17th Century pewter spoons excavated from Woodhouse Farm, 1976

Though objects of gold and silver may be the most spectacular, metal finds are more often than not iron, lead and bronze. They can include everything from personal items such as jewellery to household cutlery to industrial waste from metal production (smithing slag). Metal finds are often found corroded, making them difficult to recognise by the untrained eye. X-rays are usually used to see the original object beneath the layers of corrosion.