Treasure finds in England have Again Hit a Record High (General Rejoicing at Increased Scale of Destruction)

As the BBC reaches a new low with the resignation of its officials over fake news scandal, more tendentious reporting:

                                                                        

 Treasure finds in England have hit a record high BBC

 Provisional government figures recorded by the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme show 1,446 discoveries in England in 2024 - up from 1,266 the previous year. [...] Many are uncovered by metal detectorists like Emma Youell, who estimates she has found thousands of artefacts and describes herself as a "massive history nerd".[...] For the first time, the 2024 finds include two objects that meet a new definition of treasure. Previously treasure had to be at least 300 years old and made in part of precious metal such as gold or silver, or part of a hoard. From July 2023, this was expanded to objects at least 200 years old and deemed to be of outstanding historical, archaeological or cultural significance, regardless of what type of metal they are made from.

So, a small army of "nerds" each taking "thousands of artefacts" in 12 years from unrecorded and thereby destroyed archaeological contexts is of course doing the archaeological record [sarcastic font on] "no end of good" [sarcastic font off]. A hundred and eighty Treasure finds more than last year? 

"Dr Geake believes treasure finds have been rising in England because there are now more detectorists" 

And by how many has the number of people taking up the hobby increased in the same period?

 

ONLY AVAILABLE HERE: 

Britain's 'Treasure Blip' PACHI Sunday, 12 January 2020

'Treasure Trace: Why does it go Wibble-wobble-blip?' PACHI Tuesday, 14 January 2020.

'Britain's Wibby-Wobbly Treasure Results' PACHI Tuesday, 17 March 2020

'PAS Statistics For 2020. Cause for Concern?' PACHI Wednesday, 15 December 2021

'UK Local Newspaper Thinks it's Great that the Country's Archaeological Record is being Dismembered by Treasure Hunters' PACHI Sunday, 29 May 2022

 

'2022 Treasure Figures and an Update on The Treasure Blip', PACHI  Saturday, 27 January 2024 

'When Are British Archaeologists Going to Start Taking This Seriously?' PACHI Sunday, 2 March 2025

Provisional graphic representation of situation, but who cares, eh?