Portable Antiquities Scheme

26th September, 28th November 2018, 30th January, 27th March 2019

1pm – 3pm

Digging in the garden? Metal detecting? Found something old and interesting? Thousands of archaeological objects are found every year by members of the public. Enjoy this opportunity to bring in any archaeological discoveries and find out more about them. Finds Liaison Officer, Matt Fittock will be on hand to record and ID all of your archaeological objects. 

Every find is important and will help to improve our knowledge of history and archaeology. Here are some fascinating archaeological objects from our own collection. Brooches are of particular interest as they are usually well preserved and can tell us much about the past. 

BEDFM 2005.17

A Medieval silver-gilt annular brooch found at Lidlington.

The inscription in Lombardic lettering reads,” I am the flower of good love”.

Brooches similar to this were fairly common personal ornaments in the medieval period. Often the inscriptions were designed to keep the owner safe from harm.

BEDFM 2014.91. 

Medieval silver annular brooch found near Wharley End , Bedford.

This brooch is in very good condition and must have been a sad loss to its last owner.

Find out more about the Scheme here: https://bit.ly/HigginsPAS

The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a nationwide service run by the British Museum. To find out more about the service look on the website: www.finds.org.uk