Change to treasure law would keep more artefacts in museums, says minister

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Lord Parkinson said the Treasure Act has “saved around 6,000 objects which have been shared with museums, more than 220 museums around the country”. “So, to say if this is an item which is significant to a part of local, national or regional history, or if it’s connected with a particular individual or event, then it can be classed as treasure too and it can be shared with the public in a museum.” He cited the Crosby Garrett Roman cavalry helmet, discovered near Penrith in Cumbria, as an example of an artefact sold to a private bidder as it did not meet the current definition of treasure. Quite often they end up in museums very close to where they were discovered and that’s particularly important because it helps shed light on local history for people Lord Parkinson, Heritage minister “It was made of metal but not of precious metal so it wasn’t classed as treasure under the current definition,” he said. “Quite often they end up in museums very close to where they were discovered and that’s particularly important because it helps shed light on local history for people.” Chelmsford Museum in Essex has a Roman figurine in its collection that does not meet the current definition of treasure, but was saved by another mechanism.