British Amateurs With Metal Detectors Finding Ancient History

Walking along in Penarth, Wales, Derek Eveleigh recently found 6,000 copper coins dating to the Roman Empire.

Last year in Britian amateurs found over 10,000 metal objects of historical interest including "Bronze Age axes, Roman brooches and hairpins, medieval candlesticks and swords, and thousands of other relics."

"Before museum archaeologists began working with metal detector enthusiasts a decade ago, only about 25 reported discoveries annually met the official definition of "treasure" -- the most rare finds, which include gold and silver caches more than 300 years old. Every year since, that number has soared, hitting 802 last year.

"The collections in our museums would be thinner without the detectorists' finds," said Roger Bland, head of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum in London, as he pointed out jewelry, coins and other displays found by weekend warriors combing fields for fun."

The BBC News
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