PURE GOLD: BURIED TREASURE FOUND NEAR BRIGG IS NOW ONE IN A MILLION

Buried treasure found near Brigg is literally one in a million, North Lincolnshire Council has revealed.
This local find was a bangle fashioned from pure gold during the Bronze Age, which ran from 3300 BC to 1200 BC.
The decorative item would have belonged to someone of real importance.
The finder of the bangle waived his or her right to a reward, and it was later acquired by the council's museum in Scunthorpe.

FROM NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL

A national register to record discoveries of ‘buried treasure’ has reached one million finds - with the millionth being recorded at North Lincolnshire Museum.
The Portable Antiquities Scheme records archaeological finds often discovered by metal detectorists.
Finds have included pots of Roman coins and precious jewellery, including part of a pure gold Bronze Age bangle discovered near Brigg.
In this case the landowner waived their right to a reward, enabling North Lincolnshire Museum to acquire the bangle at a reduced cost.
Run by The British Museum and local partners, the scheme has announced its millionth find – a copper-alloy medieval harness pendant found at Binbook, near Market Rasen.
It was recorded by the Northern Lincolnshire Finds Liaison Officer based at North Lincolnshire Museum.
The pendant would have been attached to a horse’s harness and may have had a heraldic device on it showing who owned the horse or employed the rider.
During 2020, 49,045 archaeological items, including more than 1,000 treasure finds, were discovered in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Arts Minister, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, said: "Human beings have been fascinated by treasure from previous generations for centuries and these new statistics show the search for, and engagement with it, still captivates us today.
“I'm delighted that one million records of archaeological finds made by the public have now been logged. It shows the important role we all can play in protecting and cherishing our heritage.”
Thousands of archaeological objects are discovered every year, and if they are recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme they can help archaeologists understand when, where and how people lived in the past.
Anyone who finds something that could officially be deemed treasure under the Treasure Act 1996 has to report it to the local coroner via the local Finds Liaison Officer.
Museums can then acquire the object, and a reward is usually shared equally between the finder and the landowner.
If they waive their right to a reward it enables the museum to acquire the treasure at a reduced or no cost, as was the case with the Brigg gold bangle, which would have been worn by someone of high importance as much as 3,000 years ago.

PICTURED: Above - Part of the Bronze Age gold bangle found near Brigg and registered with the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Below - A Medieval harness pendant, the millionth find in the national Portable Antiquities Scheme, which was recorded at North Lincolnshire Museum. Image credit: North Lincolnshire Council.

N.F. ADDS: Although not really treasure, many interesting finds have been made in Brigg which tell us about the past, including  clay pipes, pottery and alley bottles. On a larger scale is the prehistoric Brigg Boat (or Brigg Raft) which became a centre-piece at Brigg Heritage Centre, in the Angel building. Another ancient boat was taken to a museum in Hull but perished during a Second World War bombing raid by the German Luftwaffe. A few months ago we suggested that some interesting items might be present under the Old Courts Road car park, formerly the site of old domestic properties that stood on various courtyards.