Portable Antiquities Scheme

The Finds Liaison Officers (FLOs) for Lancashire and Cumbria are Theodore Muscillo and Alex Whitlock.

You can contact the FLOs at finds@lancashire.gov.uk.

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The FLO works to identify and record archaeological objects found by members of the public, as part of the Portable Antiquities Scheme. The records are publicly available on the Portable Antiquities Scheme website, and are used by researchers and local heritage groups. We are based in Lancashire County Council’s Museum Service.

FLOs are interested in seeing all archaeological objects and coins that you have found, but need to be selective in what they record. Finds of potential Treasure must be reported by law under the Treasure Act 1996. The definition of Treasure can be found here.

You can report a find by email, or at one of our Finds Days (listed below). Please note that we often need to see a find in person in order to fully record it.

If you are reporting a find by email, please make sure you include:

·      The findspot, in the form of either a National Grid Reference (6 figures or better) or what.three.words location.

·       Photographs of both the front and back of the object that are well-lit and in focus. These should also include a scale, such as a ruler, and be against a plain white or black background.

·       The weight of the object in grams, and ideally the other dimensions (length/width/thickness/diameter) in centimetres

Hoards

If you are reporting a scattered hoard, please include findspots for the different objects where possible.

If you find an in situ hoard (a hoard that has not been scattered), stop excavation and call one of the FLOs for advice.

You can arrange to meet with us at our offices in Preston, or come to a Finds Day.

Finds Days

These are events where you can bring your finds to a FLO at a local venue. We will try to identify them and give you some information, and may ask to borrow the finds for recording.

See our upcoming Finds Days

We are happy to talk to students who are using PAS data for school or university projects. Our availability varies, and so we recommend contacting us in good time.