finds identified iii

Back in May I wrote a blog titled ‘detecting, writing & work’ in which I talked about helping the team at Treasure Hunting with the layout for the May and June issues of the magazine. Having helped out on previous issues when they were busy, I was more than happy to do so again whilst they looked for a new artworker to take on the job as a permanent role. Once the Treasure Hunting team found their new artworker I thought that would be the end of my involvement for the year. But a few weeks after I finished my stint on the magazine the Treasure Hunting team contacted me again. This time they asked if I would like to design the layout for the third instalment of The British Museum’s ‘Finds Identified’ series. Being a big fan of these books I jumped at the chance of putting the third edition together.

Laying out a book like this is quite a time consuming affair as it’s basically a big jigsaw puzzle with no instructions on how it should fit together. At the start I was provided with the artwork from the previous edition which gave me access to the fonts and styles so the third book would be in keeping with the rest of the series. Then I was given the new text and imagery and from there it was my job to make the book flow well and look good. It was definitely a task that required forward planning as I needed to ensure that every chapter (apart from the first) started on a left hand page. This makes it easier for the reader to identify the beginning of each chapter, and it looks better from a design point of view.

A bucket lister that still alludes me.

To ensure this worked, I roughly layed out each chapter page by page with the relevant text and images. At this early stage I was also working out which items would benefit from being highlighted or sectioned off to give the book design more interest. There were also several sections of information which needed to be kept together as spreads rather than split over one leaf, so these were design considerations that also required careful planning. Working in this way enabled me to ensure that each chapter started on a left hand page before committing the time to making the book look good from a design perspective. This also made it easier to ensure that each chapter flowed well from page to page making it an enjoyable experience for the reader. The only aspect of the book which didn’t have my input was the cover, on which I have noticed a small anomaly. I’m sure it’s something that most people wouldn’t notice but my design eye spotted it straight away. For some reason the white shadow around the figurine has been slightly cut off above the head, a little thing but a niggle nonetheless. But I have since noticed a couple of small things within the book which are little irritations of my own making, there’s always something.

Pages from the Iron Age chapter, I love these brooches.

After spending many an hour making sure all the pieces of this jigsaw slotted together well and looked good, the puzzle of Finds Identified III was finally finished, and I think it has turned out pretty well. On the final corrections correspondence one of the authors, Kevin Leahy, commented that I had ‘done a good job’, which for me was the icing on the cake, as I’m immensely proud to have been a part of this project. Being a passionate detectorist myself makes it all the more special to have my name in the credits of a book which is loved by both the detecting, and archaeological communities alike.

Another reason I feel privileged to have worked on this book is because most of the finds within these pages have been found by detectorists like me. Not only does this highlight the importance of reporting finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, but it’s a testament to the amazing contribution that the detecting community has made by discovering and recording our buried past. Without our endless hours of wondering the British countryside we wouldn’t have these brilliant books, or the PAS database to use as reference for identifying our finds. So to every detectorist who happens to read this little blog, I salute you!

Lastly I would like to thank the guys at Treasure Hunting Magazine and Greenlight Publishing for letting me loose on Finds Identified III. I have thoroughly enjoyed the process and hopefully this won’t be the last time that my name appears on the credits to one of these fabulous books. 🙂

What a find a Bronze Age sword would be.

Ah the Roman Age, my favourite chapter in the book.

I have still yet to find some ancient gold!

I have found plenty of Roman coins and pottery whilst detecting.

My working environment, looking a bit cosy on a winters eve.