Budding archaeologists in Bolton shared their best finds with a curator at at the weekend.
Bolton Library and Museum saw residents show off a variety of historical finds at its latest Archaeology ID Day on Saturday.
Treasure hunters also got the chance to find out more about their finds from a real archaeologist.
The monthly event encourages residents to appreciate and learn more about local history through objects they’ve found in their own back garden.
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The day was run by Bolton Museum curator Ian Trumble who says speaking to residents about objects they’ve found themselves is a great way of getting people engaged with local history.
He says that residents are always "fascinated" by things they’ve found in the gardens or on trips out.
He said: “People just love to learn about stuff they’ve found, they feel like it’s their history.
“Sometimes it’s a challenge for me [to identify the objects], some of them are still puzzling.”
Ian, who has worked for Bolton Museum and Library for 15 years, also runs the Young Archaeologists Club and the Bolton Archaeology and Egyptology Society which was founded in 1954.
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He says that some of the most interesting finds brought in include a Stone Age spearhead, a pair of leather shoes dating back to the 1700s, and a George III coin which was found in Breightmet.
Bolton Museum also has a partnership with the British Museum as part of the Portable Antiquities Scheme which means the public can even have their finds recorded by the Finds Liaison Office, who aims to document small finds across the UK.
The next Archaeology ID day will take place on Saturday, April 22 from 11am to 3pm.
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