Working with the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS)

Without responsible intervention all the artefacts we find over the course of a project would otherwise have remained degrading and corroding in the ground.  Modern fertilisers and the vagaries of the weather and the plough are very aggresive towards these artefacts.  In time all that will be left of metallic objects would be a tell-tale stain in the soil, at which point all the history and information that they can infer is lost forever.  Effectively therefore what we do can be considered as rescue archaeology. 

The Sussex Pastfinders record all our eligible finds (over 300 years old) with the Portable Antiquities Scheme.  This is a voluntary scheme for the recording of archaeological objects found by the public.  The PAS is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).  The scheme aims to promote the recording of archaeological objects and raise public awareness of our past. 

The scheme hinges around a group of Finds Liaison Officers (FLO's) who network with the public to identify and record finds.  All qualifying finds are recorded on the National database.  If you would like to view the database click here

For every significant Pastfinders project that is carried out, a full search report is produced. Examples of which can be seen on the Projects Report menu page.