Metal detecting set for National Museum Wales boost

[Neil]

Metal detecting enthusiasts hunting buried treasure are to be encouraged to showcase their discoveries.

Enthusiasts in Wales will be encouraged to share their finds and stories with museums and local communities.

The five-year Saving Treasures, Telling Stories project is backed by £349,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Peter Wakelin, director of collections and research at National Museum Wales, said the aim was to save treasures and make them more accessible.

"Each year hundreds of objects of archaeological significance are found by metal detectorists in Wales and there are some 20-30 discoveries of treasure," said Mr Wakelin.

"This is a crucial resource for understanding the past."

 
The lottery funding will pay for:

Targeted purchases of newly discovered artefacts for museum display
Community projects to inspire people to explore the history on their doorstep
Student bursaries and volunteering opportunities
Stories, profiles and more on a website for the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales
 
Mark Lodwick, finds co-ordinator in Wales for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, added: "We'll celebrate all the good news of people's discoveries, working with communities and finders, and make sure every find is reported for the benefit of archaeologists."

[Val Beechey]

Interesting. I wonder if they'll manage to get one or two more on the pay role.  Mark said he wouldn't be about much for a few weeks, now I know why.
Let's hope they start to take a bit more notice of the finds we make and I don't mean just  the ones we can put in our pockets.

Val

[handyman [Alan}]

sounds like a good idea. Lets hope it catches on.

I remember Al the Pastfinder particpating in such events to popular acclaim, prior to his passing.

Go for it

[Svaipa]

Would certainly be nice to see more exhibitions of finds here in Wales, though I somehow doubt it will actually happen. There are already tonnes of finds laying hidden away in store rooms and very little is actually on display.

[Val Beechey]

Not to mention the possible hundreds of items still waiting for authentication and recording.  It's no wonder 'some people' 
think the welsh don't record their finds.

Val

[Dungbeetle]

It would be nice to see a display of  items found by detectorists up here in N. Wales. We don't have a decent museum up here to speak of and aoy treasure items found up here  disappear down to Cardiff never to be seen again unless you're prepared to stay down there for a couple of  days.