Protecting Heritage in Scotland

© David Gill

I could not help noticing that ancient monuments in Scotland not in State Guardianship have prominent reminders about their protection.

Sueono's Stone

The panels surrounding Sueno's Stone in Moray, Scotland have been damaged earlier this week (BBC News). The 7m high stone dating from the 10th century is in the care of Historic Scotland (HES).

Dinosaur footprints on Skye damaged

1/2 Unfortunately we can confirm we are investigating reported damage to the dinosaur footprints at Staffin yesterday. Were you in the area? https://t.co/Gaw5v5fV7F

— Lochaber&SkyePolice (@LochabSkyePol) December 29, 2016

Police are reporting that dinosaur footprints on the beach at Staffin on Skye, Scotland, have been damaged. It appears that someone poured paster into the imprints. Reports suggest that the person involved was in a camper van.

Staffin © David Gill

Further details from the BBC.

Trafficking Culture Funded Project Ends

The University of Glasgow Trafficking Culture funded project came to an end yesterday, i.e. the end of January. We await to see what will emerge.

For the closure of the Cambridge Illicit Antiquities Research Centre (IARC) see here.

Theft from Dunblane

Source: Dunblane Museum

A Bronze Age 'petrosphere' has been stolen from the Dunblane Museum in Scotland.

Police in Dunblane said they were investigating the theft and appealed for information. 

A spokesman said: "If you have any knowledge of who may be responsible or know the whereabouts of the stone ball, please contact Dunblane officers on 101 or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

• "'Priceless' ball stolen from Dunblane Museum", BBC News January 14, 2016
• "Bronze age stone ball stolen from museum", Heritage Journal January 14, 2016

Celebrations in Kilmartin

Kilmartin © David Gill

The New Year's Honours List 2016 includes Dr Sharon Webb of the Kilmartin Museum for her services to heritage and archaeology in Scotland. I would like to add my congratulations to Sharon and the Kilmartin team.

For further information see Heritage Futures.

The Dumfriesshire Viking hoard: "an approachable stance towards engaging with detectorists"

Earlier this week it was announced that a metal-detectorist searching pasture in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, had discovered a significant Viking hoard in September ("Viking treasure haul unearthed in Scotland", BBC News October 12, 2014).

The "Code of practice for responsible metal detecting", available from the website of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (for England and Wales), suggests:

Wherever possible working on ground that has already been disturbed (such as ploughed land or that which has formerly been ploughed), and only within the depth of ploughing. If detecting takes place on undisturbed pasture, be careful to ensure that no damage is done to the archaeological value of the land, including earthworks.

The significance of this clause has been observed by Paul Barford ("Focus on UK Metal Detecting: Straight from the Horse's Mouth").

Yet Suzie Thomas's commentary on this Viking hoard does not comment on the searching of undisturbed pasture, nor on deep searches ("Discovering a Viking hoard: a day in the life of a metal detectorist", The Conversation October 14, 2014). Rather she seems to be happy with the official acceptance of metal-detecting:

today’s more typically co-operative relationship in the UK. The Treasure Trove Unit in Scotland, and the Portable Antiquities Scheme in England and Wales take an approachable stance towards engaging with detectorists.

Some of the issues were explored in a forum article (and responses) in UCL's Papers from the Institute of Archaeology [online].

Thomas's paper fails to engage with the nighthawking issue. She cites the 2009 Nighthawking Survey and she suggests that illegal activity was decreasing (a point dismissed at the time by Keith Miller). She does not mention that illegal activity on scheduled sites was actually increasing. Indeed her mention of Norfolk and the acceptance of metal-detecting needs to be read alongside what the Nighthawking Survey revealed for that same county.

It is, perhaps, ironic that the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Museum of Wales (Amgueddfa Cymru) announced only this week news of a major project to work on material discovered by metal-detectorists ("Unearthing the past: Heritage Lottery grant supports new initiative to get the best from archaeological finds").

Is the continued searching for archaeological material by metal-detectorists in England, Wales and Scotland sustainable?

Scotland Decides

© David Gill

Theft from the Italian Chapel in Orkney

Three wooden plaques stolen from the Italian Chapel in Orkney today. These artefact are priceless - please retweet. pic.twitter.com/cKqZzNcLiQ
— Dave Gray (@whassigo) August 12, 2014

BBC Journalist Dave Grey is reporting this evening that there have been thefts from the Italian Chapel in Orkney. This building was created by Italian POWs during the Second World War.

Treasure Trove in Scotland

The Treasure Trove Report for Scotland 2011/12 is now available to download.

Broughton Coin Theft

I know that a number of numismatists read LM ... so perhaps they could do their bit to help solve the theft of some coins from a house in the Scottish Borders.

Cultural Property in a Global Perspective

Benin bronze in the British Museum © David Gill

Last night we attended the inaugural Robert Sainsbury Lecture at UEA in Norwich. It was delivered to a packed audience by Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, on the theme of “Art in a Global Perspective”.

MacGregor explored the theme of the encyclopedic museum noting parallel changes across different continents and cultures. He had a short discussion of the Benin bronzes, derived from the notorious punitive expedition,  and drew on the thinking of Kwame Anthony Appiah's essay in Cosmopolitanism. MacGregor adopted James Cuno's much criticised position when he suggested that cultural property can form part of the political agenda. He perhaps went a little too far when he suggested that cultural property "myths" or (to use his word) "untruths" were deliberately constructed to make the case for the return of cultural property. Such a suggestion in the case of the Benin bronzes belittles the horrendous "facts" of the Benin Punitive Expedition so clearly documented in The Times (London).

Only a Scot could have commented so wittily about the claims on the Lewis Chessmen by suggesting that Norway had yet to ask for their return.

The lecture itself was delivered with the usual passion and enthusiasm associated with MacGregor and his discussion was placed against the formation of the Sainsbury collection, that incidentally contains significant pieces of Cycladic sculpture.

Coin contexts matter

It appears that a hoard of 4th century Roman coins have been discovered on a beach in the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides) (see BBC News). Their location, well outside the confines of the Roman Empire, is clearly significant. The scientific study of the hoard will provide additional research information that would have been lost if the coins had been removed in a more illicit way.

It should be noted that the find spot has not been disclosed to "protect the site".

The Lewis Chessmen

Lewis Chessmen © David Gill

BBC Radio Scotland has broadcast an interview about the Lewis Chessmen. A local councillor, Norman A. MacDonald, from the island's Uig ward argues that some should remain on permanent display at Stornoway. He makes the point that Lewis was the final (archaeological) context. Interestingly the interviewer uses the "universal museum" point that more people would see the chessmen in London and Edinburgh ("given their importance").

Lewis Chessmen on Stornoway

Lewis Chessmen in the British Museum © David Gill

It is good to see that some of the Lewis Chessmen will be on show in Museum nan Eilean, Stornoway (15 April-12 September 2011). Some of the pieces from Edinburgh and the British Museum will be on display.

This raises several interesting issues. Should the pieces be displayed in the Outer Hebrides where they were found? Or in the British Museum, far removed from their findspot? Or in Edinburgh? 


And do they belong culturally to Scandinavia?



Whatever the issues, it is a momentous decision to see the pieces back in the Hebrides.

Eroding Archaeology in Scotland

BBC Alba (in Scotland) has produced an excellent series on the Archaeology of Scotland, Talamh Trocair, with the engaging Curstaidh NicDhòmhnaill. This week's programme looked at the issue of "Eroding Archaeology" and included a scheme to "adopt a monument":

Some of the valuable sites and artefacts around our coasts that are in danger of being lost forever.

The programme is subtitled.

This is well worth a view on the BBC iPlayer.

• Historic Scotland

Image
© David Gill

Burns Night Greetings

Looting Matters sends good wishes to its readers for Burns Night.

This raises an issue. Is there a museum that celebrates the cultures of the British Isles? The British Museum is an encyclopedic museum for world cultures. Is there a case for displaying archaeological material found in Scotland in (say) London?

Or should objects found north of the border be displayed in Edinburgh ... or Glasgow ... or Inverness ... or Stornoway.

So should the Lewis Chessmen be returned to Scotland? And if so, where should they be displayed? And what if they belong, at least in cultural terms, to Scandinavia?

There is something to discuss after consuming the "Great chieftain o' the puddin-race". (LM celebrated last week.)

Image
Isleornsay sunset © David Gill.

The Scottish Parliament on the Parthenon

Among the motions and amendments for the Scottish Parliament on Monday June 29, 2009 was this:

S3M-4498 Hugh O’Donnell: The Opening of the Acropolis Museum in Athens—That the Parliament congratulates the Greek people and Government on the opening of the eagerly awaited Acropolis Museum in Athens, which will house artefacts covering the Greek bronze age and Roman and Byzantine time periods; notes that part of the space is specifically designed to accommodate the Parthenon Marbles, and urges the British Museum to enter into negotiations with the Acropolis Museum with a view to returning the Parthenon Marbles to their original home.

Supported by: Rob Gibson, Mike Pringle, Bill Kidd, Jim Tolson, Gil Paterson, Christina McKelvie, Sandra White, Alasdair Morgan, Jim Hume