Roman ceremonial cavalry helmet unearthed in Cumbria

[Maeglin]

@Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party

Is it just me, or have there been a series of impressive Roman finds by amateurs in the UK this year?

It’s not just you. Earlier this summer a gigantic coin hoard was found purely by accident in Somerset. This was an electrifying find because the coins are mostly from the third century AD. There is a huge amount of debate about the third century: the received wisdom is that there was a large-scale crisis, but we have comparatively little data to go on. I happen to be a Roman economic historian, so please take it from me that this find is absolutely electrifying. It’s been a great year for Roman archaeology in Britain.

[Maeglin]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

Because that would still encourage other idiots to go treasure hunting. Maybe a token fee, and his name on the exhibit as the credited finder, but you don’t want people crawling all over archaeological site with metal detectors looking to get rich.

This is certainly true. But the latest great finds from the UK, especially the coin hoard, don’t come from archaeological sites. People often buried coins far away from urban settings because they hoarded when their expectations about the future were poor. The last great find before this would have never been found by any archaeologist because there was no site. This is somewhat different than the problems of grave looting in Egypt, China, and Central Asia.

[BMalion]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

Because that would still encourage other idiots to go treasure hunting. Maybe a token fee, and his name on the exhibit as the credited finder, but you don’t want people crawling all over archaeological site with metal detectors looking to get rich.

So, Dr. Jones, once again we see there is nothing you posess which I cannot take away.

[barbados_rum]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

I don’t like the idea that it can be sold at aution. It should be put in a museum. He should not be allowed to profit from it. We do not need a bunch of greedy amateur treasure hunters ruining aracheological sites and artifacts trying to get rich.

According to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, they have been inundated with finds that would never have been discovered were it not for metal detectorists.
Within the structure of the Treasure Act, Summary Definition of Treasure it gives detectorists the scope to search and find an object without fear of it being taken off them as under the Treasure Trove law. If the find becomes a hoard it is reported to the coroner. Archeologists dig it up, not the detectorist, and the finder gets the dosh… everyones happy

[barbados_rum]

@lieu

The only way you, I and our children will ever see many of these amazing finds is through the interest and determination of the amateur archaeologist. The potential places to search are so vast and some terrain so unremarkable that were it all left to the authorities it would likely take hundreds of years to cover the same ground. So it’s a bit of a tradeoff, we sacrifice some site integrity in exchange for making it available quicker. How many of the big finds in recent decades were made by amateurs? An appreciable amount I suspect and I’m grateful for the chance to view it and be awed by its beauty.

Obviously what’s needed is a system that encourages responsible collecting, prompt notification, appropriate financial reward and that in the end encourages the item(s) to remain in the country, available for further study and exposure to the masses.

Set aside areas most likely to have artifacts, those near towns of antiquity and on the usual prominent topographic landforms as closed except to governmental investigation but leave the vast remainder for those fascinated by the challenge and willing to perform the mundane, grueling work. We’ll all be the richer for it.

ETA: That helmet is absolutely stunning. I’d think some philanthropists would be willing to shell out some coin themselves to the museums, helping them make the aquisition.

There is a system in place! AND it works!
117,917 items found by detectorists this year to date