What types of finds can be identified and recorded?
We would like to record everything you have found made before
1650, even if you are not sure what it is. We are interested in
finds made of all materials; objects of metal, pottery, bone and
flint are all recorded by the Suffolk Portable Antiquities
Scheme.
Later finds can also be identified, but will not be recorded
unless they are of interest to the Historic
Environment Record.
Is it 'Treasure'?
The Portable Antiquities Scheme is the first port of call for
anyone with a potential treasure find. The 1996 Treasure
Act defined treasure as all objects that are at least 300
years old with a gold or silver content of over 10% and their
associated finds, wherever and however they are found. Coins are
dealt with separately; at least two gold or silver coins or more
than 10 bronze coins found together are treasure. Most recently
groups of two or more items of base prehistoric metals found
together have also been classified as treasure. For a
full description of Treasure go to
http://finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/summary
To find out more about the Treasure Act please contact your
Suffolk Finds Recording Officer or go to
www.finds.org.uk/treasure/.
What type of information about my finds do you want?
We would usually to wish to borrow your finds for a short time
to record details of each object including a description, weight
and measurements. Many finds are also photographed and drawn before
being returned to their finder.
As well as recording the finds themselves we would also like to
record where and how they were found. The find spot of any find is
vital as this allows us to build up a detailed picture of Suffolk’s
archaeological past by identifying different areas of
archaeological activity in a field, village and the county as a
whole.
It is also important to know which sites are in which fields, in
case a road or housing estate is built on them. If we know where
sites are, archaeological officers advising on planning can then
arrange for an excavation paid for by the developer in advance of
any building work.
What happens to the information recorded by the Finds Recording
Officer?
Finds are recorded onto the Portable Antiquities Scheme national
Internet database. The public version of this with restricted
find spot information can be found on
http://finds.org.uk/database
Find information is also added to
the
Historic Environment Record to add to our overall
knowledge of archaeological sites in the county.
The Suffolk Portable Antiquities data is used in national and
regional publications. These include the Annual Reports that are
available on the PAS national web site
here and
other articles and reports are
downloadable
here.
What advice do you have for metal detector users?
Most of the finds recorded in Suffolk are found by local metal
dectorists. It is important to obtain permission from the landowner
before using a metal detector anywhere. This includes land which is
publicly accessible, such as beaches, footpaths, or council-owned
land.
Metal detector users are encouraged to act responsibly and to
record their finds. It is best practice to detect on ploughed land,
where the finds recovered are already removed from their original
archaeological context. Recovering objects from below the plough
soil can damage archaeological layers and should be avoided, as
should detecting on non-ploughed land. A
national
code of practice for responsible metal detecting provides more
advice.
If you find anything fragile or complex, such as hoard, it is a
good idea to consult your Finds Recording Officer and get an
archaeologist to help you dig it out and record its context.
How do I clean my finds?
Your Finds Recording Officer can give you basic conservation
advice and put you in touch with specialist conservators if this is
necessary. It is important that metal objects should be kept dry
and loose soil gently removed. Pottery and flint can be gently
washed in water.
More advice about conservation can be found
here