介绍： Hitting the jackpot: Hitting the jackpot
Looking for treasure? Go to Norfolk
From The Economist 20161112

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BRITAIN is turning into a nation of treasure hunters. In both 2014 and 2015 there were over 1,000 reported “treasure finds”, the most since records began. (The figures exclude Scotlan...

介绍： Hitting the jackpot: Hitting the jackpot
Looking for treasure? Go to Norfolk
From The Economist 20161112

Audio:

0:00




BRITAIN is turning into a nation of treasure hunters. In both 2014 and 2015 there were over 1,000 reported “treasure finds”, the most since records began. (The figures exclude Scotland, which keeps track of its own loot.) Two-thirds of the finds dated from before 1500, including a smattering from the Bronze Age. The rise in the number of discoveries reflects a growing interest in tramping around in muddy fields with metal detectors. But legal changes may also be playing a part.

Not all regions of Britain are equally well endowed with treasure, whose complex legal definition refers to a find’s age, size and metallic composition. Norfolk has long been the place to look: in 2012-15 it accounted for a tenth of all English finds. There are rich pickings in other eastern counties, too (see map). Built-up areas are less bountiful: last year Greater Manchester saw just one discovery of treasure.

It is not surprising that Norfolkians strike gold so often. The county’s proximity to Europe made it a centre of economic activity long ago. The Domesday Book, a survey of 11th-century England, suggests that south-east Norfolk was the most densely populated part of the country. And today, Norfolk is twice as dependent on agriculture as the average. As fields are regularly churned up by farmers, so the chance of a find rises.


One reason for the increase in discoveries is a rise in the popularity of treasure hunting. A BBC comedy, “The Detectorists”, has helped to raise the profile of the hobby. Sales of metal detectors, which are responsible for most finds, are rising. Bill Wyman, a former member of the Rolling Stones and keen treasure-seeker, has launched his own brand of detector.

But the law may be another factor. The 1996 Treasure Act codified the rules regarding who keeps the spoils when treasure is discovered. Previously, the Crown claimed finds of gold and silver that were presumed to have been deliberately buried (in ancient graves, for instance). Artefacts presumed lost by their previous owner, meanwhile, could escape the government’s clutches. The new law demands stricter reporting of discoveries. Roger Bland, formerly of the British Museum, has shown that following the introduction of the Treasure Act the number of recorded finds rose.

“Nighthawkers”, who hunt treasure illegally on others’ land, face strict penalties. In 2010 a woman who had found a 14th-century coin in her own garden was prosecuted after failing to report her discovery to the authorities, though her conviction was later overturned. More treasure than ever is being unearthed, but finding it is no way to get rich.

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