[Archport] Staffordshire gold hoard

[José d'Encarnação <jde@fl.uc.pt>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jenny Compton [mailto:jennycompton@sapo.pt]
> Sent: 27 November 2009 09:44
>
>
> Subject: Staffordshire gold hoard
>
> Following the discovery in the UK of a large(!) hoard of Saxon gold 
> items -
> valuation has now been completed by the coroner.
> This is the normal procedure when items are registered as 'treasure trove'
> The 'reward' will be shared between the finder and the landowner.
> Unfortunately since this discovery there appears to have been an increase 
> in
> the sale of metal detectors in the UK. The police and archaeologists alike
> have also noticed an increase in illegal 'night hawking' - (when
> unauthorised people trespass on listed monuments and on open farm land in
> the hope of discovering valuable items which they then sell on). Some 
> police
> forces organise patrols in areas where there are thought to be night 
> hawking
> activities. The people who carry out this illegal activity are breaking 
> the
> law and have been known to be violent when approached. They have no 
> interest
> in the archaeological value of any finds.
> These people have also been known to attend the coroners' courts to try to
> find out where the items have been found.
> Unfortunately at present the trespass law in this respect is not very 
> strong
> and so the fines do not deter the illegal activity.
> A lot of these sites are in the countryside and so have no real protection
> during the night when the archaeologists are not there. I know of some
> archaeologist who scatter iron nails on their sites to try to confuse the
> 'treasure hunters'.
>
> But not all metal detectorists behave in an illegal way and there are a 
> lot
> of registered clubs/groups who work successfully with the archaeologists 
> and
> also some individuals like the finder of the Staffordshire hoard behave in 
> a
> responsible way and this in turn benefits both the finder and the
> archaeological record.
> Anyway I think he would have found it difficult to sell it all on ebay
> without attracting some attention!
>
> Below is the latest news from the Daily Telegraph and also of interest is
> the information about the Portable Antiquities scheme on
> http://finds.org.uk/
>
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6660741/Staffordshire-treasure-hoard-
> valued-at-3.28m.html
>
> The British Archaeology magazine will soon publish the November/December
> issue online. Front cover shows part of the hoard in situ with a detailed
> article inside! www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/