Archaeology and you
	People other than archaeologists find artefacts every day. These can be chance finds made while browsing junk shops, digging the garden or clearing out the attic, or the results of deliberate searches – for example, by a metal-detecting enthusiast. An 'artefact' is an item that has been made by someone in the past. It is a piece of evidence for past human activity. Of course, this encompasses a huge range of items – from prehistoric stone tools to Victorian gas lights – but all artefacts are important in their own context. Each one is a clue that helps us to put together a picture of our past. ^top Don't clean If you find an artefact, usually the first instinct is to clean it – don't! Many modern household cleaners contain powerful abrasives that can easily damage old objects. There are also lots of stories about concoctions of spices, ketchup and even toothpaste that are supposed to bring artefacts 'back to life'. These tales are misleading, for these substances are sometimes dangerous and often damaging to anything they are applied to. For example, over-zealous cleaning can result in the loss of any remaining materials inside an old ceramic pot or any delicate applied decoration on an ancient broach. ^top Museum identification How do you find out about your artefact? By far the best resource is your local museum. Museums have access to a wide range of specialists. They also can identify a huge number of items from our past and will have a detailed knowledge of artefacts that may only be known in your area. When you take your artefact to the local museum, ask to see the curator or curatorial assistant. They will be able to tell you what it's made of, if it's rare and how it was used, give you an estimated date for when it was made and advise you about looking after it. If you find something and keep it on your mantelpiece without showing it to a museum, nobody else will be able to share the knowledge of the find, and a piece of cultural heritage will be lost. You never know, your artefact could be very important. Your local museum may want to take details of your artefact for the archaeological record. Many people worry that, if they show a find to a museum, it will be taken away from them. This is not true. Museums want to record information about finds so that everyone can find out about their past. Only if your find is classed as 'treasure' under the Treasure Act will a museum have the right to acquire it. The definition of treasure is fully outlined in the Treasure Act Code of Practice (see below). Remember: a trip with a find to your museum can benefit archaeology as a whole and also can be a great help to you. ^top Portable Antiquities Scheme In December 1996, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (Buildings, Monuments and Sites Division) announced that it would fund a programme of pilot projects to encourage people to show their finds to museums. The Portable Antiquities Scheme was launched, and in its first year, officers recorded more than 13,500 archaeological objects that would otherwise not have been known about. At a finds surgery held by the scheme at last year's Time Team Live in York, more than 250 artefacts were brought in by members of the public. These figures give an idea of the number of artefacts still held in private hands. Information leaflets on the Portable Antiquities Scheme, the Treasure Act and a Treasure Act Code of Practice handbook are available from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport by calling 020 7211 6200. Internet users can go to the Portable Antiquities Scheme website. A version of this article, written by Matthew Reynolds, first appeared in the winter 2000 issue of the magazine Trench One. ^top