Medieval Finds in British Fields
Metal detecting in the UK regularly turns up artifacts from the medieval period (roughly 1066-1500). Centuries of agriculture have spread material from settlements, manors, churches, and markets across open farmland, making plowed fields productive hunting grounds. The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) records these finds and provides a public database that's invaluable for identification.
Common Medieval Finds
- Hammered coins: Silver pennies, halfpennies, and farthings from various monarchs. The short cross and long cross penny types are the most frequently found. Gold nobles and angels turn up rarely but spectacularly.
- Jettons: Brass counting tokens, mostly from Nuremberg, used in accounting on chequerboards.
- Buckles and strap fittings: Decorated copper alloy buckles, strap ends, and belt mounts in styles that changed over the centuries, making them useful for dating.
- Brooches: Annular (ring) brooches are the most common type. Simple wire examples are early medieval; cast and decorated examples are later.
- Seal matrices: Personal seal stamps, usually in copper alloy, used for authenticating documents. These are important finds that should always be reported to the PAS.
- Pilgrims' badges: Cast lead-tin badges worn by pilgrims returning from shrines. They depict saints, shrines, or religious symbols.
- Thimbles: Early thimbles are hand-hammered with irregular pitting. Later medieval examples show more regular patterns.
Reporting and the Law
In England and Wales, the Treasure Act 1996 requires reporting of finds that meet specific criteria (generally, objects over 300 years old containing more than 10% precious metal, or hoards of any metal). The PAS encourages voluntary recording of all finds, which builds the archaeological record and is good practice regardless of legal requirements.