Treasures from the fields
Metal detectorists. You may have seen them singly, or in pairs, or in groups. Come rain or shine, sweeping across the fields, listening attentively to the signal from their machine, eyes fixed to the ground. Then a signal, and a pause to examine the source, and a careful moving away of the soil, to examine the focus of their attention.
'...the detector may pinpoint something of great significance, such as the remarkable Winchester Hoard'
And what are the fruits of their labours? Very often a corroded nail or two, or a modern mechanical relict of a passing Massey Ferguson. At other times the detectorist may find something more interesting - a tangible piece of antiquity. It may be a George III half-penny, a lead token, a fragment from a Roman brooch, a 17th-century lead musket ball, or a decorative metal fitting from the end of a long since decayed leather strap. In fact, just about anything.
More rarely, the detector may pinpoint something of great significance, such as the remarkable Winchester Hoard. This find - two sets of late Iron Age gold jewellery - was discovered by Kevan Halls in 2000 and reported to the local Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) Finds Liaison Officer. It was one of the most exciting metal detector finds of the decade, and because Mr Halls reported the discovery quickly, and carefully recorded the findspot, it meant a follow-up archaeological excavation was possible. There were no distinguishable archaeological features, or further remains, beneath the plough-soil, which suggests that the hoard may have been deposited in a shallow pit, possibly as an offering.
Another significant find was that of the Ringlemere Cup, a gold ceremonial cup, about four and half inches high, beaten out of a solid lump of gold by Bronze Age artisans. Detectorist Cliff Bradshaw discovered it in 2001, on farmland at Ringlemere in Kent. He contacted the Canterbury Archaeological Trust and the local PAS Finds Liaison Officer with news of his find, and the Trust was able to excavate the site with funding from English Heritage. The team confirmed that the site was a round barrow and that the cup may have represented grave goods from a central burial.
What can we learn from the diverse range of all these finds? Can they contribute to our understanding of the past? Or can the use of detectors do more harm than good?
Published: 2002-04-12
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