Synthesis and analysis of Portable Antiquities Scheme and
Treasure data
Project leader: Roger
Bland
Department: Portable Antiquities Scheme
& Treasure
Project start: 1997
End date: ongoing
Other British Museum
staff: Daniel Pett, Sam Moorhead, Ian Leins,
JD Hill, Michael Lewis, Fi Hitchcock, Caroline Barton, Cei Paynton,
Claire Costin, Jody Joy, Ben Roberts, James Robinson
Other departments: Coins and
Medals, Prehistory and Europe
External partners:
University College London
York University
King’s College, London
University of Cambridge
Birkbeck College, London
Project funded by:
Heritage Lottery Fund
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Arts and Humanities Research Council
Museums Libraries and Archives Council
Over 60 local partners
Description:
The Portable Antiquities Scheme has been collating data relating
to the discovery of archaeological artefacts by members of the
public since 1997. These data are now beginning to form a large
corpus of information that is made publicly available via www.findsdatabase.org.uk/
with very few restrictions to the academic world. This corpus is
now a reference point for many academics and is beginning to be
used more widely throughout archaeological academia for England and
Wales. At the time of writing, over 130 higher level degree
students are making use of the data that the Scheme has
collected.
However, the raw collection of these data
alone does not provide any context or interpretative uses. It is
therefore imperative that this corpus can be synthesised and
analysed to demonstrate patterns and increase academic
knowledge. Analysis is now underway with several AHRC funded
projects:
PhD at King’s College, London: Roman
Northamptonshire (Tom Brindle)
PhD at Birkbeck College, London: Iron
Age coins (Ian Leins)
VASLE research project at York
University
Nighthawking project (funded by English
Heritage and other partners on a proposal by PAS) contracted to
Oxford Archaeology and now initiated
Corpus of Roman gold coins found in Britain
(R Bland)
Objectives:
To advance knowledge of the
history and archaeology of England and Wales by systematically
recording archaeological objects found by the public;
To raise awareness among the public of
the educational value of archaeological finds in their context and
facilitate research in them;
To increase opportunities for active
public involvement in archaeology and strengthen links between
metal-detector users and archaeologists;
To encourage all those who find
archaeological objects to make them available for recording and to
promote best practice by finders;
Provide a standardised reference point
for the identification and recording of these objects
Make these data available to all via
the internet;
Raise awareness of the resource amongst
the academic community.
More information:
www.findsdatabase.org.uk/
www.finds.org.uk/
www.pastexplorers.org.uk/
www.finds.org.uk/learning/research.php
Publications:
PAS Annual report 2005 - 2006
PAS Annual report 2004 – 2005
PAS Annual report 2003 – 2004
PAS Annual report 2001 – 2003
Treasure Annual Report 2000
Treasure Annual Report 2001
Treasure Annual Report 2002
Treasure Annual Report 2003
Treasure Annual Report 2004