PAS Reports Find of Exceptional Roman Cavalry Helmet

The PAS has reported the find of an exceptional Roman Cavalry Helmet by a metal detectorist. See http://www.finds.org.uk/news/stories/article/id/195

There has been some controversy because Christie's Auction House evidently restored the helmet before the artifact was reported. The time lag has even led at least one bitter opponent of PAS to suggest that the artifact was actually found on the Continent and given a fake British provenance. As preposterous as this sounds, PAS officials have had to spend valuable time and effort countering this charge.

I think it's better to celebrate this find and hope the money can be raised so that it can be displayed at a local museum. The opponents of PAS within the archaeological community (mostly outside of the U.K. itself) are missing the larger point. If the artifact had been found outside of Britain, it is unlikely we would now know much of anything about it at all. Though I'd rather that the finder had immediately reported it to the authorities, we also shouldn't lose sight of the fact that due to the PAS details of this important discovery have come to light.