50 Medieval Finds: From the Portable Antiquities Scheme

About the Author Dr. Michael Lewis is Head of Portable Antiquities & Treasure at the British Museum and co-curator of the British Museum’s touring exhibition Medieval Europe 400-1550. He is best known for his work on the Bayeux Tapestry, and is a member of the Bayeux Tapestry Scientific Committee. He has written extensively on medieval small finds, particularly objects associated with religious devotion. Michael is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and a Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. Product Description 50 Medieval Finds of the Portable Antiquities Scheme will highlight some of the most important and interesting archaeological objects of medieval date found by the public over the last twenty years, subsequently recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) or reported Treasure. Here the ‘medieval’ is taken to be the High Middle Ages, c. 1050-1550, a period that witnessed massive change and transformation. Last year alone 19,382 medieval find were recorded by the PAS, of which there are some 179,000 items on its database.Here, Dr Michael Lewis, Head of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, examines a range of medieval objects, from everyday dress accessories (such as strap-ends and finger-rings), to high status artefacts associated with the functioning of kings and queens (including a hawking ring associated with Edward V), and the Church (such as part of an elaborate altarpiece). These objects are not only remarkable in themselves, objects of fine craftsmanship and beauty, but they also shed light on this remarkable period of history.