by Dr John Naylor, 17th January 2026
Dr John Naylor started his talk by describing the work of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), with which many of us are familiar, and his role as a PAS National Finds Advisor. He went on to tell us about an upland site on the Berkshire Downs, and how the many metal detectorists’ finds associated with it have been studied and interpreted.
We looked at a map showing the approximate location of the ‘Berkshire Downs’ site, which is currently kept a secret to prevent unauthorised disturbance. A geophysical survey had revealed a track, curving with the hill’s contours, and also 2nd century AD Roman fields. To the left of the image was a ‘messy’ area, which may once have been a settlement laid out on either side of the trackway, but which had been heavily ploughed, with no building remains now visible.
At the ‘Berkshire Downs’ site, the metal detectorists found about 1,350 coins, mostly Roman. Over 250 metal objects were found, many of which were items of dress or jewellery. About 200 Roman potsherds were collected, some casually by metal detectorists, who tended to pick up easy-to-identify pottery, such as rim sherds or Samian ware. However, during the geophysical survey, a greater variety of potsherds were collected.
John recorded all the coins on the PAS database, with the exception of a fake one-pound coin! The most interesting coin was a unique copper-alloy Roman radiate of Allectus (AD293-296), which has been designated of National importance. Coins found at the ‘Berkshire Downs’ site ranged from the Iron Age to the Modern period, with the bulk (1,275 coins) coming from the Roman Empire period.
We looked at a graph showing the numbers of Iron-Age and Roman finds, excluding coins, and John explained some of the restraints needed when interpreting the results. Thus, metal detectorists were interested in detecting and collecting copper-alloy (232 pieces), but were not interested in iron (6 pieces), of which much would have been expected from a settlement site. Likewise, the detectorists had little interest in ceramics (69 potsherds), and while the geophysical surveyors gathered a few more (160 potsherds), very much more would be expected from a settlement site.
We saw that the bulk of the metal finds (excluding coins) were items of dress (85 pieces), personal adornment (55 pieces), and toilet-related (13 pieces). There were 17 domestic items found, 2 leisure, 2 animal-related and 1 weapon.
We then looked at all the finds in chronological order, starting with Pre-Iron Age objects. Part of a probable Neolithic stone mace-head was found, as well as Bronze Age metalwork; a cauldron fragment, a finger ring and broken blade tips. While the blades may have been broken and lost when hunting, these, and the other valuable objects, may have been deliberately broken and ritually deposited at this upland site.
The Late Iron Age period was seen to be the start of long-term activity at the ‘Berkshire Downs’ site. A rare find was a La Tene III Giubiasco type brooch, of which few have been found in Britain. Other finds included a gold stater of the Regini or Atrebates, and a silver denarius of the Roman Republic. John said some coins were very worn, and may possibly have been brought to Britain by Roman soldiers in the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. The valuable items again suggest ritual deposition at this upland site, which may have been a small, simple temple, now completely ploughed away, like the possible track-side settlement.
We looked at a graph showing the Reece period analysis of the ‘Berkshire Downs’ site Roman coins, with these figures compared to a calculated regional mean using PAS data. The ‘Berkshire Downs’ site had many more Reece period 19 (AD364-378) coins than the regional mean, showing above average coin loss at the site at this time, and suggesting deliberate, possibly ritual, depositing. We learned that 10 barbarous radiates had been found at the site, and that these crude, cheap copies of official Roman coins, thought to have been used as small change when there was a shortage of low-value coins, have been associated with ritual deposits elsewhere in Britain.
The ‘Berkshire Downs’ site was compared to a Romano-Celtic temple site at Lowbury Hill, about 20km away, and the two sites seen to have much in common. Thus, the Lowbury Hill temple was in an upland location, has no building remains, had a similar finds assemblage of valuable personal items and over 1,000 coins, with a peak of Reece period 19 (AD364-378) coins.
John showed us a selection of Roman coins and brooches found at the ‘Berkshire Downs’ site, all dated from the 1st to the 4th centuries AD, suggesting the site was in use for a long period of time. A horse-and-rider type brooch (3rd to 4th century AD) drew comparisons with a medieval pilgrim’s badge. The finding of a Roman hipposandal; an early horseshoe, not only suggested the presence of a horse at the site, but also implied the presence of metalled roads, for which hoof protection was needed.
The ‘Berkshire Downs’ site’s association with the Roman army and/or a militarised elite was noted, with military-style brooches appearing throughout the Roman period. Late Roman military material, such as Hawkes and Dunning type belt buckles, were found, and compared to similar finds from burials and deposits elsewhere in Britain. Military artefacts, indicative of the military status of the owners, would have been a high-value ritual deposit.
The ‘Berkshire Downs’ site is important for what it shows of life in the Late Roman period. The finding of artefacts that had been repaired (a horse-headed buckle), a finger ring crudely formed from a cut-down bracelet, and clipped coins, all suggest a somewhat less-than-wealthy population. The valuable Late Roman military artefacts, and all the other metal offerings, deposited at what may have been a rather small upland shrine, appear to show people’s fears and insecurities at this time.
At the ‘Berkshire Downs’ site a small amount of metalwork from the Early Anglo-Saxon period (mid-5th to 6th centuries AD) has been found, including a brooch, a decorative mount and a spearhead, which may or may not have been accidental losses.
In conclusion, John pointed out that this was a significant new site on the Berkshire Downs, long-lived with about 500 years of continuous activity from the Late Iron Age to the Post-Roman period, and was of particular importance for the information it gave about the end of Roman Britain.
We look forward to seeing the published report, including the secret location of the site!
Report by Joan Burrow-Newton