Lincolnshire Portable Antiquities Scheme

This week's is a medieval silver penny of William the Conqueror, dating to between AD 1068-1070.

The coin depicts the bust of William the Conqueror, the Norman who became King of England after winning the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The events prior to and during the battle are famously depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry, which tells the story of the Norman conquest of England.

This year, following an agreement with France, the Bayeux Tapestry has made it's way to England and is now on display in the British Museum.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme British Museum

https://finds.org.uk/pas/recorded-find/LIN-19069D?return=%2Fmy-institution-finds%2F%3Fpage%3D1%26ruler%3DWilliam%2Bthe%2BConqueror%26sort_by%3Dupdated_at_desc

This week's is an early medieval Viking gold pendant in the form of Thor's hammer, dating to c. AD 850-950.

These amuletic pendants take the form of the hammer of the Norse god Thor, known as Mjollnir. Gold forms of the pendant are rare in England. The stamped decoration makes this find particularly interesting.

https://finds.org.uk/pas/recorded-find/LIN-D3E540/?return=/recorded-find/search/?q=LIN-D3E540%26sort_by=updated_at_desc

Dear all,

We are aware that some of you have been having difficulty logging into your PAS account. Being able to access your recorded finds is very important to us, so we're pleased to let you know that the bug has now been fixed (fingers crossed!).

Once you've logged in, simply click Account Dashboard and then My Recorded Finds to view your records.

If you're still having trouble logging in, please follow the guidance here:

https://www.finds.org.uk/guides/how-to-use-this-site/login-guide

If you continue to experience any issues after trying the steps in the guide, please don't hesitate to get in touch (email is best) and we'll do our best to help.

Best wishes,

Lisa and Georgia

www.finds.org.uk

This week's is a Roman gold finger ring, dating to c. AD 300-410.

The ring's bezel is inscribed with the words 'VIVE OPTO', meaning 'long life to you, I pray'. The use of 'vive' is believed to be related to 'vivas' which is often associated with Christian symbols. The Christian connotations of the inscription suggest that the ring is dated to the later Roman period, following Constantine I's conversion to Christianity and the subsequent spread of Christianity through the Empire.

https://finds.org.uk/pas/recorded-find/LIN-AF94FC/?return=/recorded-find/search/?q=LIN-AF94FC%26sort_by=updated_at_desc

This week's is a medieval silver-gilt annular brooch, dating to the 13th-14th century AD.

The brooch is in the form of two entwined creatures, possibly snakes, with small pointed ears or horns.

The content of silver qualifies the object as Treasure under the Treasure Act 1996, with a minimum of 10% precious metal content needed to qualify an object. The brooch was very kindly donated to Lincoln Museum, and is an example of the importance of collaboration in the preservation of shared history and archaeology.

https://finds.org.uk/pas/recorded-find/LIN-5BB005/?return=/recorded-find/search/?q=LIN-5BB005%26sort_by=updated_at_desc

This week's is an early medieval copper-alloy Anglo-Saxon mount or harness mount, dating from the late fifth to sixth century AD.

The object depicts a gilded relief consisting of Style I zoomorphic limbs terminating with toes, claws or talons. They surround a central boss with a red glass or gem inset.

The completeness and excellent condition of this find is rare.

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1229690

New database update!
Following a technical issue yesterday, the launch of the new PAS database was delayed and will go live today.

Please keep an eye on the site to catch the launch.

Welcome to our database! The Portable Antiquities Scheme's database holds records of archaeological finds discovered by members of the public. These are found while carrying out a wide range of activities including…

The new Portable Antiquities Scheme database goes live today! 🎉

The redeveloped site aims to create a new user-friendly experience. Take a look around the site using the usual link 👉 https://finds.org.uk/database

Please get in touch with any queries you may have.

This week's was found by a detectorist in October 2022. The find was reported to us at Lincolnshire PAS where it was identified as a Bronze Age gold basket ornament, and therefore as Treasure under the Treasure Act 1996, dating to the period 2400-2200 BC. The object consists of a gold sheet, decorated with two lines of punchmarks.

Basket ornaments are rare and are usually associated with burials. This example is particularly rare, as the majority of examples have a tab extending from the longer edge rather than the shorter edge, as seen on this find. They are often found in pairs and are believed to be an item of personal adornment.

The find was subsequently acquired by Lincoln Museum to preserve this rare find for the public.

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1086557

This week's was recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database 12 years ago, but thanks to the keen eye of a PAS user, it has recently been re-identified as a Late Bronze Age strap fitting or strap loop, dating to around 1000–800 BC.

The object closely matches examples from the Parc-y-Meirch Hoard in Conwy, providing a much stronger parallel than was previously recognised. This highlights the value of continually reviewing records and how new research, expertise and observations can help refine our understanding of the past.

A great example of how the PAS database is a living resource, with records improving as new information comes to light.

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/582535