"The Molekats of Keyworth"
February 2004 Meeting Report
Guest Speaker - The Molekats
The February 2004 meeting of the Keyworth & District Local History Society met in The Centenary Lounge, Keyworth on 6th February 2004. The guest speakers for the evening were The Molekats, making a welcome return in order to update us with their latest findings on their work in and around the village. Their reputation must have preceded them for the lounge was packed, almost to overflowing.
Their previous appearance at the Society was some three years ago when they reported on their, then, latest project, attempting to establish evidence of a Romano-Celtic connection with the village. The latest project has been to try and establish if the village of Keyworth was originally located further out from its current location in the direction of Lings Lane. Our current Vice-Chairman, Bob Hammond, has been working on the possibility of such a hypothesis and having quite a working relationship with The Molekats managed to persuade them of the value of such a project. To this end three sites were established as being worthy of investigation.
However, before informing the audience of their latest finds The Molekats took time to explain the ethos behind their investigations and the Code of Conduct which govern the manner in which they conduct themselves on-site. The Molekats are affiliated to The Federation of Independent Detectorists and this body has a set of guidelines laid down by which members are expected to conduct their affairs. The importance of local partnerships, methodology, The Treasure Act of 1996 and “Keeping History With the People” were all explained. The Molekats also informed the audience of the not inconsiderable, (and expanding), list of people that they are now in a position to call upon for help with their finds. These range from contacts at The British Museum, The Natural History Museum, to local experts and the Nottingham Coroner.
An important point was made of the fact that their metal detectors only work to a depth of between four and five inches and that, consequently, all of their finds were made within the top five inches of soil. On arable land modern agricultural methods usually ensure that the top ten inches of the land is worked. A plough will turn over about ten inches of soil so their discoveries can be from a greater depth but it will have been the plough that deposited the artefact in the top five inches. Indeed, the majority of their finds come within the top four inches of soil. Great stress was also laid on The Molekats insistence that any surveys that they undertook were done with the express agreement and co-operation on landowners and people on adjacent property.
The talk then took the form of a slide / talk presentation when all of The Molekats finds were shown. The project that The Molekats undertook was split into three separate phases and these were conducted as follows: - firstly, an investigation into a field at the beginning of Lings Lane near where it leaves Main Street. This site provided many finds including: - a Jacobean shoe buckle circa 1720, a pipe-tamper from the mid 17th to early 18th century, a James II Trade Weight from 1685 to 1688, a Queen Mary silver groat dated 1553 to 1558 and the most exciting find at that location, a 12th century strap fitting, (of the Girdle Hanger design).
The second and third parts of the project were completed in Motley Close, which is further along Lings Lane. The work here was conducted between November 2002 and March 2003. The finds here tended to cover a very wide date range. These included: - a Sunday Schools Commemorative Medal from 1880, a Napoleon III dix centimes coin dated 1854, George III cartwheel pennies, a Macclesfield copper trade token dated 1790, a child’s foot patten from the 17th to 19th century, various 17th and 18th century shoe buckles, a lead musket ball, also 17th or 18th century, a Charles II copper farthing, a 15th to 17th century book clasp, a bronze casket key from around the 14th century, a Scandinavian mount, (horse-harness adornment), from around the 11th century and finally a Roman silver denarius of Vespasian or Titus from A.D. 69 to 81.
Whilst none of the finds could point to conclusive evidence of Keyworth having been situated further to the south than it currently is there was certainly plenty of evidence to suggest that there was a considerable amount of foot traffic in the fields that were investigated and that this certainly may have been as a result of habitation there. However, until more thorough and deeper excavations are made or perhaps even a geo-physical survey being undertaken it will not be possible to support Bob’s theory with any hard evidence.
The Molekats then informed the audience that they were currently undertaking further researches around Keyworth and these had already furnished further exciting discoveries, that one of their finds had resulted in a claim being made under The Treasure Act of 1996 and that it may be as much as 5 years hence before they will be able to impart their findings.
The slide / talk presentation then having finished the audience were invited to look at and discuss The Molekats finds which they had kindly brought with them and were on display. Yet again The Molekats provided a very interesting evening’s entertainment, the more so since it was so closely related to our own village. Long may The Molekats continue to do their very worthwhile and selfless work!!