Britain's Secret Treasures

Britain's Secret Treasures is a British documentary shown on ITV hosted by Michael Buerk and Bettany Hughes.[1] The programme features fifty archaeological discoveries that have been made in England, Wales and Scotland by members of the public.[2][3] With the exception of a single find made in Scotland, all the objects featured were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS). Since the PAS was set up in 1997, some 800,000 objects have been registered with the scheme, many of them discovered by amateur metal detectorists.[4]

Britain's Secret Treasures
Ralph Jackson (Curator of Romano-British Collections at the British Museum) and Bettany Hughes during filming at the British Museum
GenreDocumentary
Created byMichael Kelpie and Ed Taylor
Presented by
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes14
Production
Executive producersMichael Kelpie, Ed Taylor
Running time30–60 mins
Production companyITV Studios
Release
Original networkITV, STV, UTV
Picture format16:9 (HDTV)
Original release16 July 2012 (2012-07-16) –
present (present)
External links
Website

The fifty finds have been selected by Hughes and a panel of experts from the British Museum (Roger Bland, Michael Lewis, Sally Worrell and Ian Richardson) and the Council for British Archaeology (Mike Heyworth) from among the nearly one million finds reported to the PAS on the basis of their historical and cultural significance, as well as on their aesthetic merit.[5] The six episodes of Britain's Secret Treasures present the fifty objects in reverse order according to their importance as judged by the panel, in a countdown format, with the ten most important objects revealed during the sixth and final episode.[4][6]

Taking the top slot in the countdown, as the most important object according to the panel, is a Lower Paleolithic flint handaxe made more than half a million years ago that was found on a beach in Happisburgh, Norfolk, in 2000 by a man taking his dog for a walk.[7]

Episodes

Series 1
EpisodeAir DateContributorsObjects
116 July 2012John McCarthy
Saul David		45–50[8]
217 July 2012Michael Portillo
Nicky Clarke
Mary Ann Ochota
Claire Barratt		38–44[9]
318 July 2012Michael Portillo
John McCarthy
John Sergeant		27–37[10]
419 July 2012Dave Crisp (finder of the Frome Hoard)
Brian Blessed
Mary Ann Ochota
Gethin Jones		19–26[11]
520 July 2012Dan Lobb
Mary Ann Ochota
Anita Rani
Jon Culshaw		11–18[12]
622 July 2012William Roache
Michael Portillo		1–10[13]

Series 2
EpisodeAir DateContributorsObjects
117 October 2013[14]Mary Ann Ochota
James Purefoy
224 October 2013Jim Moir
Tom Holland
Tanni Grey-Thompson
331 October 2013Russell Grant
Tony Baker
Thomas Littleton
Suzannah Lipscomb
47 November 2013
514 November 2013John Prescott
Mary Ann Ochota
Suzannah Lipscomb
621 November 2013Mariella Frostrup
Ekow Eshun
Suzannah Lipscomb
728 November 2013
85 December 2013Katherine Jenkins
Mary Ann Ochota

List of objects
NumberImageObjectDateWhere FoundWhen FoundPAS Record
1Happisburgh Handaxe800,000 – 600,000 BCHappisburgh, Norfolk2000NMS-ECAA52
2Ringlemere Gold Cup1700–1500 BCRinglemere barrow, Kent2001PAS-BE40C2
3Staffordshire Hoard550–650Hammerwich, Staffordshire2009WMID-0B5416
4Chalgrove Hoard251–279Chalgrove, Oxfordshire2003PAS-879F02
5Boar Badge of Richard III1470–1485Sheepy, Leicestershire2009LEIC-A6C834
6Hallaton Hoardc. 400Hallaton, Leicestershire2000PAS-984616
7Staffordshire Moorlands Pan100–199Staffordshire Moorlands, Staffordshire2003WMID-3FE965
8Baldehilde Seal600–700Broadland, Norfolk1999PAS-8709C3
9Crosby Garrett Helmet75–250Crosby Garrett, Cumbria2010LANCUM-E48D73
10Vale of York Hoardc. 928Harrogate, North Yorkshire2007SWYOR-AECB53
11Near Lewes Hoard1500–1100 BCLewes, East Sussex2011SUSS-C5D042
12Blair Drummond Hoard300–100 BCBlair Drummond, Stirlingshire2009N/A
13North West Essex Ring580–650Uttlesford, Essex2011ESS-E396B1
14Ashwell Hoard250–350Baldock, Hertfordhire2002PAS-9708E3
15Winchester Hoardc. 100 BCWinchester, Hampshire2000PAS-845331
16Carlton-in-Lindrick knight1150–1250Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire2004SWYOR-D37EE5
17Seal Matrix of Stone Priory1200–1300Weybridge, Surrey2011SUR-B74173
18Silverdale Hoard900–910Silverdale, Lancashire2011LANCUM-65C1B4
19Leopard Cup1–99Llantilio Pertholey, Monmouthshire2002NMGW-9A9D16
20Tisbury Hoard800–600 BCTisbury, Wiltshire2011WILT-E8DA70
21Saltfleetby Spindle Whorl1000–1100Saltfleetby, Lincolnshire2010LIN-D92A22
22Milton Keynes Hoard1150–750 BCMilton Keynes, Buckinghamshire2000PAS-833958
23Nether Stowey Hoardc. 1633Nether Stowey, Somerset2008SOM-849CA3
24Marcus Aurelius Bust100–200Brackley, Northamptonshire1976BERK-E24C84
25Frome Hoardc. 293Frome, Somerset2009SOM-5B9453
26River Stour Pilgrims' Badges1300–1500Canterbury, Kent?PAS-B1BD65
27French Forgeries1711Bishops Waltham, Hampshire2010HAMP-E4E185
28Holderness Cross600–650Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire1965YORYM214
29West Yorkshire Hoard900–1000Leeds, West Yorkshire2008–2009SWYOR-F86A02
SWYOR-3B5652
30Sedgeford Hoardc. 100 BCSedgeford, Norfolk2003PAS-B1F065
31Witch Bottle1820–1880Navenby, Lincolnshire2003LIN-49FC12
32Hackney Hoard1854–1913Hackney, London2007PAS-867115
33Llanbedrgoch Viking Finds600–1000Llanbedrgoch, Anglesey2007NMGW-C5EE45
34Billingford Amulet43–200Billingford, Breckland, Norfolk2003NMS-7BEED8
35Durham Assemblage90–400Piercebridge, County Durham1986–2002NCL-2C40A4
FAPJW-AB59E5
36Langstone Hoard25–75Ringland, Newport2007NMGW-9C0216
37Anarevito Gold Stater10 BC – AD 20Dover, Kent2010FASAM-FCD3A2
38Hoard of Spanish-American Doubloons1790–1801North Kesteven, Lincolnshire2010–2011LIN-55BFE7
39Beddingham Nose1500–1700Beddingham, East Sussex2009SUSS-05BC17
40Putney Brothel Token27 BC – 37 ADPutney, London2011LON-E98F21
41Cloth Seals from Durham1550–1650Elvet, Durham, County Durham2008PUBLIC-9B0430
42Cautopates Figurine43–307Newton Kyme, North Yorkshire2007SWYOR-9FCBB3
43Tanworth Comb25–70Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire2006WAW-250340
44Rochester Cuff-link1660–1700Rochester, Kent2001BM-CAA2C7
45First World War Medal1919Limpsfield, Surrey2009SUR-5ADA50
46Sedgeford Torcc.200 BCSedgeford, Norfolk2004PAS-F070D5
47Pitminster Toy Cannon1700–1750Pitminster, Somerset2003SOM-D20D91
48Epsom Harness Boss1603–1664Epsom, Surrey2009SUR-23EF78
49Hockley Pendant1500–1550Hockley, Essex2009ESS-2C4836
50Roman Slave Shackle200–400Headbourne Worthy, Hampshire1992HAMP-C45106

Objects submitted by viewers
Sculpture of a winged lion with an open book showing the words Pax tibi, Marce, Evangelista meus on a Venetian building

At the beginning of the series viewers were invited to submit photographs of objects that they had found in England or Wales, so that experts from the British Museum could select the most interesting object, to be announced during the final episode.[2][15]

The viewer-submitted object chosen as the most interesting by the panel was a small medieval bronze ornament in the form of an open book that was found in a field by the Pilgrims' Way at Bentley, Hampshire in 1997 (PAS record: HAMP527). The open pages of the book are engraved with the Latin inscription Pax tibi, Marce, Evangelista meus meaning "Peace to you, Mark, my evangelist". The traditional symbol of the Republic of Venice and the city of Venice is a winged lion (symbol of Mark the Evangelist), which is often depicted with one of its paws on an open book showing this same inscription, which suggests that the bronze book may have been a pilgrim's souvenir from Venice.[16]

  • Front of medieval bronze book
  • Back of medieval bronze book

See also

References
  1. Waters, Florence (16 July 2012). "Bettany Hughes on Britain's Secret Treasures". The Telegraph.
  2. "Britain's Secret Treasures". ITV. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  3. "ITV and the British Museum to reveal the 50 greatest treasures discovered by the British public". Portable Antiquities Scheme. 26 March 2012. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  4. Roya, Nikkhah (15 July 2012). "50 greatest national treasures revealed". The Telegraph.
  5. "The selection panel for the top 50 finds". Portable Antiquities Scheme. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  6. Akbar, Arifa (17 July 2012). "Last night's viewing - Usain Bolt: the Fastest Man Alive, BBC1; Britain's Secret Treasures, ITV1". The Independent.
  7. Roya, Nikkhah (22 July 2012). "Prehistoric axe is Britain's top treasure". The Daily Telegraph.
  8. "Britain's Secret Treasures Episode One". Portable Antiquities Scheme. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  9. "Britain's Secret Treasures Episode Two". Portable Antiquities Scheme. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  10. "Britain's Secret Treasures Episode Three". Portable Antiquities Scheme. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  11. "Britain's Secret Treasures Episode Four". Portable Antiquities Scheme. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  12. "Britain's Secret Treasures Episode Five". Portable Antiquities Scheme. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  13. "Britain's Secret Treasures Episode Six". Portable Antiquities Scheme. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  14. "Britain's Secret Treasures Episode 1".
  15. "Send in your discoveries". Portable Antiquities Scheme. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  16. "The bronze booklet with the amazing story". Retrieved 23 July 2012.
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