Portable Antiquities Scheme
Advice for Finders of Archaeological Objects from re:source (The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries).

Every year many thousands of archaeological objects are discovered by members of the public, mostly by metal-detector users, but also by people out walking, digging their gardens or whilst going about their everyday work. These finds have the potential to tell us much about the past; how and where people used to live and about the types of objects they made and used.

Since 1997 the Portable Antiquities Scheme Finds Liaison Officers have examined over 100,000 objects, many of which would have otherwise gone unrecorded.

The aims
To advance knowledge of the history and archaeology of England and Wales by systematically recording archaeological objects found by the public.

To raise awareness among the public of the educational value of archaeological finds in their context and facilitate research in them.

To increase opportunities for active public involvement in archaeology and strengthen links between metal-detector users and archaeologists.

To encourage all those who find archaeological objects to make them available for recording and to promote best practice by finders.

To define the nature and scope of the scheme for recording Portable Antiquities in the longer term to assess the likely costs and to identify resources to enable it to be put into practice.

Details of Guildford Museum's finds identification days

FAQs on the Portable Antiquities Scheme