Hemmed in by river, downland and sea, the archaeology of Kent has always had a reputation for uniqueness. So when the Portable Antiquities Scheme, an initiative to record objects found by members of the public, was launched in 1997, Kent was the obvious choice to become a pilot county.
It did not disappoint. Kent has so far produced finds such the headline-grabbing, solid gold Ringlemere cup, a unique Roman Republican helmet -the only one ever found in Britain - and several Anglo-Saxon garnet-inlaid brooches. Not to mention the anonymous, wide scatterings of pot sherds, buckles, occasional lost keys and swathes of often indecipherable coins.
Telling the history of Kent through its objects, every find in this book was discovered by a member of the public and recorded by the PAS. Each one helps us fit together a bigger, clearer picture of Kent's history, its people and relationship with the wider world.
