The European Finds Public Finds Recording Network and the Portable Antiquities Scheme have announced the details of their joint conference, to be held on Tuesday 2 June 2026 at the Society of Antiquaries of London. Tickets and venue details are available online on the Society’s website:
The programme is below, and features talks from scholars and practitioners throughout Europe. We hope to see many of you there!
Timetable
10:00–10:25 – Registration
10:25 – Welcome – Prof Michael Lewis (British Museum, England) and Prof Suzie Thomas (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
10:30: Session 1 – Roman and Early Medieval Europe
Chair: Suzie Thomas
10:30–10:50: Prof Hella Eckhardt (University of Reading, England): Interpreting Roman Finds in Rivers: challenges and opportunities with public and published data
10:50–11:10: Dr Matthew Ball (British Museum, England): How Public Finds of Coins Reveal a Very Different Roman Britain.
11:10–11:30: Mats Skare (University of Bergen, Norway): Illuminating the "Dark Ages" (with auspicious beeps): reconsidering AD 550–750/800 in Norway through metal detector finds.
11:30–11:45: Questions/Discussion
11:45–12:15 Coffee/Tea Break
12:15: Session 2 – Quickfire papers – Systems and approaches to recording
Chair: Dr John Naylor (Portable Antiquities Scheme, Ashmolean Museum, England)
12:15–12:25 – David Arnold (Petition Bavarian Treasure Trove, Germany) – Pragmatic approaches to Heritage Protection Law in Bavaria
12:25–12:35 – Emily Freeman (Treasure Trove Unit, Scotland) – Opening the filing cabinet: Making Treasure Trove Scotland’s data accessible.
12:35–12:45 – Rikke Sogaard (Independent Scholar, Denmark) – Variation within Denmark’s Public Finds System
12:45–12:55 – Dr Jakub Sawicki (Czech Academy of Sciences, Czechia): The Thing That Should(n't) Be? Metal-detecting in Poland and its impact on knowledge of medieval material culture.
12:55–13:15 Questions
13:15–14:00 Lunch – provided
14:00: Session 3 – Medieval and later Europe
Chair: Michael Lewis
14:00–14:20: Dr Robert Webley (University of Reading, England): The Medieval Ritual Landscape: perspectives on lived religion through metal-detected finds.
14:20–14:40: Prof Oliver Creighton (University of Exeter, England) & Dr Duncan Wright (Newcastle University, England): Portable Antiquities Scheme Perspectives on Medieval Elite and Military Landscapes: the ‘Warhorse’ and ‘Where Power Lies’ projects.
14:40–15:00 Dr Annemarieke Willemsen (National Museum of Antiquities, Netherlands): The Commoner’s Silver: from small base metal finds of dress accessories to late-medieval fashion and identity.
15:00–15:15 Questions/discussion
15:15–15:30: Comfort Break
15:30: Session 4 - Quickfire papers B
Chair: Dr Adam Daubney (Portable Antiquities Scheme, North Lincolnshire, England)
15:30–15:40 - Philip MacDonald – A carved stone head from Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland
15:40–15:50 – Jo Ahmet (Museum of London Archaeology, England) – There and back again – the Waterford knife and circular nature of Discovery – Research – Publication
15:50–16:00 – Dr Andrew Richardson (Portable Antiquities Scheme, Kent, England) – The Lynsted Pressblech Die: the significance of a new find from the Kingdom of Kent
16:00–16:10 – Dr Tuuli Kurisoo (University of Tallin, Estonia): How Metal-Detected Finds Have Contributed to Estonian Prehistory.
16:10–16:25 – Questions
16:25–16:30: Closing remarks and thanks – Ian Richardson (Portable Antiquities Scheme, British Museum, England)
16:30: Refreshments, Reception