Blue Peter: ‘Record your finds with the Portable Antiquities Scheme’

Published: 20 years ago Author: Michael Lewis

Today (5^th April 2004) Blue Peter presenter Simon Thomas encouraged finders of archaeological objects ‘to show them to the Portable Antiquities Scheme’ so they can help add to our knowledge of the past.

Ian Leins (Portable Antiquities Scheme, Finds Adviser: Iron Age & Roman Coins) was on hand to advise Blue Peter about a hoard of more than 15,000 Roman coins that had been found by Ken Allen of Thornbury (South Gloucestershire) whilst digging a fishpond in his garden. Initially the find had been reported to Kurt Adams (Gloucestershire & Avon Finds Liaison Officer) based at Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery.

 
Ian Leins (Portable Antiquities Scheme) telling Simon Thomas (Blue Peter) about the coins

Most of the coins date to the period of AD 330 to 335 and are of three basic types: commemorative issues showing personifications of the city of Rome and the newly founded city of Constantinople, and Gloria Exercitus types showing soldiers holding military standards. The coins of a number of different emperors are represented, including Constantine the Great (306-337), his rival Licinius (307-318), and Constantine's sons Constanine II, Constantius II and Constans. The reasons for the burial of the hoard remains a mystery, but it would have represented a substantial amount of money at the time it was deposited. It is one of the biggest Roman coin hoards ever discovered in England: the largest of this period was found in Dorset and contained about 22,000 coins.

Simon Thomas (Blue Peter) talking about the hoard during filming

Blue Peter became interested in the story as it is quite possible viewers might discover similar objects (though perhaps not on this scale) whilst digging in their gardens at home. The message to viewers - encouraging finders to report their discoveries to the Portable Antiquities Scheme - is an important one since it is hoped that children (and indeed adults) who watch the programme will have a better understanding of the importance of archaeological finds for learning about the past. We also hope that, with millions of children tuning in to watch the programme, many new finds will be reported over the next few months. We will keep you posted….     

 

Michael Lewis (Deputy Head of Portable Antiquities) with Konnie Huq and Liz Barker (Blue Peter presenters)

The programme is to be screened today at 5pm on BBC1.

Contact: Michael Lewis