Heritage for the Nation.
Treasure Trove Unit
The Treasure Trove Unit (TTU) is responsible for the daily running of the Treasure Trove system and is the first port of call for new discoveries and finders. It carries out investigations and object assessments, and, where appropriate, investigates findspots.
TTU has delegated authority from the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR) to decide whether an object should be claimed or not. For more information on the KLTR, please visit www.kltr.gov.uk
If an object is not claimed, it is returned to the finder with a disclaim certificate.
If an object is claimed, it will appear before the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP) and accredited Scottish museums are asked to apply for the cases. The TTU provides a report and estimated valuation to the panel to use in deciding the level of ex gratia award for the finder. The finder also has the opportunity to provide the panel with information regarding the suitable level of ex gratia payment.
Get in touch with the team: treasuretrove@nms.ac.uk
The Team
Emily Freeman – Treasure Trove Manager
Emily is responsible for the daily running of the Treasure Trove Unit. Her responsibilities include dealing with general enquiries, engaging with the public and heritage sector on Treasure Trove matters, and processing and researching reported artefacts and assemblages.
Emily has an Undergraduate degree in Ancient History from the University of Edinburgh and a Postgraduate degree in Museum Studies, specialising in artefacts and material culture, from the University of Glasgow. Before coming to the Treasure Trove Unit, she volunteered with the Staffordshire Hoard project team as a Documentation Assistant and spent a year with the Portable Antiquities Scheme in the West Midlands as a Headley Trust Intern/Finds Recording Assistant.
Emily’s area of interest is numismatics, looking primarily at the development of coinage in Britain. She hopes to expand her knowledge whilst with the Treasure Trove Unit, identifying incoming coins and researching the Roman coins on the database. She also has an interest in how metal detecting and Treasure Trove have altered and enriched museum collections.
Sophie Flynn - Treasure Trove Officer
Sophie assists with the daily running of the Treasure Trove Unit. Her responsibilities include answering enquiries, identifying, recording and processing finds, and engaging in outreach events.
Sophie has a BA in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Oxford and an MSc in Palaeoanthropology and Palaeolithic Archaeology from University College London. She worked as the Finds Liaison Officer for Essex under the Portable Antiquities Scheme from 2017 to 2021.
Sophie joined the Treasure Trove team in February 2021, and is interested in stone age archaeology with a focus on the palaeolithic period. She has undertaken digs in the UK and Pompeii, Italy. She welcomes the opportunity to see a wide range of artefacts, and particularly enjoys learning about early representations of art in the stone age. Sophie is proud to be working on a team that ensures archaeologically important finds are saved for the public’s benefit, and is passionate about outreach.
Antony Lee - Treasure Trove Officer
Antony has a PhD in Archaeology from Durham University, where his research investigated the presentation and interpretation of Romano-British religion in museums. He has a BA in Heritage Studies (University of Hull) and an MA in Archaeology (University of Leicester). He is an Associate of the Museums Association, an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Archaeologists, and a Fellow of the Royal Numismatic Society.
His professional background is in archaeological museum curation, and he spent 15 years managing the large and significant archaeological collections of Lincolnshire Museums. While there he worked on major projects such as the development of The Collection museum in Lincoln and the redevelopment of Lincoln Castle. He has also worked at Derby Museum as the Regional Collection Development Officer for Renaissance East Midlands.
Antony’s research interests include exploring lived experiences of religion in Roman Britain, and the role of material culture in creating and expressing religious identities. He is fascinated by the influence the ancient world continues to exert on modern culture and identities, and has a particular interest in the presentation and dissemination of archaeological research to wider audiences, especially through museums and heritage sites. He is proud to be working to help preserve and promote Scotland’s archaeological heritage.
Janel Fontaine - Treasure Trove Officer
Janel assists with processing finds, responding to queries, and preparing for committee meetings, while also meeting with finders at the museum and through outreach events.
Janel holds a BA in History from the University of Florida and an MA and PhD in Medieval History from King’s College London. She has worked in research-led and commercial archaeology in the UK and the Czech Republic and spent 10 years in UK Higher Education in academic and administrative roles before joining Treasure Trove in 2022.
Janel is an expert in early medieval slave trading and its associated archaeology and is enthusiastic about all things early medieval. With Treasure Trove, she hopes to develop her knowledge of trade paraphernalia from all periods and to encourage public interest in the social history stories brought to light by Treasure Trove finds.
Carl Savage - Treasure Trove Officer
Research interests: both pure and applied numismatics in Scotland, hoarding and motivations in medieval Scotland, single coin finds in Scotland and northern England, archaeological methodologies for numismatics, coins and borders and the influence of borders, coins as cultural objects and expressions of identity and memory.
Carl joined Treasure Trove in September 2022, prior to this he was a CDP researcher in the department for four years and has worked closely with the Treasure Trove Unit and the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) in England during this time, delivering special reports on single coin finds as well as hoards. Carl is an experienced numismatist focusing on the medieval and post medieval periods in Scotland and northern England, he has a special interest in the Scottish coinage and has recently completed a die study and new classification of the early coinage of David II. He has published widely on medieval numismatics in both peer reviewed academic journals and magazines and has delivered talks at major conferences such as the IMC and the SCBI conferences. He has also delivered numismatic training to professional bodies such as the PAS and Treasure Trove. He is currently a member of the British Numismatic Society, fellow of the society of Antiquaries of Scotland, a member of the Chartered Institute of Archaeologists (CIfA), a member of the Scottish Medievalists and he has recently been elected as a junior research committee member on the British Academy’s Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles (SCBI) and Medieval Coinage in Europe (MEC) project.
Carl completed his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Lancashire (BSc in Archaeology) in 2008 and his MA in Medieval Archaeology from the University of York in 2013 and is currently working on his PhD between the University of York and National Museums Scotland (titled ‘Coinage, Landscape and society in the borderlands: economy, politics and identity in Scotland and northern England 1136-1603’).
George Prew - Treasure Trove Officer
George has a BA in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History and an MPhil in Classical Archaeology from University of Oxford, and is currently working toward a PhD in Archaeology at University of Glasgow developing tools for understanding ancient communities through how they dressed their dead.
George joined the Treasure Trove team in September 2022 and has previously worked mainly in Iron Age and Roman archaeology, but his interest in dress items and small decorative objects is extending to the Late Medieval period. He has previously undertaken digs in Tuscany, Umbria, and Wiltshire, and he is relishing the chance to focus on Scotland and to see more of the country through Treasure Trove outreach.