Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: December 2025

Chris Stringer (@ChrisStringer65) on Twitter Dec 2, 2025 Astonishing collection of >4000 Neolithic artefacts that artist Ai WeiWei collected from street markets in China (@DesignMuseum 2023).

Abbreviations used in this blog

"coiney" - a term I use for private collector of dug up ancient coins, particularly a member of the Moneta-L forum or the ACCG
"heap-of-artefacts-on-a-table-collecting" the term rather speaks for itself, an accumulation of loose artefacts with no attempt to link each item with documented origins. Most often used to refer to metal detectorists (ice-cream tubs-full) and ancient coin collectors (Roman coins sold in aggregated bulk lots)
"tekkie" - metal detectorist/metal detecting (a form of artefact hunting)
ACCG - Ancient Coin Collectors' (sic) Guild
CBA - Council for British Archaeology [UK]
CCPIA (CPIA) - (Convention on) Cultural Property Implementation Act [US legislation]
CDE - Collection-Driven Exploitation of archaeological sites
CPAC - Cultural Property Advisory Committee [US]
FLO - Finds Liaison Officer (post in the PAS)
HER - Historic Environment Record [UK]
IAPN - International Association of Professional Numismatists
MENA - Middle East and North Africa
PAS - Portable Antiquities Scheme
PNG - Professional Numismatists' Guild
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNESCO 1970 Convention - Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property

Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues