 © Austin Johnson and Robin Burrows; p150 © Luton Culture; p157-8 © Stuart Laidlaw Institute of Archaeology, UCL; p213 © Birmingham Museums Trust; p222-3 © Jeff Veitch; p225 © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford; p257, p261, p266, p271, p279 Copyright Crown; p259, p267-8, p276, p283 © National Museums Northern Ireland; p273-4 © National Museums Scotland. Acquired with the aid of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund (with a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation) and the Scottish Government; p286 © and courtesy of Perth Museum & Art Gallery, Perth & Kinross Council, Scotland.
For further information about the British Museum and its collection, go to britishmuseum.org
Acknowledgements from Mary-Ann Ochota
Sarah Emsley and Richard Roper at Headline
Ed Taylor, Michael Kelpie, Katy Thorogood and Shirley Patton at ITV
Antony Topping at Greene & Heaton
Alex and Sophieclaire Armitage at Noel Gay
Jane Compton
Andrew Lord and the graphics team at Flipbook
The ever-delightful Kate Jarvis for her invaluable research assistance
Roger Bland, Ian Richardson, and the network of Finds Liaison Officers and National Finds Advisors at the PAS, and the curators and staff at the British Museum, National Museums Scotland, National Museums Northern Ireland and Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales, for their guidance and expertise.
Special thanks to Michael Lewis, Deputy Head of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, and definitely one of Britain’s secret treasures. I couldn’t have wished to work with a more passionate champion of Britain’s archaeology and antiquities.
My family and friends, who have cheered and chivvied in perfect proportions.
Finally, thank you to the passionate and dedicated members of the public who find interesting things and share them with the rest of us.