The Portable Antiquities Scheme is the largest community archaeology project this country has ever seen. It was established in 1997 to encourage the voluntary recording of archaeological objects found by the public in England and Wales.
Every year many thousands of archaeological objects are discovered, many by metal-detector users, but also by people out walking, gardening or going about their daily work. These objects - if properly recorded - offer an important and irreplaceable source for understanding our past.
At its heart are the Scheme's Finds Liaison Officers, who offer a proactive and comprehensive mechanism for systematically recording such finds for public benefit. The data recorded - itself an important educational resource - is published on the Scheme's website:
www.finds.org.uk allowing public access to over 60,000 records and over 19,000 images of finds, as diverse as prehistoric flints to post-medieval buckles.
The Scheme is managed by the British Museum on the MLA's behalf, working in partnership with some 63 national, local authority and university organisations.