Nearly 80,000 archaeological discoveries were recorded by members of the public in 2024, marking a new all-time high.
The British Museum, which runs the Portable Antiquities Scheme in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru–National Museum Wales, announced this week that metal detectorists accounted for 94% of the 79,616 items reported.
Highlights include a hoard of 179 coins uncovered in York, thought to have been buried shortly before the Battle of Hastings, as well as a rare Roman carriage found in Essex.
The coin hoard is especially significant because it dates to 1066 and the brief reign of King Harold II. That year, Harold defeated the Norwegian forces led by Harald Hardrada in Yorkshire before later being killed at the Battle of Hastings. Yorkshire also recorded the highest number of finds overall, with 109 discoveries made during the year.
