Treasure enthusiasts and museum visitors in the UK are set to benefit from a recent change in the legal definition of treasure. The UK government has expanded the definition of what qualifies as treasure, enabling more newly discovered artifacts to be acquired by museums and put on public display. The move aims to deepen people’s understanding of the country’s history by making it easier for museums to acquire and preserve significant historical finds.
Under the current definition, newly discovered artifacts can only be legally classified as treasures if they are over 300 years old and are part of a collection of precious metals or valuable items or artifacts. However, the new definition will apply to most extraordinary finds that are more than 200 years old – regardless of the type of metal they are made from – as long as they provide significant insight into the country’s heritage. This includes rare items, which provide special insight into a particular person or event, or which may shed new light on important regional history.
The change was prompted by a number of recent discoveries that fell outside the scope of the Treasure Act. These include spectacular Roman finds such as the Redel Hoard, now in York Museum, and the Birus Britannicus statue, displayed at Chelmsford City Museum. While these artifacts were acquired by museums, the new definition will make it easier for them to do so in the future.
Treasures that meet the new criteria will be detected by a coroner and go through a formal process in which they can be acquired by a museum and displayed for public viewing. The reform of the Act will also update its code of practice to acknowledge the fundamental role of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, managed by the British Museum in England, to ensure the successful operation of the Act.
The British Museum has welcomed the extension of the Treasure Act, stating that it will ensure museums across the country have the opportunity to acquire more finds of archaeological significance. The Code of Practice of the Act will be revised in order to recognize the essential role played by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (administered by the British Museum in England) in ensuring the successful enforcement of the Act.
The changes have been well received by the metal detecting community, who are responsible for reporting the majority of archaeological finds to the relevant authorities. Each year, over 96% of all archaeological finds reported by the public come from the detecting community resulting in many amazing new finds in museums.
The new definition would mean that future discoveries of objects made of non-precious metals, such as the Bronze Age Rudham Dirk, a ceremonial dagger displayed at Norwich Museum Castle, could be classified as treasure. Other finds, such as the Roman Crosby Garrett helmet, which sold for £2.3 million at auction in 2010 after being discovered by a metal detectorist, have been lost to the public. A private buyer bypassed several museums to acquire the artifact.
The extension of the legal definition of treasure will enable more important archaeological discoveries to be acquired by museums and put on public display. This move will deepen people’s understanding of the country’s history and ensure that future generations can study, admire and enjoy significant artifacts for years to come.
Source: Gov[Dot]UK
