My Favourite Finds Through the Ages

I have been walking the fields of Lincolnshire and Shropshire since the 1950s – both with and without a detector. Over those years I have located literally thousands of artefacts; any of interest I have donated to national and local museums.

- Clive Rasdall

I have been walking the fields of Lincolnshire and Shropshire since the 1950s – both with and without a detector. Over those years I have located literally thousands of artefacts; any of interest I have donated to national and local museums. I have kept back a few of my finds, though, to give to my two youngest grandsons, hoping they will take an interest in metal detecting as they grow up.

It was pretty hard to pick my favourites, but after days of searching through my collection I finally managed to narrow it down. My selection ranges from the Stone Age to the 19th century. Each object has its very own story, and I remember the sheer excitement as each was extracted from the soil and gently cleaned to reveal its details, to each one finally taking its individual pride of place in my collection. I really hope readers enjoy seeing my finds, as much as I experienced finding and displaying them.

Fig.1 shows a flint tranchet axehead from the Mesolithic period. It was found on a site that had yielded a great number of microliths and other flint objects. I have to tell you that finding this really made my day. Some time ago I had found some flint tools and blades in a sandpit (Fig.2) also from the Mesolithic period. Unfortunately this site has now been developed into a holiday homes complex. The workmanship illustrated in these tiny microliths is unbelievable.

I have also been fortunate enough over the years to find some examples of flint arrowheads, and they are among my favourite artefacts. Fig.3 illustrates both a Neolithic leaf-shaped variety, and a barbed and tanged example from the Bronze Age.