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After recent events I’d like to share, from the view of a PhD researcher, the importance of reporting finds which may not immediately be seen as ‘treasure’ because they are not made of gold or silver. This is about cultural and research value.
I work on animal and human forms in La Tène art. This is the art of the people who inhabited Britain before the Romans arrived during the Iron Age. It begins c.500/450BC on the Continent and is shared, developed, and used by multiple communities over a 500 year period.
In Britain the art style first appears c. 400BC. The art doesn’t end with the arrival of the Romans; there is some evidence that elements continue into the Saxon period. Though the style is mainly decorative and abstract like the Battersea Shield... https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1857-0715-1
...the art style has a long history of genuinely figurative forms, like the Hounslow Boars e.g.... https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?images=true&objectId=828953&page=5&partId=1&searchText=iron%20age%20boar
It turns out that a hell of a lot of figurative forms are reported on the PAS. I’m expecting that c.70% of my data (of over 750 objects) will be reported finds. Yet, we know many finds go unreported - some estimates are scarily high.
So here’s some direct results thanks to reported finds. As you’ll see it’s not just the form that these pieces take, but their location, condition, date and commonality which all impacts on their research and cultural value.
Thank you to the person who reported this! We can confirm this is the earliest true bovine form in England of the style; it also illustrates a rare but strong connection between the communities of Norfolk and the Continent c. 300BC-250BC. PAS ID: NMS-178AE0
Thank you to the person who reported this! I can confirm this is a rare class of cosmetic mortar. The only other two of its kind have been found in France, once again showing we've always had long distance connections before Roman infrastructure (c.50BC-20AD.) PAS ID: BH-FC0145.
Thanks to the person who reported this! We now have six unique finds which illustrate that a late Iron Age group in North Yorkshire developed these unique, minimally decorated porcine fittings which may be related to a regional group identity (c.50AD-100AD). PAS ID: LVPL-E1A822
And thanks to the person who reported this, we can say that these were possibly made in pairs. This was found only a few hundred meters apart from the example above. This pair may have also been ritually destroyed, as suggested by the same break point at the legs. PAS ID: LVPL806
So why is this important in terms of archaeological research? When it comes to animal symbolism in the Iron Age, we've hypothesised a lot but proven little. That's the basis of my PhD - to try and balance the theory with the data.
When it comes to the wider Iron Age, we are still trying to understand how art was used, who it was used by and to what end. Is this about status or messages? Or both? So it's part of a much bigger picture of understanding the complex society before the Romans arrived.
So far my work has produced new dating criteria, new evidence for recognisable communities, new information on art use, new evidence for regional and international links and more.
Think how much more could have been found with greater finds reporting.
Think how much more could have been found with greater finds reporting.
Hundreds of researchers specialise in artefacts, from the Neolithic to the Civil War and everything in between. So imagine what this new data from reported finds can do for much bigger projects than just mine.
Learning about one object can have a tidal wave effect on others. This can only be good for understanding our history better, which can only be achieved if finds are recorded for posterity.
It also helps us to spot the fakes then they appear. This is more common than you think. I've helped with this situation recently with a few long suspected finds at the British Museum which, through my research, I believe to be contemporary copies https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1990-0501-2
I also find non-reporting of finds somewhat daft. I would imagine folk would like to know the full story behind an object before deciding to sell or keep. You can't do that properly without reporting it and it being incorporated into up-to-date research, so reporting makes sense.
In the end, I just wanted to share how there can be a positive experience between archaeological researcher and finder, that the value of an object can be multifaceted and is, without doubt, in the interests of everyone.
So please report your finds!
So please report your finds!
