What are Counterfeit and Contemporary Copy Coins? Coin Copying first appears in Britain right alongside the introduction of coinage with the earliest examples of contemporary copies recorded on the PAS database dating back to the Iron Age (Search results from the database Page: 1 (finds.org.uk)). Counterfeit coins, both contemporary and not, are produced outside the …more
Category: Finds
In situ archaeology: why it’s important and what we can do about it.
In archaeology, provenance and context are key to understanding an object or site. This is why we at PAS require a minimum 8-figure national grid reference for the finds we record. Most objects recovered by metal detector users are found in the topsoil, already removed from their context by agricultural practices. Occasionally though, finds from …more
A special greeting from Ireland
During his internship with PAS last year, Danish archaeology student Mathias Kaas recorded a fragmentary brooch, and as brooches are his area of research, he thought it would be a good find to highlight in a blog. He writes: In the summer of 2022, a fascinating archaeological discovery was made by metal detectorist Mr. Artur …more
SWYOR’s Christmas selection box of 2023’s star finds
On the winter solstice, as the year draws to an end, it seems like a good time to look back at some of the most interesting finds recorded by the South and West Yorkshire office this year. The 151 finders who recorded in South and West Yorkshire this year added an amazing 3652 objects to …more
Detecting Yorkshire’s Past – PAS Display at the Yorkshire Museum
Over the winter period, a collection of artefacts found by members of the York and District Metal Detecting Club were displayed in the Yorkshire Museum Foyer case. This was a great opportunity to get some really amazing finds on display as well as telling some excellent stories from the people who found them. It was …more
Fiendish Finds: Unidentified Objects on the PAS database
You may have noticed that, despite best efforts, some finds are recorded onto the PAS database as unidentified objects. In many such cases, finds are recorded as unidentified after they’ve been looked at by a range of PAS find specialists. Therefore, several of the finds recorded by the North and East Yorkshire team as unidentified …more
Star Finds of 2023 so far…
We are so lucky to get to see a wide variety of amazing objects in our work. The following are just a few of our favourites from the past six months. This beautiful object is an Anglo-Saxon hanging bowl. It retains all three of its decorative escutcheons which are in the form of stylised animals, possibly …more
Find Types in Focus: Zoomorphic Buckles
Zoomorphism and British Artefacts The term zoomorphic is used to describe something which has or represents animal forms or gods of animal form. Throughout the past, craftspeople have often incorporated animal designs into the objects they were producing. A cursory search of the Portable Antiquities Scheme database for objects described as zoomorphic will present you …more
Pilgrims and Covenanters: expanding on updated coin records
In his recent post on these pages, SWYOR colleague Andy Benbow discussed the challenges presented to PAS volunteers working from home during lockdown. He highlighted that with few finds coming in, the period provided an opportunity to prioritise ‘housekeeping’ tasks (Databasing During Lockdown, 2020). One of my tasks has been revisiting and updating Medieval and …more
1.5 Million Find: A Yorkshire Retrospective
In July 2020 the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) reached the amazing milestone of recording 1.5 million objects. In its 23 year history numerous people have contributed to the success of the PAS. This is not only Finds Liaison Officers (FLOs), but volunteers, interns and students, without whom this immense achievement would not have been possible. …more
