Oxfordshire: Dozens of treasure finds reported last year
This comes as the number of treasure finds in England and Wales has reached a record high as more and more people take up metal detecting.
The Ministry of Justice’s annual coroner statistics show that 66 treasure finds were reported in Oxfordshire in 2023, compared to 44 the year before.
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Across England and Wales, 1,219 cases of treasure discoveries were reported to coroners last year, an increase of 12 percent on 2022 and the highest number ever recorded.
The Justice Department said the number of discoveries has steadily increased since the Treasure Act came into force in 1997, when only 54 discoveries were reported.
A spokesman added that the number had been “more volatile” in recent years as there had been a significant increase in metal detecting activity during and since the pandemic.
Given the growing interest in treasure hunting, the Detectorist Institute and Foundation warned that the valuation of treasure finds by the Treasure Valuation Committee could be reduced if the item is not recovered or excavated responsibly, resulting in damage to the archaeological finds.
Its founder, Keith Westcott, said: “There is so much to be learned from treasure finds if handled properly. In some cases, organic materials such as leather can be left in place, giving archaeologists invaluable insights into how we lived in the past.”
The Justice Department noted that the number of finds varied across the country, most likely due to geographical and historical differences. Norfolk had the most treasure finds, with 95.
Only in the southeast was there a decline in finds, from 273 discoveries in 2022 to 253 last year.
The most finds were recorded in the east of England last year, with 284 finds.
The definition of treasure was updated in July last year.
Until now, newly discovered artifacts were classified as treasures if they were over 300 years old and were made of precious metal or were part of a collection of valuable objects or artifacts.
According to the new criteria, the most exceptional finds that are more than 200 years old will be classified as treasures if they provide important insights into the country’s cultural heritage.
Mr Westcott said: “By bringing this condition into effect, it is hoped that future finds such as the Crosby-Garret helmet, a Roman Calvary helmet dating to the late 2nd or early 3rd century AD, can be saved from being sold at auction.”
The helmet was found in May 2010 near San Francisco by an unnamed metal detectorist. It turned out that there had been a Roman-British farming settlement at this site.
According to the old definition, it was not considered a treasure.
