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Discoveries of buried treasure broke records last year in England and Wales, driven in part by a coronavirus-inspired boom in metal detecting.
There have been 1,378 discoveries in total, according to provisional figures for 2022, which, if confirmed, would be the highest number of discoveries since records began in 1996.
Norfolk took first place as the county with the most treasures discovered.
It had 95 finds compared to 83 in Hampshire and 81 in Kent.
Suffolk – the site of one of the greatest archaeological discoveries ever made in 1939, the Viking hoard at Sutton Hoo – came in fourth place, with 75 discoveries in 2022.
Gold struck! Discoveries of buried treasure broke records last year in England and Wales, driven in part by a coronavirus-inspired boom in metal detecting. Pictured is a discovery on a farm in Devon in 2021
On the rise: There were 1,378 discoveries in total, according to provisional figures for 2022, which if confirmed would be the highest number of discoveries since records began in 1996
| boycott | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk Hampshire Kent (Medway Company) Suffolk North Yorkshire Wiltshire and Swindon Lincolnshire Essex ShropshireOxfordshire | 95 83 81 75 74 72 58 575349 | 85 67 74 63 59 67 62 344144 |
Next were North Yorkshire, Wiltshire and Swindon, Lincolnshire, Essex and Shropshire.
In terms of region, it was the South East that saw the highest number of treasure discoveries reported to coroners last year, with 349 (25 per cent of all finds).
East Anglia had 272, the South West 200 and the West Midlands 140.
There were 76 discoveries in Wales and 10 in Northern Ireland.
This is the ninth year in a row that the number of treasures discovered in the UK has exceeded 1,000.
In 2021, there were 1,072 finds, representing a total of 15,443 individual artefacts – including objects and coins.
The majority of objects (96%) were discovered by metal detectors, a similar percentage to 2020 according to official figures.
In 2021, another 3 percent (37 cases) were archaeological finds and 1 percent (11 cases) were chance finds or found through burial.
Norfolk was again the top county for treasure, with 85 finds.
By region: South-east England saw the highest number of treasure discoveries reported to coroners last year, with 349 (25 per cent of all finds).
Similar forecasts were in 2021, with most discoveries made in the south-east, south-west and East Anglia.
The Ministry of Justice, which compiles figures from treasure findings from coroners’ courts, said there had been a “significant increase in metal detecting activity during (and also since) the pandemic”.
The second richest site was Kent where 74 treasures were excavated, and joint third was Hampshire and Wiltshire.
Of all the treasures discovered in 2021, 212 (20 percent) were coins and 860 (80 percent) were objects.
About a third of them are from the post-medieval period (from the 15th to the 18th century) and a quarter from the post-medieval period (from the 15th to the 18th century). Medieval period. (from the fifth century to the fifteenth century).
A number of Roman coins, Bronze Age artefacts and objects from the early Middle Ages were also uncovered, in addition to those dating back to the Iron Age.
A total of 231 artifacts were acquired by the museums, of which 39 were donated to the museums (at no cost to the public), 498 were returned to the finder, and 62 did not meet the definition of treasure. Another 242 discoveries are still being analysed.
Under the Treasure Act 1996, “treasure” includes prehistoric objects, coins containing 10 per cent gold or silver that are at least 300 years old, or newer valuables that have been deliberately hidden.
Breakdown: About a third of treasure cases in 2021 were from the post-medieval period (15th to 18th centuries) and a quarter were from the medieval period (5th to 15th centuries).
In 2021, a total of 231 treasure objects were acquired by museums, of which 39 were donated to the museums (at no cost to the public), 498 were returned to the finder, and 62 did not meet the definition of treasure. Another 242 discoveries are still being analysed
The Ministry of Justice, which compiles figures from treasure findings from coroners’ courts, said there had been a “significant increase in metal detecting activity during (and also since) the pandemic”.
The number of treasure discoveries is on the rise. In 1997, only 54 discoveries were recorded.
Next year, more hoards are expected to be recorded, with the definition of “treasure” set to be expanded to include objects of historical significance that are more than 200 years old and contain metals such as bronze.
Treasure finds that meet these new criteria will be evaluated by a coroner and will undergo a formal process through which they can be acquired by the museum and displayed to the public.
The change in law was made after a number of extrajudicial discoveries occurred – although thankfully they were saved for the nation.
These discoveries included stunning Roman finds such as the Ryedale Hoard – a collection of bronze objects – now in York Museum, and the bronze Birrus Britannicus statue, of a Roman wearing a heavy woolen cloak, now in Chelmsford City Museum.
The number of finds in 2022 will be confirmed in the Statistical Release of Treasure Discoveries in 2024, which will also cover provisional figures for 2023.
(Tags for translation) Daily Mail