Tell us about yourself
I started volunteering for the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in September 2018, in my first year of my Undergraduate degree in Classics. I am currently a third year student and I am hoping to study Classical Art and Archaeology for my MA. I hope to carry on gaining more practical experience with artefacts and within museums.
What does your role involve?
My role involves identifying and recording local finds onto the PAS database. I have recently been helping my FLO with the counties’ new social media pages.
What areas of history/archaeology are you most interested in?
As a Classics student I am incredibly interested in the Roman period, especially around the end of the Republic and the start of the Empire. Although through working with the PAS I have discovered a new love for Late Antiquity, especially the reign of Constantine. I have also found a new love for posy rings.
Why did you start working for the PAS?
In my first year at university I wanted to become more involved with the handling and care of archeological finds and found this within the PAS. I also really enjoy the sharing of history, and have found that I have been able to do this through PAS events such as a children’s Heraldry Day and the Finds Days that we run.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering for the PAS?
The thing that I enjoy the most about the PAS is that I have been able to learn so much about so many different time periods and come to understand the real importance of cataloguing small finds. I also greatly enjoy all of the training days that I have attended and all of the brilliant people I have met.
What is your favourite find from Nottinghamshire that has been recorded on the PAS database and why?
One of my favourite finds from Nottinghamshire is DENO-92C3BB. It is a mount in the shape of a boar’s head that I discovered when searching for a different artefact on the database. I really enjoy how the small details of the boar are created with the use of well-cut garnets. This shows that even though the object is relatively small, a great deal of time and effort was spent on it.
