A Large Roman Coin Hoard found in Snodland, Kent. Photo Richard Moss © Culture24
The nationwide voluntary scheme that logs and identifies thousands of archaeological finds made by the members of the public in England and Wales has been given the green light for continued funding.
The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) has been logging archaeological finds - many of them made by metal detectorists - since 1997 via a network of 36 Finds Liaison Officers, supported by a central team at the British Museum together with five Finds Advisers.
A website, www.finds.org.uk, contains a database with detailed information relating to 395,000 archaeological objects logged by the scheme.
Now an independent report has endorsed the Museums, Libraries and Archives’ (MLA) approach to funding the highly valued scheme. MLA contributes the overwhelming portion of funds and has now confirmed the allocation of £1.3million this year rising to over £1.4m in 2010/2011.
The funding announcement, which was made during a launch on November 19 2008 at the British Museum of the annual PAS report into its finds and discoveries. It follows a year of fiinancial uncertainty during which MLA commissioned the independent report into the PAS’ workings and effectiveness.
A stunning Iron Age Torc found by Mr M Richardson near Newark in 2005. Photo Richard Moss © Culture24
“The report is now completed and I’m pleased to say it endorses everything that’s already been said about how important the PAS is,” said Hedley Swain, MLA’s Head of Programmes. “It is fit for purpose and should continue as it currently is. Indeed we shall seek for it to go from strength to strength.”
Mr Swain added that some of the funding for the PAS would now come from MLA’s Renaissance in the Regions scheme, which is funded by central government to deliver services through regional museums.
A major tenet of the review, which was commissioned by MLA in conjunction with the British Museum and Department for Culture, Media and Sport, stressed the importance of the scheme to museum collections. Many of the finds logged by PAS Finds Liaison Officers are eventually acquired through the Treasure Act by museums local to the find location.
“The PAS is about people who visit museums, who are interested in the past,” added Mr Swain, “it’s about research communities and of course about the community of detectorists who are making such a major contribution.”
Mr Swain’s words came after the government’s recently appointed Culture Minister, Barbara Follet, introduced the PAS’ Treasure Annual Report 2005/6. She too heaped praise on a scheme which she said had enjoyed a 194% increase in the reporting of treasure since its inception in 1997.
“The scheme’s website contains information relating to 359,000 objects,” she said. “When you see some of the objects on display here today you will understand the scale of the detailed work that goes into the compilation of this detailed database.”
Culture Minister Barbara Follett at the PAS Treasure Report launch at the British Museum. Photo Richard Moss © Culture24
Among the finds on display was a hoard of 3,600 Roman coins, discovered in Snodland, Kent when a mechanical digger sliced open a buried urn. Excavated by a PAS Finds Liaison Officer, the hoard is currently under investigation at the British Museum.
A beautiful Anglo Saxon mount dating from the 7th century AD was also on show. Made of gold and garnet it was found by metal detectorist Pete Minshall in Essex in 2006 and has been acquired by Chelmsford Museum for £3,000.
However the star attraction was a stunning Iron Age Torc made of a combination gold and sliver, discovered in Newark in November 2003 by metal detectorist Mr M Richardson. Valued at £3,500 the Torc is the most valuable treasure find in recent history and has been acquired by Newark Heritage Service.
Mr Richardson described the sensation of finding something so valuable. “It’s a weird feeling really,” he said. “It’s the metal detectorist’s equivalent of winning the lottery if you like. For me it doesn’t get any better. It is a wonderful feeling.”
Now the funding has been secured to support the work of the PAS for the next two years, more local museums, metal detectorists and archaeologists will be hoping for further wonderful finds and feelings.
