The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) and Treasure Annual Reports, launched at the British Museum today, show a significant upsurge in responsible reporting of finds by metal-detectorists and other finders. This provides a wealth of information about our history and archaeology which is vital for understanding our past.

The key statistics are:

• 57,566 finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme during 2005/6. This was an increase of almost 45 per cent on the 39,933 finds recorded in 2004/5.

• In 2004 a total of 506 treasure finds were reported and declared as Treasure, an increase of nearly 20 per cent on the 426 reported the previous year.

• The PAS website which record Treasure and PAS finds, has also seen a huge increase in traffic with 1.4 million page requests a month. This is an increase of 2680 per cent from April 2003 to March 2006.

Minister for Culture, David Lammy said

‘Metal detectorists are the unsung heroes of the UK’s heritage.  Thanks to the responsible approach they display in reporting finds and the systems we have set up to record them, more archaeological material is available for all to see at museums or to study online.’

Neil MacGregor, Director, the British Museum said

‘This huge increase in finds is testimony to the success of the Treasure Act and the Portable Antiquities Scheme and makes a crucial contribution to our understanding of our past. Working together the DCMS, Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and the British Museum have made great strides in securing our communal heritage and must continue to do so to ensure future generations will benefit from this wealth of knowledge.’

Chris Batt, Chief Executive Officer, MLA, said

‘Besides recording archaeological finds the PAS has a vital role inspiring learning about the past. Through the Scheme’s outreach work last year more than 27,000 adults and 5,500 children had the opportunity to learn about archaeology and get involved. In this role the PAS plays a crucial part in MLA’s vision to improve people’s lives by building knowledge, supporting learning and inspiring creativity and celebrating identity’. The PAS is managed by the British Museum on behalf of the MLA.

Since the Treasure Act came into effect in 1997 the number of Treasure cases has increased from 79 in 1997 to 506 in 2004. This has meant a huge increase in the material that is offered to local museums. Since the expansion of the PAS to the whole of England and Wales in 2003, there has been an average increase of 154% in the reporting of Treasure. Nowadays Finds Liaison Officers are involved in most Treasure cases, advising finders of their legal obligations, providing advice on the process and writing reports on Treasure finds.

This remarkable rise in the number of reported finds vastly increases our knowledge of our past and critically, responsible reporting means we are able to learn about the context of finds being discovered throughout the country. This contextual information has had a significant impact upon our existing knowledge and research. The increased ability to record the provenance of new finds is a testament to the improving levels of cooperation between the different parties involved and a greater awareness of the immense value of good practice, complemented by the introduction of the Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in May 2006.

For further information please contact:

Joe Edwards on 020 7323 8183 or Hannah Boulton 020 7323 8522 at the British Museum press office or Georgia Parks on 020 7211 6272 at the DCMS press office

Notes to editors

1. All finders of gold and silver objects, and groups of coins from the same finds, over 300 years old, have a legal obligation to report such items under the Treasure Act 1996. Prehistoric base-metal assemblages found after 1st January 2003 also qualify as Treasure. Treasure finds must be reported by law to the local coroner, which is normally done through the finders local PAS Finds Liaison Officer. The Treasure 2004 Annual Report is available on the DCMS website and more information on PAS website.

2. The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is a voluntary scheme managed by the British Museum on behalf of MLA to record archaeological objects (not necessarily ‘Treasure’) found by members of the public in England and Wales. Every year many thousands of objects are discovered, many of these by metal-detector users, but also by people whilst out walking, gardening or going about their daily work.  Such discoveries offer an important source for understanding our past. More information can be found on the PAS website.

3. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council works with the nine regional agencies in the MLA Partnership to improve people’s lives by building knowledge, supporting learning, inspiring creativity and celebrating identity. The Partnership acts collectively for the benefit of the sector and the public, leading the transformation of museums, libraries and archives for the future. More information can be found on the MLA website.

4. The DCMS and the British Museum are currently in the process of transferring certain responsibilities relating to the valuation of Treasure finds and the payments of rewards from the DCMS to the British Museum. It intended that this change will improve the efficiency of the system and improve the service offered to finders, landowners and museum.