This book is the result of twenty years of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) recording finds in Yorkshire. The current Finds Liaison Officers have been in post for ten years (Amy) and six years (Rebecca), but we are indebted to the previous post-holders who established the scheme in Yorkshire, and who forged the initial links with local finders and museums.
We are also grateful to all our current and previous colleagues at the PAS for their hard work and dedication, for their support, and for their willingness to share their knowledge and expertise. Both of us have also been aided over the years by fantastic interns, students and volunteers, many of whom have been giving up their time for the PAS for many years.
We would like to thank our husbands and families for their patience, forbearance and proof-reading, as well as for their practical support with babysitting, IT assistance and graphic-design skills. We are also very grateful that our cats did not delete anything massively important while attempting to snooze on our keyboards. Arthur deserves special mention for his patience while mummy worked every weekend, as does Eliza, for timing her unexpectedly early birth impeccably between submitting the manuscript and receiving the proofs.
Colleagues in our host and partner organisations have also been tremendously helpful. We’d particularly like to thank the Yorkshire Museum’s Andrew Woods and Adam Parker for sharing their expertise and proof-reading skills, Paula Gentil at Hull & East Riding Museum for her constant support and advice, Ian Sanderson and the staff at the West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service for their generous assistance, and the South Yorkshire Archaeology Service for their guidance. Thanks are also given to all the curators and staff of South and West Yorkshire’s nine museum services who kindly allowed us access to their collections: Barnsley Museums, Bradford Museums and Galleries, Calderdale MBC Museums, Doncaster MBC Museums and Galleries, Kirklees Council’s Museums, Galleries and History Team, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Rotherham MBC Museums and Galleries, Museums Sheffield and Wakefield Council’s Museums Team.
Unless otherwise stated, images are courtesy of the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Every attempt has been made to seek permission for copyrighted material used in this book. However, if we have inadvertently used copyrighted material without permission or acknowledgement, we apologise and will make the necessary correction at the first opportunity.
Finally, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the finders who volunteer their artefacts for recording with the PAS and allow us to hold history in our hands. Without them, this book would not have been possible.