LANCASHIRE, UK - Treasure hunting in Lancashire and the surrounding Blackburn with Darwen area surged by 50% last year, mirroring a national rise in such discoveries across England and Wales. According to recent statistics released by the Ministry of Justice, the region reported nine significant finds in 2023, up from six the previous year.

This increase is part of a broader trend, as metal detecting gains popularity, with England and Wales reporting a record 1,219 treasure discoveries to coroners in 2023, marking a 12% rise from 2022. These figures represent the highest recorded since the initiation of the Treasure Act in 1997, which initially saw only 54 finds.

The Ministry attributes the growth in discoveries to a rise in metal-detecting enthusiasts, a hobby that has seen increased interest particularly post-pandemic. However, with this rise comes a caution from the Detectorist Institute and Foundation about the need for careful excavation. Mishandling can lead to reduced valuations by the Treasure Valuation Committee and potential damage to the archaeological integrity of the items.

Keith Westcott, the founder of the institute, emphasized the educational value of these finds. "Handled properly, treasure finds can offer invaluable insights into historical lifestyles, sometimes preserving organic materials like leather that are crucial for archaeological studies," he said.

The Ministry also noted that treasure finds vary regionally, likely influenced by geographic and historical factors. In 2023, the North West alone saw 45 finds, up from 33 the previous year.

Significant changes to the definition of treasure were also implemented in July of the previous year. The new criteria now consider items over 200 years old as treasure if they offer significant insights into British heritage, a change from the earlier requirement of being over 300 years old and made of precious metals or related to valuable collections.