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Sunday 20th Feb – Countryfile – Metal Detectors
Without the amateur treasure hunters who scour the countryside using metal detectors, much of our precious history would lay buried beneath our feet.
Only two years ago, the UK’s largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure was discovered in a field in Staffordshire – three thousand gold and silver pieces dating back some fourteen hundred years. The Staffordshire Hoard is the most valuable find on British soil – worth more than £3 million. It’s now on public display so everyone can appreciate it.
Only two years ago, the UK’s largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure was discovered in a field in Staffordshire – three thousand gold and silver pieces dating back some fourteen hundred years. The Staffordshire Hoard is the most valuable find on British soil – worth more than £3 million. It’s now on public display so everyone can appreciate it.
But there are real concerns that unscrupulous treasure hunters who break the rules are destroying our heritage. The government’s conservation agency, English Heritage, is calling for a crackdown on all kinds of heritage crime. It warns that although the threat to archaeological items is high from illegal metal detecting, arrest or prosecution remains low.
John Craven finds out what the discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard meant for the treasure hunter who hit the jackpot – and for the farmer who owned the land. He also meets Time Team presenter Tony Robinson who believes unscrupulous treasure hunters are literally stealing our history – and also discovers how to use a metal detector responsibly.
Available to view at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00z0js2#synopsis
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