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Another record year for PAS and Treasure finds
The British Museum has announced a third record-breaking year in a row for archaeological finds reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) by members of the public, and for Treasure cases.
At the launch of the latest annual PAS and Treasure reports, the Museum revealed that 79,616 finds had been recorded in 2024 (the year for which the most up-to-date figures are available), and 1,540 Treasure finds were processed across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (Scotland is covered by the Treasure Trove Unit; see http://www.treasuretrovescotland.co.uk).
Some 94% of the finds were discovered by metal-detectorists, highlighting the contribution that responsible practitioners make to our understanding of the past. Meanwhile, 92% had been found in cultivated land – so it is unsurprising that the agricultural counties of Norfolk (7,120 finds), Suffolk (5,410), and Lincolnshire (5,133) were the top three for reported artefacts. Norfolk also came top of the list for Treasure cases (138).
The launch event showcased a trio of exceptional finds recently recorded by the PAS, among them a complete copper-alloy figure of a female feline, possibly a leopard, which was found near Harlow in Essex (above). Thought to date to AD 43-200, the cat measures 11.4cm long (4.5in) and is shown with its front paws resting on the apparently severed head of a bearded man. It is thought to be a vehicle mount from the body or yoke of a chariot or wagon. Although similar objects are known from Central Europe, they are rare in Britain, but a handful of interesting parallels have been found. These include a lion mount that again rests its forelimbs on a male human head (Figure 163 in MOLA’s free-to-access report about excavations at Regis House in the City of London; https://doi.org/10.48583/j7n8-vh88) and, from Colchester, a panther touching a shield decorated with a male deity’s face (https://cim-web.adlibhosting.com/ais6/Details/collect/169314). See https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1201519 or search for ESS-8AC18A on the PAS database for more information about the example from Essex.
Another decorative creature came from a collection of precious metal items – probably grave goods from a high- status early medieval burial – found in Wiltshire ploughsoil. This group included an ornate gold-and-garnet terminal, probably from a drinking horn, in the form of a bird’s head (below). It has inlays of elephant ivory, hinting at far-reaching trade connections. Cardiff University and the PAS are set to lead a follow-up excavation in the near future.
The third star find was a hoard of 179 silver pennies of Harold II (Harold Godwinson), dating to 1066. They were found in Yorkshire, a short distance from the site of the Battle of Fulford, which was fought in September 1066 between Harold II and the Norwegian king and claimant to the English throne Harald Hardrada. It is suggested that the coins (which feature the names of 23 different mints and 59 moneyers) might have been buried in relation to this upheaval; see https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1097112 or search for YORYM-B9AB51 on the PAS database for more details.
You can find more information about the PAS, the Treasure process, and legal obligations of finders, at http://www.finds.org.uk/treasure.
Images: Trustees of the British Museum
New exhibitions
Gladiators of Britain
7 February-31 May 2026
Tullie, Carlisle
https://tullie.org.uk/events/gladiators-of-britain
Un/Common People: Folk Culture in Wessex
7 February-10 May 2026
Salisbury Museum
https://salisburymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/un-common-people-folk-culture-in-wessex
Samurai
3 February-4 May 2026
British Museum, London
http://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/samurai
Last chance to see
Secrets of the Thames: mudlarking London’s lost treasures
Until 1 March 2026
London Museum Docklands
http://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/secrets-thames
Object Journeys
Until 21 February 2026
York Army Museum
http://www.yorkarmymuseum.co.uk/exhibitions-events
Seeds of Time: Scottish gardens 1600 to present day
Until 16 February 2026
Aberdour Castle and Gardens, Fife
http://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/aberdour-castle-and-gardens
