Hoard at Detectival

[JBM]

I wonder what lies historically behind behind this massive hoard.

Located thanks to responsible metal detecting.

Jerry.

[swiftnick]

WOW but not sure about all the metal trowels scraping away.

[THE-DETECTORIST]

Me neither nick. That excavation was a Complete shambles! Well done the finders on an amazing find but WOW somebody IS for the high jump when MOLAS get there!

[THE-DETECTORIST]

Not one Brush being used just metal trowels being used by people who are NOT archaeologists (or trained to use one)! Anybody involved with that excavation should be reprimanded!

No wonder they’re trying to shut us down!

[dig-it-pete]

I have to say that I am not at all sure that having live video from a hoard site is a good thing for the hobby - some of the behaviour by a few was not at all pleasant to watch - some just seemed to be like 'Treasure Hunters' rather than true detectorists? Just my opinion and I am sure others will disagree.

[lee greagsbey]

I have to say that I am not at all sure that having live video from a hoard site is a good thing for the hobby - some of the behaviour by a few was not at all pleasant to watch - some just seemed to be like 'Treasure Hunters' rather than true detectorists? Just my opinion and I am sure others will disagree.

I see some clips of the frenzy and couldn't watch anymore to be honest, I agree with you Pete....

[littleboot]

Of course people get excited. So lets try not to get po-faced about this.
This a hoard...it isn't a saxon ship burial and therefore unlikely to have much 'context'. That tends to be the whole point of a hoard. Context would make it easily stumbled upon.
So they are going in with metal trowels. So? These are coins people. Loads of them. Sometimes I think metal detectorists have absorbed a lot of ideas from archeologists that are not always relevant. They are academics and see things differently. Like all scientists that can be a tad one-dimensional and obsessive. Its hardly possible to extract a hoard of this size with toothpicks and brushes. Days would become weeks. And the possibility of the site being nighthawked would go through the roof.
After seeing the digging of Richard III (allegedly) in that carpark I don't find anything in this video to be ashamed about. That was a supposed King of England and as I recall the excavation was a shambles. Poor blokes head had a mattock through it and it was moved out of position and then shoved back. His legs were dragged by a mechanical digger. All most unseemly...but it wasn't the public doing it, and it wasn't 'treasure' so that was OK, apparently.

I also don't understand why these guys shouldn't look like 'treasure hunters'....as if THAT is something to be ashamed of. Why? Are we supposed to do that affected Archie thing where we ignore the gold and silver as unimportant bling and focus, instead, on the crumby bits of pottery? (Because it IS affected nonsense in many cases.) This IS treasure. Not be accident but by design. It was deposited as someone's treasure. That's it. It was a stash which, no doubt, was intended to be recovered and used. Now it has. Bit of a gap between but still, the treasure will provide a better future, more options, more opportunity, to the finders and their loved ones. Bonza. I like to think the person or persons who deposited this wealth would understand that and appreciate it a whole lot more than it being some academic and passionless excavation using string lines, measuring sticks and the rest of it. Save that for excavating wattle and daub and post holes.

[dig-it-pete]

Thanks for your input littleboot. I think it is good to have all opinions on this forum. I am not saying that the Detectival hoard removal was not organised well, I am sure it was. To me it just did not come over well on the video.

We are just about to have big changes to our Treasure act here as you know and not sure what the outcome will be.

I have always disliked the word 'treasure' especially when the media use it to label us all with when anything of value is found by a detectorist. I am not a treasure hunter and never will be, I am a detectorist. Others will have different views and that is great. Let's hear them please.

[the-roman]

It's always exciting when a hoard is discovered and everyone loves to be able to see it and, if possible, enjoy the rare experience of either seeing or joining in on the recovery. It was not a deep hoard but rather a scattered shallow one so how these coins were never discovered during the ploughing process I will never know. Of course it is treasure and rightly described as such as finds like these will always show us as treasure hunters weather we are or not. after all, is this not the pinnacle of metal detecting?

[littleboot]

It seems that people can chill. The whole thing was supervised by an independent expert who is an ex-Flo and was in contact with the current flo. It looked chaotic, he said, but actually it wasn't. The soil was removed in structured stages by the JCB and again supervised. People tend to get noisy and boisterous when exciting things happen. It shouldn't be conflated with a free-for-all because it clearly wasn't. So maybe we can simply relax and enjoy, vicariously, seeing something wonderful emerge. A great story.

I'll tell you what though, its not just the finders who struck gold....every organiser of paid digs and rallies in the country will be rubbing their hands.

[swiftnick]

Sorry if i took the shine of a wonderfull discovery, I just found myself thinking i would not be a happy bunny if it was me who found the hoard with gold coins which we all know will scatch very easy .
I understand it would be very time consuming to use tooth brushes , But scaping at the soil with metal trowels is not the way in my opinion.

[lee greagsbey]

The whole thing was supervised by an independent expert who is an ex-Flo

Would that be Alex Bliss?

[Euan]

Full Video

Click Here

[the-roman]

Absolutely amazing thanks for posting Euan mate

[yeti]

I was lucky enough to get to see the hoard being recovered over the weekend and I can assure you everything was above board. Anni the Oxfordshire flo was in charge of the dig and a lot of care was taken around the location of the pot and the coins there were left in situ only gently brushed with toothbrushes until it was grided before removal. The other area where the detectorists were was the scatter area and Alex etc were making sure they did not go too deep.the coins were actually spread over quite a wide area and were still turning up in the area where the top soil had not been removed.Not once did I see anything that concerned me while I was there so well done to the finders and all those who helped with the recovery dig