PAS Newsletter 1999
| Welcome to the first newsletter reporting on the voluntary recording scheme for portable antiquities in England and Wales. This first issue looks at the achievements of the scheme so far and focuses on some of the recent most important finds which have emerged as a result of the voluntary recording initiative. |
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Alan Howarth MP commends work of pilot schemes  Speaking at the European Association of Archaeologists Conference in Bournemouth on September 16th, Alan Howarth, the Arts Minister said: 'Every year many thousands of objects are discovered, mostly by metal detector users, but also by people out walking, or digging in their gardens, or while going about their work. These finds have become one of the most important new sources for understanding our past yet, until now, only a small proportion have been recorded by museums and archaeologists. It's important that people are aware that even a dull looking piece of pottery or metal could provide a clue to our nation's hidden history, and that finders are aware of who to tell about their finds.' The Minister went on to say 'If we are going to increase our understanding of the past it is essential we know what's being found and where.' |
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Dorset: Bowleaze jewel to be exhibited in Dorchester The Bowleaze jewel, a gold and rock crystal aestel, is to go on show at the 'Dorset Discovered' exhibition at the Dorset County Record Office, Dorchester, in late December 1999. The jewel dates to the early medieval period. An aestel was a ceremonial pointer used for reading ecclesiastical religious texts. The Bowleaze jewel was found by a detectorist from Dorset in March 1990. It is being loaned to Dorset County Council for the exhibition by the British Museum, so will be an excellent opportunity for local people to view one of their most important and spectacular recent finds. Detector finds from the region will be shown alongside the Bowleaze jewel to demonstrate the richness and diversity of the county's heritage. The exhibition will also highlight the good relationships between local detector users and archaeologists in the county. Dorset County Council established a liaison scheme in 1994 to recognise and strengthen links between local detectorists and archaeologists. About 75 detectorists are members of the liaison scheme and have been recording their finds for the local Sites and Monuments Record (SMR). The Finds Liaison Officer for Somerset and Dorset, Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, is able to build on these good relations developed through the Dorset Scheme by collaborating on projects such as this exhibition. The exhibition will take place from the end of December until January 2000 at the Dorset Record Office in Dorchester. For more information contact Ciorstaidh on 01823 320200 or 01305 224921. Claire Pinder, the Dorset SMR Officer, can also be contacted on the latter number. |
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Somerset: Rare pilgrim's badge found One of the most important finds to emerge as part of the voluntary recording scheme in Somerset & Dorset is a lead pilgrim's badge dating to 15th century. Although the badge is not complete as the lower half is missing, the piece shows a scene of St Anne teaching her daughter, the Virgin Mary, to read. The two figures are depicted holding a book between them. Badges of this type are not uncommon in national terms, but they are highly unusual finds for West Somerset. A number are known from London, particularly the Thames foreshore, as well as Canterbury, Buckinghamshire and Staffordshire. Steve Minnitt of the County Archaeology Service said: "There are only one or two other examples known from Somerset, and this find is particularly exciting as it comes from the west of the county which is generally less productive in terms of finds. It is odd that with Glastonbury Abbey so nearby that there are not more of these things." The find was made by Mr Slade who has recorded a large number of his detected finds with Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevathen, the local Finds Liaison Officer. Readers should note that a small exhibition of metal detected finds is currently on display at Taunton Museum.  Lead pilgrim's badge from West Somersetdepicting St. Anne teaching the Virgin Mary to read. |
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Kent: detectorists assist on Ashford Roman town excavation  Catherine Read, Kent finds liason officer, examines a metal object found during metal detecting on the Ashford Roman town site being excavated by the Oxford Archaeological Unit. Detector users from seven clubs in Kent are assisting archaeologists with their excavation of a Roman small town south of Ashford. Although the presence of the Roman small town has been known about for a number of years, the partial excavation of the 20 hectare site is the result of a major new housing development. The main features of the town are two large intersecting roads, a number of plots for houses, gardens and possibly shops, and a large number of kilns used for ironworking. Local detectorists are working closely with the Oxford Archaeological Unit (OAU), recovering items from spoil heaps, detecting topsoil prior to stripping, and marking finds in context prior to excavation by archaeologists. A number of detectorists have also volunteered to work as excavators on the site and take part in a training excavation run by Kent Archaeological Society and OAU. A series of talks about the site are being presented during the course of the season including one on Roman coins by the Kent Finds Liaison Officer, Catherine Read. Catherine said "Local detectorists have helped find a large number of Roman coins and other artefacts of the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. The excavations at Ashford demonstrate neatly the high degree of cooperation between detectorists and archaeologists in Kent". Kent detectorists through the KADLG (Kent Archaeologists & Detectorists Liaison Group) have been closely involved in the site since the beginning. During a detector survey in April 1998, conducted before any areas were opened up for excavation, over 2,000 objects were recovered from plough-soil that would otherwise have been lost to the bulldozers. About 300 of these objects were plotted by a surveyor Peter Guest, and showed a strong correlation in their distribution with the results of a geophysical survey of the site. A fuller description of this survey work can be found in the Portable Antiquities: Annual Report 1997-98, pps. 14-15. For more information about the Ashford site, please contact Michael Lewis direct on 01622 221544. |
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Wales: Late Bronze Age axe hoard discovered  Late Bronze Age axe hoard discovered near Newport, South Wales. A late Bronze Age axe hoard has been discovered near Newport in south Wales. Having found two axes a member of the Cardiff Scan Club contacted Philip Macdonald (the pilot scheme co-ordinator in Wales) who excavated a further seven axes with the assistance of the finder and colleagues from the National Museums & Galleries of Wales. The axes had been buried in a small pit and, were all socketed and date to c. 950-750BC. One of the most exciting aspects of the find is that it contained a wide range and diversity of different axe shapes: none of the axes are similar and would have been cast in different moulds. It is likely that the axes were used for carpentry and woodland management. Why the axes were deliberately buried in a pit is uncertain: they may have been intended as scrap or buried as a prehistoric votive offering. The finder said "I have only been detecting for 13 months and to find something like this after such a short time is absolutely staggering. I'm glad that, with the landowner's permission, I was able to contact Philip Macdonald and the National Museum. With detectorists and archaeologists working together we can unravel more secrets of our past." The pilot scheme in Wales is run by a number of organisations including the Council of Museums in Wales, National Museums & Galleries of Wales, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, Federation of Museums and Art Galleries in Wales and the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts. For more information on the Welsh scheme and where find can be reported, please contact the Finds Coordinator Philip Macdonald on 02920 573226. |
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Northamptonshire: Neolithic stone axe found at Fotheringay A Neolithic stone axe has been discovered by a local historian of Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire, who spotted the axe whilst out walking. Mrs Wilson discovered the hand axe at a point where the river was being dredged, which suggests that the axe may have been a votive deposit. Fotheringhay is most famous as the birthplace of Richard III and previous archaeological finds have therefore mainly been of medieval date. The axe is even more unusual as the colour of the flint suggests it may have been imported from Ireland. The axe is currently being examined by the Neolithic axe specialist Mark Edmonds of Sheffield University. |
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Cumbria: Complete medieval cauldron found  A complete medieval bronze cauldron found at Skelton in Cumbria. A complete medieval bronze cauldron dating to the 13th to 14th centuries was found during a rally in June at Skelton in Cumbria. The cauldron was discovered by Ken Philips a member of the West Lancashire Metal Detecting Club who organised the event. The cauldron is of particular interest as it is more or less complete: usually only rim fragments or legs are recovered. The cooking pot has slight damage to the base and one or its handles has been repaired by means of a crude replacement. Two large sherds of typical green glazed medieval pottery found with the cauldron help to confirm the date. The cauldron was recorded by Nick Herepath, the North-West Finds Liaison Officer (0151 478 4259). |
