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20-year old Danny Mills of Hornchurch in Essex was ecstatic after discovering a Roman lantern described by Suffolk FLO, Faye Minter, as an important and very rare archaeological find and the first almost complete example to be discovered in this country. She said that she had never seen one before. Previously, only fragments have been found from a few locations, including the Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex and at Richborough Roman Fort near Sandwich in Kent, the first permanent Roman settlement in Britain. The importance of this find to the historical record cannot be underestimated. For example, the British Museum has eight examples of which only two are complete and all from high status villas in Pompeii. Ipswich museum suspect that Dannys lantern is most likely from an isolated burial, probably a cremation and investigations of the lantern and find spot continue. The local archaeological service was due to carry out a geophysical survey of the area and X-rays of the lantern and the clod of earth within will have been done by the time you read this article. What follows is Dannys own account of the discovery of his remarkable find: On Sunday 27 September, my Dad and I were kipping in the back of his van at a rally. It had been an uncomfortable night! Although it was a tad chilly when he woke me up for another days detecting, the
morning was bright and full of promise. Over a hasty breakfast, he informed me that he intended driving up to the Sunday fields with some mates. Now, Id spent a few hours previously on another field and found a little hot spot that produced a few Roman bronzes. I said Id stay put as I fancied trying my luck there again. So, off he went to meet up with friends and I eventually went to explore on my own. Alas, the signals were few and far between. In fact, by the time I reached my target area about half an hour later I only had two or three bits of lead dross to show for my efforts! Then my detector (an old Explorer XS) gave out a weak signal which I thought was most likely to be iron. Good signals were sparse and not expecting much, I dug out a spade of earth anyway, ran my coil expectantly over the hole and the signal seemed a little stronger. As the digging progressed, the sweet noise seemed to grow and grow in strength. Whilst engaged in this work, I glanced up and saw another detectorist walking towards me. I hadnt spoken to him before, but recognised him as Steve, one of my Dads friends. He remarked that I was digging very deep and I asked him if hed mind running his Goldmaxx over the target. He confirmed that it was a cracking signal so I started digging again, only this time with renewed energy and more conviction!
A couple of minutes later another detectorist came over and lent me a longer spade as I was struggling a bit. As I dug, my phone rang and it was Dad saying that there was a problem getting parked up on the new fields so they had decided to come back. I looked around and saw him coming towards me. At a depth of around 18 inches, I could see a piece of green wire or chain. By this time, other detectorists were on their knees peering into the hole; I was attracting quite a crowd. One remarked that it was an electric cable. Dad arrived and stared down looking very interested. When I told him it was my find, and looked very interesting, his face lit up. He picked up a spade and started to widen the hole. Then he got down on his hands and knees and, with Steves help, proceeded to pick and scoop away earth with bare hands until other detectorists arrived with smaller implements to carefully excavate whatever was in the hole. As more and more of the find was carefully exposed, onlooker and diggers alike became increasingly animated. I didnt have a clue what it was but I also felt really excited as the growing crowd of onlookers speculated as to what it could be. Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, Medievala bucket, urn? Once free, my Dad and Steve carefully lifted the object and placed it into a tray. Nobody was sure what it was. One or two people commented that it was shaped like a lantern, but nobody seriously suggested that it could actually be one.
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The tray was subsequently loaded onto the back of a truck, driven back to the campsite for others to see, and then stored in the farmhouse for overnight safe keeping. The rally organiser told us that he would contact the Finds Liaison Officer the following morning to arrange for someone to collect it. Dad and I stood in the field for a little while reflecting on what had just happened. I phoned my Mum and my girlfriend...Dad phoned Mum. We were both shaking. We made our way back to the campsite, stopping to talk to a few people along the way about what Id found. Dad was so excited and said he wasnt going to detect any more that day! When we got back to the site I logged onto the internet via my mobile phone. I typed in Roman Lantern and found very similar images from Pompeii, dated 1st century AD. I showed people and they were amazed and agreed that the pictures were very similar to the object I had found. Dad and I walked over to the farmhouse and the farmer kindly let us in to have another look at what I had found and it was taken outside in an effort to obtain some decent pictures. After we left the farmhouse we sat down and ate some lunch and then while Dad chose to sit in the warm sunshine talking to friends and re-living the mornings events
I went out to do a spot more detecting. I was rewarded with another Roman bronze and part of a brooch for my efforts! Id like to express my thanks to everybody who assisted in the recovery of this remarkable find. So, Dannys find, the only near complete example of a Roman lantern to be found in this country has attracted admiration and much comment. A fellow detectorist commented, I saw a young lad digging a very large hole, and thought he was optimistic judging by the way he appeared to be trying to return his Minelab to Australia! Well done. It just shows you shouldnt give up on really deep signals. Another said that Young Danny could teach a thing or two to those old-timers who thought they knew everything about detecting and wonders how many had walked over the find in the three days prior to its discovery. The lantern has been donated to the Ipswich Museum and Caroline McDonald, the Curator of Archaeology commented that the countrys foremost Roman researchers were queuing up to examine it. The object will now receive some remedial care to make it stable and conservation will probably start sometime in the Spring of 2010. Lets hope that when the lantern finally goes on permanent display, Young Danny
gets the recognition he deserves for making such an important and rare find! Incidentally, that was his Mum on the front cover of the October edition and his Dad is featured in this months Medley...family detecting success must be in the genes!
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by John Winter
It had been a good rally for the pair so far. Chris had found ten Roman coins, an Anglo Saxon strap end, two Roman brooches and an Elizabethan hammered coin. On the last day he made a find that surpassed all his dreams. At a depth of over a foot he lifted a shovel of muck and as he threw it down, saw what looked like a large brooch. He showed the find to Linda who initially dismissed it as a tractor part. Chris knew different. Now quivering with excitement and
anticipation he investigated the hole further and saw bones. It was at this early stage he realised his discovery could be of national significance, so he called in the on-site archaeologists. He exclaimed, I cannot get my head round it yet...its a dream come true...unbelievable! Just shows all those deep signals are not beer cans! Of course, news of the find created great excitement and people came from all parts to have a look. Rally organiser Peter Welch was already announcing the fact that it was the
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biggest find hed had in over 20 years of organising WWs digs. On a preliminary examination of the brooch covered in gold gilt and studded with garnets and coral Anni Byard, the Finds Liaison Officer for Oxfordshire, said it probably belonged to royalty or somebody of considerable wealth. She went on to say, Its an important find with the burial site still intact. Well be able to get lots of important contextual information about the individual and learn more about the period. Finds like this dont come along very often!
Exhumation
The area was cordoned off and, because of the human burial, the local police were informed all standard practice. The site was protected and a Home Office licence applied for so archaeologists could carry out further investigations, hopefully on the Monday. The brooch was taken off-site for safe keeping and Chris and Linda were invited to stay on to witness developments.
pots had been found. Being very fragile, they had to be lifted in blocks for subsequent X-ray examination so it may be some time before it is known what the pots contain. Work continued surveying the surrounding area.
The Rally
Further Developments
The farmer said that he was over the moon with the discovery, which would offer valuable information about the history of the area and he didnt believe anything of that nature would be found in one of his fields. It wasnt until the Tuesday that the painstaking work began to uncover the skeleton. A spindle whorl and coloured glass beads were found whilst exhuming the body suggesting that it might be a female. The skeleton was complete and very much intact apart from the skull which had been damaged by the plough. The Saxon grave excavation was nearing completion on Thursday. Below the skeleton and between the knees, two 8 diameter
The FLO, Anni Byard, informs me that the skeleton was lifted and will be examined by an osteologist to determine the sex and age to see if there are any bone defects that may indicate the cause of death. They currently believe that the remains are female (because of the grave goods) and she was about 25 years of age. Anni was able to confirm that the goods found in the grave consisted of two handmade ceramic pots, an iron knife broken in two, a spindle whorl and two shards of blue glass. The pots were lifted complete with the soil remaining within them and will be sampled and analysed to see if there are any organic remains that may indicate foodstuffs buried with the body. Soil samples were also taken from the area which may yield more elements of the brooch like loose garnets etcetera. Under the terms of the Treasure Act, the brooch will be going to the British Museum for expert analysis. If it is confirmed as treasure then the other grave goods (except the skeleton) will also be classed as treasure. Over the next few months the analysis of the soils, skeleton and other finds will take place and a report written for Oxfordshire County Council. A small grant made available by the PAS will pay for the bone and soil analysis to take place.
This report was originally going to be about the rally and I hope to bring you an account of that dig at a future date. For the moment, that has been eclipsed by Chris stunning find. Enough to say that I was pleased to be present on a superb WWs weekend and at a Swampage event in stark contrast to the one I attended last year when Peter Welch vowed that he would never organise another 3-day rally. Im pleased that he changed his mind. Congratulations also to Chris Bayson who was absolutely ecstatic with his discovery and never dreamt it would be something he might experience. Chris was using a recently re-furbished Minelab XS and started detecting about 14 years ago. Chris and Linda have recently joined the Down to Earth Club who detect in the Doncaster and Lincolnshire areas. And finally, my thanks go to Anni Byard for her help and co-operation throughout! Her first rally was at the ill-fated Wanderers Wantage Washout last year. This year will have restored her confidence in weekend events, I am sure!
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Long term readers of The Searcher may be familiar with the names of Mike Pittard and his partner Anne Laverty, who were first featured on these pages in 1989 when Mike found a clay pot containing a massive hoard of over 22,500 Roman coins, but thats another story and one that has been well documented. Mike has been detecting since the early 70s and Anne joined him a decade later. The lucky couple have had many detecting successes since that time. You may think that nothing could surpass such a major find as the one mentioned, but after talking with Mike, their latest discovery is down on the list as one of the favourites and of which he is most proud. The story starts here Anne began by telling me about a field they had been searching for many years. During their first outing Mike noticed building rubble and both were hopeful that there might
be a hammered coin or two waiting to be discovered, but they were disappointed. On venturing to the other end of the field they found several Roman coins and concentrated searching in that area every time they visited over the next 15 years. One particular year when Mike was passing the site, he noticed that it had been rough ploughed, so decided to walk over it. At the far end he was surprised to discover a large lump of tesserae. Mike knew that the inch-size squares of greystone tesserae were generally used for pathways in Roman times, and was keen to investigate further. At that time, the farmer didnt realise the importance of the find but gave permission for Mike to dig a small exploratory test hole. However, at this stage, local archaeologists didnt seem too interested and Mike never got around to making the investigation. Every subsequent year they were seeing evidence just lying in the
topsoil and suspected that whatever lay underneath was being slowly destroyed. Naturally, they were concerned. In the Spring of 2008 the couple were out detecting and curiosity got the better of Mike and so dug a hole to see what was underneathat around a depth of 10 he came across an area of grey tesserae and immediately informed the farmer who arrived to help and scrape a small area of ground. The remaining soil was carefully brushed away. Anne was the first to notice that the colour of the tesserae had changed and she excitedly informed the others that she had found a blue, red and white mosaic, describing the flower and diamond patterns as fantastic! As you can imagine, the discovery gave the finders a buzz when they realised that they were the first to view in at least 1,600 years. Anne managed to take a couple of pictures before it started to rain.
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The farmer provided plastic sheeting and they carefully covered and marked the site then informed Bob Croft, the Somerset Chief Archeologist and expert on Roman mosaics. After looking at and considering the pictures, Bob had talks with the farmer and liaised with English Heritage. In the Autumn of 2008, a two-day geophysical test of the area was conducted by a specialist team. They carried out magnetometer and earth resistance surveys to define the extent of Roman activity and also advised on the potential threat from plough damage and unsupervised treasure hunting. To everyones shock and surprise, the survey revealed the presence of a large, aisled hall style Roman building containing a mosaic and apparently set within a more extensive system of angular ditched enclosures. An example of the sort of result revealed from the survey can be seen in figure 1.
Figure 1
The site of the find is near to the Fosse Way, a Roman road which is now the A303 and once one of the major routes of Roman Britain. Bob Croft said that the area was very popular in the Roman period and had been described as a 4th century millionaires row with over 80 villas. It must be remembered that any house of that period may be called a villa, which means farm in Latin, but the one found by Mike and Anne suggests that it is indeed the remains of a pretty high-status house of the rich, the centre of a farming estate, highly organised and employing large numbers of farm workers and servants.
Indeed, in terms of its size, the villa discovered by them is a good example of the above, has survived reasonably well and, can be considered one of the top twenty in the country, commented Bob Croft. He went on to say that it dated from the middle of the 4th century and very similar to the famous one found at the village of Lopen in 2001. He concluded, this is a very special find by Anne and Mike. The small book, Roman Mosaics in Somerset, edited by Bob Croft states that with the cutting of the tie with the rest of the Roman Empire in the early 5th century, the Romanised society and economy of the South West went into a long decline. When the villas were finally abandoned is unknown, but recent work by archaeologists has shown the continued occupation and agricultural use of at least parts of these buildings well into the 5th century and perhaps later. In the Autumn of 2009, locally based archaeologist Alan Graham, began the task of evaluating the area to establish the plan and alignment of the building, to establish its condition and to define the quality of preservation. I know that initially Anne and Mike were dismayed that only one lone archaeologist had been assigned to what looked like a mammoth task, but this wasnt to be a full scale dig to unearth a mosaic, but simply an evaluation. On the basis of Alans report and in consultations with the archaeological service, the landowner, English Heritage and others, I am given to understand that decisions will be made about the way forward and thus protecting the site. Alan is a veteran of as well as acting team leader on many rescue villa excavations in the area. He proved to be diligent, hardworking and a human cornucopia of useful information, especially on Roman Villas... as I was soon to discover!
After waiting patiently for the crop to be lifted and the friendly farmer to abstain from ploughing the surveyed area of the villa, work eventually started. Of course,
Sods Law had kicked in that week and it was decreed that the weather would be wet, windy and very uncomfortable and, by and large, it was to remain that way throughout the excavation. Nevertheless, Mike had arranged his annual two-week holiday to help the archaeologist in any way he could and the farmer brought along one of his machines to help extract tons of top soil. For the first three days our two men in the trench worked diligently with spade and trowel to reach the Roman walls and floor whilst Anne busied herself helping with the smaller tasks and shouting encouragement from the sidelines. The site was relatively hidden in the corner of a large field and safe from prying eyes, but I cannot help but wonder what the more observant villager had wondered what was going on especially when seeing two guys laboriously pushing a wheelbarrow and struggling with assorted digging paraphernalia over the rough muddy terrain of a ploughed field. Near the end of the week, Anne contacted me and extended an invite to witness the possible uncovering of the mosaic. My wife Lynda and I hurriedly arranged a cat-sitter, booked into a local hostelry and embarked on the long journey. When we finally reached our destination, I now think it was prescient of her to call in at the village shop to buy a pair of Marigolds and a couple of small brushes, but the purchase meant nothing to me at the time. The incessant and unrelenting rain had turned the set-aside into a quagmire. As we pulled to the field we saw Anne sheltering in her car waiting for us. We were shown the results of the 2008 archeological survey and pictures of a small mosaic fragment taken when Anne and Mike had first found the villa. It was all very exciting! However, Anne was just a little anxious as wed travelled some distance, and she feared that we might be disappointed as there was so little to see. After the ten minute trudge to the site in the corner of the field and viewing the 20 x 30 (approximately) trench, I was beginning to think she was right! www.thesearcher.co.uk March 2010
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Muddy trek
Lynda was keen to help and Alan gave her a small task brushing a section of emerging tesserae. Water was labouriously carted from the farmyard for the purpose, necessitating another long and muddy trek for Alan. Ironically, a cattle trough was later located at the corner of the field, so making the task easier.
It was thought that the mosaic currently being uncovered could be attributed to the Lindinis Group, so called after the Roman Name for Ilchester, the groups notional centre. At the time, all I basically knew about a mosaic is that it was a picture or pattern made from small cubes of stone or tile (tesserae). I was keen to learn where the Somerset craftsmen got the raw materials. Alan told me that blue-grey and white Lias limestone was the most common material used and easily obtainable from local sources. Indeed, I noticed some houses in the area built of soft-coloured blue Lias limestone with distinctive clay-tiled roofs. The red tesserae were made from fired clay tiles also shaped either by using a hammer and anvil or by using pliers.
What you can also clearly see from the pictures is that individual tesserae used in the mosaic varied in size. The larger type, about 30mm square, is employed in the coarse borders down to the much smaller 5mm square used for detailed figurative work.
Next day
I made a few notes and exchanged stories with Anne as the work slowly and painstakingly continued. The pattern magically beginning to appear was a distinctive geometric design, although a vase and flowers were later visible.
The following day my wife and I were at the field bright and early. It was still raining. She was excited and exhilarated just thinking about the work ahead. Her cleaning technique had been approved and she was raring to go. While Mike and Alan busied themselves uncovering walls and borders, Lynda concentrated on revealing a portion of the detailed figurative work. Anne and I radiated approval from the muddy sidelines! You will notice from the pictures that remains of walls and substantial stone foundations are in evidence. It was beginning to look as though this was a courtyard villa linked together by corridors, verandas or both. We began to wonder if there might also be a separate bath house with hypocaust nearby!
Alan explained that a layer of fine gravel was laid as a compact foundation. Then a layer of concrete with gravel or crushed tile or layers of lime mortar were added. The tesserae were embedded in a final layer of mortar and then the spaces between were grouted using a liquid mortar. The pattern
Geometric design
Nothing is known for certain about the craftsmen who created the mosaics for Somerset villas, or about the way the craft was organised. As they laboured, Alan was able to fill me in on some of the details. Evidently, archaeologists studying mosaics in Britain have identified distinctive styles and some scholars believe that mosaicists may have been largely itinerant, moving from villa to villa in response to commissions from wealthy patrons. Mosaics often share the same designs and motifs and such similarities have a geographical component.
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would then be marked out so the craftsmen could begin the painstaking task of laying the tesserae, a job taking several weeks to complete. Unfortunately that firm base can be seen to have experienced trauma in the past, for a medieval drainage ditch cuts straight through the site and can be seen in some of the pictures. I wonder if those earlier navvies had noticed or even cared about all the coloured bits of stone strewn about? At the end of a second day we made our way back home, amazed at what we had witnessed, feeling rather privileged that we had been invited, and rather sad to think that after detailed records had been made the mosaic would be covered over and the farmer will continue to sow, reap and plough like he had for years previously. Only this time, he would have more than an inkling of what lay just several inches beneath the soil.
the mosaic with sponges and water. You may discern from some of the pictures a twisted rope design. Roman mosaics are built up from standard patterns and the rope design, most often used in borders to frame other stylised elements is called guilloche.
There were also visitors on this day. Some came to look and wonder, but former FLO Naomi Payne now an Historic Environment Officer - turned up with a friend and both did sterling work uncovering and cleaning even more of the mosaic. The farmer brought his parents to take a look.
Week 2
But that wasnt the end. Unknown to me, another trench was started by Mike and Alan, adjacent to the one already investigated and the newer mosaic discovered promised to be even more interesting. This information was conveyed to us by an excited Anne, and she urged us to get back down there if we could.
Anne spent many hours on her hands and knees and uncovered a beautiful vase spilling water mosaic.
Alan teetered precariously on a flimsy 30 aluminum ladder to take overhead pictures using Anne and me as a steadying ballast, and even the sun made a very brief but welcome appearance.
General view
Initially, the priority had been to expose, clean and record the mosaic. Also, by careful cleaning to understand something of the building in which it lay. It was evident that in less than one week of intensive work by a single archaeologist and a couple of volunteers that objective hadnt been achieved. There was more work to be done! When we arrived on site, the heavy digging had been done. Lynda donned her rubber gloves and, taking instructions from the resident expert Alan, continued the slow, labourious, yet enjoyable task of cleaning
Our education on Roman mosaics continued with Alan telling us that the more elaborate designs would first be drawn out on the mortar base, Alternatively, panels might be fabricated in a workshop where the design was sketched in a tray of fine sand. The tesserae were then laid face up and pieces of linen cloth glued onto the surface, using a flour and water paste. When the glue was set, the panel could be transported and set in place. Washing removed the glue and the tesserae were then grouted.
Knowledge of the local community is considered significant and important. One of Bob Crofts roles is to publicise the county and its archaeology and to enhance public understanding. Archaeology is a great fascination to a lot of people so bearing that in mind and on the final day, the local primary school children were invited to view the newly uncovered mosaic. What an experience for them and one which they will never forget. In the wider Ilchester area over 40 villas many of them with mosaics are known, though very few have been excavated. We can rest assured that the site has at least been satisfactorily recorded, protected, backfilled with soil and safely put to bed before the winter frosts. The purpose of the dig was to try and determine the nature of the building, the period of its occupation and so on was it a courtyard villa as initially thought, or something else? No doubt there will be a press statement forthcoming, but we shall have to wait for a final report from archaeologist, Alan Graham, the purpose of which is protection of the site, taking stock and deciding what to do next as regards long term preservation. Maybe we can bring you extracts from that report when it is published. Evidence of a bath house and hypercaust were found. In conclusion, we must remember that this rare and unusual site would still be hidden and slowly disappearing if it hadnt been discovered and reported by two www.thesearcher.co.uk March 2010
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observant detectorists, Anne Laverty and Mike Pittard. The historical record is much richer because of their dedication and longterm commitment to the hobby of metal detecting. Through their awareness of the surrounding landscape and realising the significance of found materials other then metal has vastly benefited the local population, archaeologists and others. I thank them for allowing me to share in the excitement of their magnificent find.
For helping with the production of this article my thanks are also extended to my sub-editor, chauffeuse and general factotum Lynda; to archaeologist Alan Graham for his scholarly wisdom and good cheer and also to Mr Bob Croft for allowing me to use material from the small book he edited. Roman Mosaics in Somerset is available from Somerset Council Heritage Service, priced at about 3.
Mosaic pattern
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Medley
Detecting by John Winter
If you think you have something suitable or ideas for publication, then please email me at: john@johnwinter.com
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Caught Knapping!
husband had soon bought her another. He also claimed on insurance and recovered the full cost of his initial purchase. In addition, the original lost ring had been returned. I was beginning to realise why the couple didnt want cheap publicity in the local rag! But its not all doom and gloom, of course. Far from it there are some heart-warming tales. Just this week I heard the improbable story of a Florida man who accidentally dropped his class ring off a cruise ship two decades ago. A detectorist recently found it on Daytona beach and tracked down the owner using Facebook. Incredible! The owner was very pleased and is reported as saying, This is wild! I never thought Id ever see it again! Now, I have a confession to make. Lithics in general, just leave me stone cold. Maybe its a black hole in my education, but I fail to get excited by flints and Stone Age tools. Until, that is, I stumbled upon a new site designed by writer and journalist Richard Milton that has kindled my interest. Judging by the number of such items shown and talked about on detecting forums, I could be in a minority. It cannot be denied that many of you are make exciting eyes only finds - the recent story of the Somerset mosaic was only discovered by hawk-eyed hobbyists recognising and understanding the significance of Roman tesserae scattered on the surface of a field. And then there are the numerous Stone Age tools found by observant detectorists. So, Id like to bring to your attention the Stone Age Tools Museum illustrating how flint tools were made in prehistoric times. This virtual museum at www.stoneagetools.co.uk is easy to navigate, has a host of high quality pictures and explains how to find, identify and collect flint implements. Richard reminds us that making flint tools was the leading edge technology for many thousands of years and that our ancestors were experts. From large powerful hand axes (shown) to tiny microliths like razor blades, they were masters of flint knapping, the art of shaping stone weapons and stone tools from flint. The tools in the museum include implements from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods and includes hand axes, end scrapers microliths, flint knives, notched tools and many more. Highlights include discarded flake cores and hammerstones - and a tool described as the Mesolithic answer to the Swiss Army knife. Richard reminds us that we live in a world that is critically dependent on electricity and if that were to fail, we would be left only with the resources that our ancestors had six thousand years ago. His museum is a reminder of just how resourceful and inventive our ancestors were when they nothing but stones to work with. Thats quite a thought! I urge you to go and take a look; youll be pleasantly surprised!
Should I dig?
A friend, whose wife has recently become a convert to detecting, ruefully admitted that she was finding more interesting artefacts than him. He contemplated whether it was down to complacency and should he be re-examining his detecting technique, especially as she was using what could only be described as a beginners machine. Was his swinging action too fast? Was he ignoring what could be positive signals? Or what? Its not the make of machine we are using and its not necessarily the type of land we have at our disposal, but its more likely to be our own fault that we dont find anything. I hesitate thats a bold statement! I think there is a very simple reason for the success of my friends wife, and other beginners the fact that they dont necessarily understand what discrimination is all about or are simply unimpressed by the concept! To put it simply, my friends wife chooses to dig more signals than him. Although it is probably one of the greatest innovations of recent years, I think many detectorists over-use discrimination, including myself! We have become spoiled by the features available on high-end detectors and choose not to dig what we think might be junk. Dont misunderstand me, discrimination is a great tool, but I think that moderation of its use is the key to better targets. Remember some signals require closer examination.
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Charles II only touched the coin as he (unsurprisingly) disliked touching diseased people directly. And that is why dear reader, when you are lucky enough to unearth your first pierced gold Angel, you will not only know that it has been probably been handled by the monarch, but it has also been worn around the neck of a person with scrofula. The advice of the Health and Safety Executive would be to
use a pair of latex gloves and handle with care. Only joking I understand that you cant catch the disease from another. As an afterthought did you know that the Angel was such an iconic coin that many pubs were named after it? Monopoly players should know that The Angel, Islington was one of those and that the Angel tube station was named after the pub. Not a lot of people know that!
Picture this!
I always take a camera with me when I go detecting just in case I find that Gold Angel, and then Ill be able to take one of those clodcam shots that are so popular. I can dream! Im also very careful to keep the camera out of the rain, but after the news this week another cruise ship story I think that I can afford to be more cavalier in my approach! The word is that a Spanish fisherman trawling off the coast of Ireland has pulled up a camera that a couple dropped from the Queen Mary 2. Amazingly, the cameras SD card containing historic pictures of the final rendezvous between the Cunard liner and its now retired sister, the QE2, was still intact! Can you believe that? it in future advertising. Things have moved on apace since I lugged a Kodak Box Brownie up and down the slopes of the Spanish Pyrenees. Do I really need to carry protective Tesco plastic bags in case of inclement weather. Not any more it seems, but I will continue. Old habits die hard!
I guess the makers of the card will have cottoned on to the fact and we are bound to hear about
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Medley
Detecting by John Winter
If you think you have something suitable or ideas for publication, then please email me at: john@johnwinter.com
Jacky posed by a model!
Ergonomics: Feather-light, able to fly and well designed, but can be quite messy. Available only in black 9 User Friendliness: Comes when called. Operates better without supervision 10 Build Quality: Rather fragile, I suppose. Avoid catapults and stroppy pigeons 8 Weather resistance: Youll never have to put it in the airing cupboard to dry off almost waterproof 10 Performance: Discriminates well. Avoids dross and other dull crap 10 Value for Money: Minimal initial outlay 9 Battery Life: Perhaps its Achilles Heel needs frequent and constant top-ups of grubs, black beetles and centipedes 6 NB: the Jackdaw is not available at your usual stockist.
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What a Beauty!
Australian Don Brereton sent me a print of the 69.43 ounce gold nugget found in June 2010 at Sandstone in Western Australia by his friend Mike. That weight is going to be hard to beat! the amazing thing was that he made the decision to keep the find quiet until the end of the tour. I hear that the expressions on the faces of the other members were priceless when the magnificent gold nugget
Mike says, I was turning the big 40 in January this year, and what better way of celebrating the occasion than to travel over 3,000kms and join up with the Gold Prospecting Australia annual tour. Mikes piece is what dreams are made of. The trip to WA was his first and
Johns Meteorite
was finally revealedglazed eyes and open mouths! On the last night of tour, says Mike, when everybody brings out their finds for a grand weigh in and final admire, my nugget was brought out by my detecting partner Mark. I was proud as punch, it was so hard not to bite my tongue!
and the Civil Aviation Authority said there were no records of their aircraft flying over the area. A spokesman from the West Cornwall Astronomical Society was fairly convinced that it could have been a meteor that caused the bang before burning up as it entered the Earths atmosphere.
Is it just coincidence that whilst searching in Hayle, a mere 50 or so miles from Bude, detectorist John Stokes should make a remarkable and significant discovery? John says that he received a very loud signal in his headphones that nearly blew my head off. And what at first
Chondrites are often embedded with grains of material that pre-date the formation of the solar system. These are of particular interest to astronomers and scientists who wish to know about the formation of our solar system. It is estimated that there are approximately 27,000 chondrites in the world's scientific and public collections, as well as many more in the hands of private citizens. Certainly makes a change from the usual detectorist find and even more when we know the provenance and can make an intelligent guess as to when this meteorite crashed into the Earth. Thanks for sharing with us, John.
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Shabby Wedding!
My next custom recollection would certainly be forbidden and I cant be sure that it was
I stumbled upon the following custom by accident when playing outside the village church. Some people were coming out and a lady was carrying a baby in a shawl. She called across and handed me a small package with instructions not to open it until I got home. My mother told me it was a christening piece and since I was a boy, the baby must have been a girl. The gift contained a piece of fruit-cake and a silver florin, carefully wrapped in a paper doily. I spent quite a bit of time hanging about the church after that, but with little luck! If the baby had been a boy, then the first girl to be seen after leaving the church received the gift. The tradition was supposed to bring the baby luck. It also made this unsuspecting child very happy! I also remember that when a new baby visited our house my parents always crossed the
Florin
child's palm with silver so that the baby would always have money.
My First Hoard?
I have a hazy memory of finding some sort of blackened silver coins and sitting on the back step feverishly rubbing them with a cloth impregnated with Vim scouring powderor was it Brasso? They were exceptionally shiny when I had finished and I remember showing them to my parents, but they didnt seem particularly interested. I wonder what happened to those coins? It wasnt a dream.
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