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What is the Portable Antiquities Scheme?
The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is a voluntary scheme established in 1997 to identify and record archaeological items found by the public.
Who is FLO?
FLO stands for Finds Liaison Officer.
Since December 2003 the counties of Herefordshire and Shropshire have been covered by a new FLO: Peter Reavill.
Peter has been working as a professional archaeologist for the past six years. He has been involved in a number of excavations and research projects. He has also worked within several community projects and organised metal detector surveys.
Peter has a special interest in the Prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon periods.
What types of finds does the PAS record?
We are interested in everything you find, whether it is made of metal, pottery, bone, or stone. We will record all objects made before 1650. However, we may be selective in recording details of artefacts from later periods.
click on the link below to view the recent finds that have been reported.
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What Information will the FLO record about my find?
We would like to record a detailed description of each object, including its weight and dimensions. We would also like to take photographs of many of the objects. We will give you copies of the report and any images that we take.
To record the artefact to this level of accuracy the FLO will usually need to take the item away for further study. If you allow Peter to do this, your find / finds will usually be returned to you in eight weeks (although it may take longer depending on what your find is). You will be issued with a receipt for any items you leave for identification.
What information do we require from you?
There are a number of crucial pieces of information that are needed when recording any archaeological find for the PAS.
1) Where it was found: This information is important so that a picture of the history of the area can be built up over time. The best way of recording this information is using either GPS or a map and taking a National Grid Reference (NGR) to at least 6 figures. The information you provide will be kept confidential and will only be published to a NGR of 4 figures (accuracy to one kilometre square). Sensitive finds will only be published at a parish or district level. If you need help with taking grid references or you would like more information about find spots and confidentiality issues then contact Peter.
2) How it was found: We would like to know how you found it, whether it was out walking, using a metal detector, gardening ... Also we would like to know what type of land you found it on, for example whether in the garden, on a ploughed field, or by a river.
3) How to contact you: Ideally we would like to know, your name, your address and postcode, a telephone number, and an email address (if you have one). This information will be kept confidential and is covered by The Data Protection Act (1984) and The Freedom of Information Act (2000).