University of York archaeologists join forces with metal detector enthusiasts
Posted on 1 June 2003
Now archaeologists at the University of York want to harness the enthusiasm of metal detectorists in the cause of academic research.
They are being recruited to help in a three-year project which will culminate in the preparation of an economic and landscape history of England from the 7th to the 10th century.
The 'Viking and Anglo-Saxon Landscape and Economy' (VASLE) project was inspired by the Portable Antiquities Scheme set up by the Government in 1997 for the voluntary recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public. Since then, tens of thousands of finds have been reported.
Professor Julian Richards, of the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, obtained financial backing from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to establish the project.
Professor Richards said: "Archaeologists have had great difficulty locating Anglo-Saxon and Viking settlements. Now, much of the material found by metal detectorists comes from the 7th to the early 10th century and it is crucial that we bring these items into the realms of research.
"But only in the last five years have archaeologists been able to start to use the data with any real confidence. What the project is really hoping to address is how we interpret metal detecting sites in order that we can gain a greater understanding of Viking and Anglo-Saxon landscape and economy. It will also give us a fuller picture of the impact of the Vikings on the England in the 9th-11th century.
"We hope it will tell us more about the cultural identity of the people who lived in the Danelaw. There were probably very small numbers of true Vikings though their influence far outweighed their actual numbers."
We hope [the project] will tell us more about the cultural identity of the people who lived in the Danelaw
Professor Julian Richards
Professor Richards has a strong record of field research into metal-detected sites such as Cottam in East Yorkshire and he, with colleague Dr John Naylor, will undertake field surveys in collaboration with metal detectorists.
As well as data from the Portable Antiquities Scheme, they will be using materials from the Corpus of Early Medieval Coins at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. This will help them to establish which of the richer metal detected sites in the UK will warrant further study, and field survey.
Professor Richards added: "Once we have identified the richest sites, we will be able to build up a picture of what's been found. Effectively, these sites are a fingerprint of economic activity and they will help us to complete the final part of the project which will be to write an economic and landscape history of England from the 7th to the 10th century."
One of the metal detectorists taking part in the project is Dave Haldenby, of Elloughton, near Beverley, East Yorkshire, who said: "In the past there has been some animosity between metal detectorists and archaeologists but, increasingly, they are working together, as this project illustrates. There's a terrific sense of pride in seeing an excavation which would never have happened without hours of painstaking work in plotting finds."
Notes to editors:
- The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a voluntary scheme for the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public. It was established by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in 1997, to promote the recording of chance finds and broaden public awareness of the importance of such objects for understanding our past. The government initially provided funding to institute pilot schemes for the voluntary recording of archaeological objects in six regions and another five pilot schemes were established in 2002, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The aim is to expand the Scheme to all parts of England and Wales in due course.
- The VASLE project has an advisory committee of academics, members of the portable antiquities scheme and metal detectorists.
- Finds by metal detectorists in the last two years have included:
- The burial site of six Viking men and women, complete with swords and spears, jewellery, firemaking materials and riding equipment, was discovered near Cumwhitton, Cumbria. Believed to date from the early 10th century, it was unearthed following the discovery of two Viking Age copper brooches by a local metal detectorist. The sandy soil meant that while the bodies had decomposed, their equipment had remained intact providing a unique opportunity to excavate a Viking Age cemetery under 21st-century conditions.
- A unique group of late ninth-century weapons and personal items including silver coins and the fragments of two swords was found in Yorkshire in December 2003. The so-called Ainsbrook Hoard is one of the most important Viking discoveries ever made in the British Isles.
- Free pictures, by Tony Bartholomew, are also available from David Garner on 01904 432153