Kerrie Hoffman, Finds Liaison Assistant with the Portable Antiquities Scheme, talks about her experience as an intern.

I am now two months into my Internship with The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) at The Yorkshire Museum. I work with Rebecca Griffiths who is the Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) for North and East Yorkshire, and have already learnt a great deal about what the job entails. We are the first point of contact for members of the public who wish to record archaeological objects they have found, through metal detecting, gardening, or walking.

In The Office – 50^th Find

On my first day in the office I was presented with a tray of finds and my task was to research each one and produce an online record. This tray included weights, brooches, coins and a lovely fragment of a Roman glass bracelet. Each object is given a unique reference number on the PAS online database. The bracelet record can be seen here: YORYM-6EC79C.

We record such a variety of finds that each new object is a challenge. I recently recorded my 50^th object on the Database which was the vibrant blue Roman Melon bead in the picture below. It dates from 50-200AD and gets its name from its ‘melon’ shape. These beads were most likely introduced to Britain after the 43AD conquest and were common during the Roman period. They are often large and robust, so you are likely to see melon beads in museums on your travels. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of recording finds for me is discovering how each object was used.

A key part of the job is documenting findspot information for each object to at least a 6 figure grid reference. Without a findspot an object loses much of its archaeological value and tells us nothing or little about how, when and where people lived in the past. We also work with finders to share and encourage best practice.

Finds Days and Club Meetings

As a Finds Liaison Assistant I also help with Finds Days and Metal Detectorist Club Meetings. Below is a picture of me at my first Finds Day at the Hull and East Riding Museum. After setting up we awaited our first finder. Public engagement is a key part of the job, and one which I thoroughly enjoy. We saw a large variety of objects from many different people and took in a selection for recording. Although I was apprehensive at first the Finds Days I have attended so far have been brilliant and I am now more confident in identifying objects. Club meetings are just as rewarding, we get to keep in touch with detectorists and discover the groups find of the month!

Finds Days at The Yorkshire Museum are every two months, the next is Friday 4^th December from 10am until 1pm. If you have anything you are curious about bring it in and we will have a look. We will identify as much as we can, and ask to keep hold of objects which are over 300 years old to record, including where they were found. GPS is brilliant, but we do also have a map for you to locate the findspot.

What Next?

I am enjoying being a part of the team, and expect to learn a lot more. I will be giving a curators talk at The Yorkshire Museum on Tuesday 3^rd November at 12.30 entitled ‘Favourite Finds of PAS’ where you can see some of the objects I have been recording. We also have plans to create a display about the PAS next year. Throughout the rest of my internship I will also be expanding my finds knowledge, enjoying public engagement, and writing more blogs!