So-called Crosby Garrett Helmet six years on

It is reported that the helmet, visor and detached griffin were found in May 2010 in pastureland on a farm owned by Eric Robinson at Crosby Garrett in Cumbria. There was a lot of controversy about its discovery, the reported findspot, the restoration, sale and lack of transparency about its current secret location in private hands.

The Crosby Garrett Helmet on auction
at Christie's, London, on 7 October 2010.
Photo by Daniel Pett.

At the time, several archaeological bodies assured us that they would be pressing for Treasure Act reform as a result of the way events unfoleded around this iconic case. As we can see, that never happened. In fact in the succeeding six years all that has happened is that the PAS has entered a stage of decline which will probably lead to its collapse or crippling in the next few years.