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Search Results
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Interview (radio, television)
Moby the sperm whale interview
In Edinburgh, Iolo Williams and Gillian Burke remain on the coast for a cetacean celebration before saying goodbye to the wild badger sett they’ve been following all series.Kitchener, Andrew C
contemporary collecting, cetacean collections, skull, Physeter catodon (sperm whale), and whale stranding
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Interview (radio, television)
Value of urban green spaces for overwintering insects
Iolo Williams and Gillian Burke meet some urban mammals in Edinburgh, indulging in a look at some of the macro marvels that call the cemetery home.Whiffin, Ashleigh
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Interview (radio, television)
Research on urban and rural red foxes
In Edinburgh, Gillian Burke and Iolo Williams head into a cemetery to see the wildlife that uses these city habitats as a haven.Cooper, David
archeological record , feeding animals, urban foxes, messaging, climate change, sustainability, and human/animal interaction
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Journal article
The organics revolution: new narratives and how we can achieve them
Organic remains from excavated sites include a wide range of materials, from distinct organisms (‘ecofacts’) to biomolecules. Biomolecules provide a variety of new research avenues, while ecofacts with longer histories of study are now being re-harnessed in unexpected ways. These resources are unlocking research potential, transcending what was previously imagined...Johnston, P ; Booth, T ; Carlin, N ; Cramp, L ; Edwards, B …
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Journal article
Nostalgia in the prehistoric archaeological record
Evidence from the prehistoric archaeological record clearly shows that ancient societies had a sense of and engaged with their own histories, be it by reusing, re-appropriating or recreating past material culture. The affective qualities of materials, places and even human remains would have enabled people to remember and connect with...Knight, Matthew G
material culture, human remains, reuse, materials, prehistoric archaeological record, recreation, and re-appropriation
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Journal article
QR codes can enrich a visit to a museum
Some museums want to ban them, while others see them as a low-cost way to connect visitors with contentCoulson, Adam
museums, QR code readers, quick response codes, exhibitions, and digital access
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Research report
Scottish Wildcat Action: Final Summary Report
The wildcat, Felis silvestris, is one of our most iconic species. Elusive and rarely seen, it is threatened by a combination of extremely challenging factors, in particular hybridisation with domestic cats. Its secretive nature has made it a difficult animal to study in the wild, making it harder to design...Kitchener, Andrew C
Felis silvestris, ecology , population, and wildcat
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Book chapter
A landscape of deposition
The Mount's Bay area has long been associated in the archaeological literature with the exchange of copper and tin. St Michael's Mount, in particular, has often been suggested to be the site of Ictis recorded by Pytheas the Greek in the 4th century BC (Hencken 1932, 158-188; Herring 2000, 116-118;...Knight, Matthew G
metalwork deposition, Bronze Age hoards, Archaeology, and exchange
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Other
Library Special Collections: Papers of Margaret Swain
Margaret Helen Swain (1909-2002) was a historian of embroidery and textiles. The author of several books and numerous articles, she also lectured widely, and her papers reflect these activities. Her early publications were on Ayrshire needlework but she became an expert on embroidery in general and Scottish work in particular....National Museums Scotland
tapestries, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Margaret Helen Swain, 1909-2002, National Trust for Scotland, Archives, and embroidery and textiles
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Journal article
Newly-discovered pilgrim souvenirs fit for a saintly queen
Lydia Prosser and Robert Webley take a look at the implications of the exciting discovery of a pair of medieval Scottish pilgrim badges. How did these items find their way to Cambridgeshire and what can this tell us about the use of such badges in the Middle Ages?Prosser, Lydia ; Webley, Robert
cult, metal detecting, Medieval Scotland, Fordham, Cambridgeshire, pilgrim badges, Portable Antiquities Scheme, and Saint Margaret of Scotland
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Research report
Exchange: Community-led Collections Research Recommendations for more equitable participation
The Exchange project funded museum partners around the UK to undertake community-led collections-based research and creative outputs. All Exchange projects used participatory research methodologies, working with African, Caribbean, and South Asian diaspora heritage community members to explore experiences of empire, migration, and life in Britain. The first stage of Exchange... -
Presentation
People and Plants: an introduction
This workshop will be run in partnership with the Department of Cultures and Languages, Birkbeck, University of London and Museu Goeldi, Brazil. Discussions will be centred around the ecological value of ethnobotanical collections, including a focus on the interaction of western botanical nomenclature and traditional knowledge which forms the basis...Clark, Alison
research network, ethnographic artefacts, display, museum collections, ethnobotany, people and plants, and decolonization
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Book
Little black dress: a radical fashion
The book of the exhibition, Beyond the Little Black Dress, 2 July-30 October 2022 at the National Museum of Scotland. At its inception, the ‘Little Black Dress’ was radically modern: a masculine-inspired, anti-traditionalist female attire. Yet it has remained a wardrobe staple for almost a century, each new silhouette redressing...Ripley, Georgina
radical fashion, exhibition, textiles, catalogue, and sustainability
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Journal article
Historical Textile Dye Analysis Using DESI-MS
Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) is an ambient mass spectrometry technique that shows great potential for the analysis of fragile heritage objects in situ. This article focuses on the application of a recently built DESI source to characterize natural dyestuffs in historical textiles and a presentation of initial imaging...Sandström, Edith ; Vettorazzo, Chiara ; Mackay, C Logan ; Troalen, Lore G ; Hulme, Alison N
mass spectrometry, mass spectrometry imaging, natural dyes, non-invasive analysis, and textile
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Journal article
Evolutionary trends in trimerellid brachiopods
Non-articulated trimerellides, one minor group among the largest brachiopods, are commonly found in massive monospecific accumulations in Ordovician and Silurian rocks. In this paper, all species of the family Trimerellidae are listed for the first time, and some of them are discussed. They appeared in the Sandbian and became extinct...Chen, Di ; Huang, Bing ; Candela, Yves
morphospace and phylogenetic analyses, evolution, brachiopods, and trimerellides
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Journal article
A new fossil from the London Clay documents the convergent origin of a “mousebird-like” tarsometatarsus in an early Eocene near-passerine bird
We describe a partial skeleton of a small bird from the lower Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK), which shows close affinities to two phylogenetically controversial early Paleogene taxa, Morsoravis sedilis (lower Eocene of Denmark) and Pumiliornis tessellatus (lower/middle Eocene of Germany). Our phylogenetic analysis supports a clade including...Mayr, Gerald ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Aves, Walton-on-the-Naze, Sororavis solitarius, Eocene, UK, and evolution
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Journal article
New postcranial remains from the Lealt Shale Formation of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, showcase hidden pterosaur diversity in the Middle Jurassic
The Early to Middle Jurassic transition was significant in pterosaur evolution, during which these volant reptiles exploded in diversity alongside dinosaurs and other animals. It has long been thought, however, that pterosaurs did not develop large wingspans until after the Jurassic, a notion challenged by the recent discovery of in...Jagielska, Natalia ; Challands, Thomas J ; O'Sullivan, Michael ; Ross, Dugald A ; Fraser, Nicholas C …
Palaeontology and Geobiology, Palaeoenvironments, and Palaeogeography
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Journal article
Continued survival of the elusive Seram orange melomys (Melomys fulgens)
Many poorly-known small mammals have remained undetected for decades, including , a distinctive orange murid from Seram, Indonesia, that has been unrecorded since 1920. We report previously undocumented specimens of collected in 1993 and 1994, and local ecological knowledge from 2017 including descriptions and recent sightings, providing strong indirect evidence...Turvey, Samuel T ; Jeffree, Timothy E ; Macdonald, Alastair A ; Leus, Kristin ; Kennerley, Rosalind J …
species rediscovery, local ecological knowledge, lost species, extinction, and Indonesia
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Journal article
Historical Mitogenomic Diversity and Population Structuring of Southern Hemisphere Fin Whales
Fin whales Balaenoptera physalus were hunted unsustainably across the globe in the 19th and 20th centuries, leading to vast reductions in population size. Whaling catch records indicate the importance of the Southern Ocean for this species; approximately 730,000 fin whales were harvested during the 20th century in the Southern Hemisphere... -
Journal article
An apparent nineteenth-century record of Scopoli’s Shearwater in Hampshire
A putative specimen of a Great Shearwater Ardenna gravis from Hampshire, dated 1878, was located at Leicester Museums & Galleries. On examination, it was found to be a male Scopoli’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea. If shown to have a wild origin, the specimen would potentially represent the first British record of...McInerny, Christopher J ; McGowan, Robert Y ; Clark, John M ; Moody, Marc P ; Senfeld, Tereza …
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Journal article
Managing Aspen stands in the Scottish Highlands for dead-wood insects
This article details the management strategies and actions employed in aspen stands in northern Scotland to ensure the continuity of the associated specialised saproxylic insect fauna. This fauna depends on the correct "under-bark" conditions and management focuses on ensuring continuity of this transient microhabitat. Although the strategies have been developed...MacGowan, Iain
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Journal article
The aspen hoverfly Hammerschmidtia ferruginea (Fallén)(Diptera, Syrphidae) in Deeside
After a gap of some 30 years the presence of the aspen hoverfly Hammerschmidtia ferruginea (Fallén, 1817), is confirmed in Deeside, Aberdeenshire. The methods used to re-establish the population are discussed.MacGowan, Iain
Hammerschmidtia ferruginea , population, aspen hoverfly , Diptera, cambium, and Syrphidae
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Magazine article
Captain Waring and the Great House on Broad Street
Taylor, Michael A
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Blog post
Orientations: Queer imaginings and the Caithness doublet
In our Orientations series, members of the LGBTQIA+ community explore an object that resonates with their identity. We know our collections are filled with queer stories but often they can be hard to find (and even harder to prove). In looking for representation in museums, Joe Setch explores how the...Setch, Joe
Collections , Scottish History, Orientations , and LGBTQIA+
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Blog post
A little cup of happiness in search of a coco chocolatero
There’s nothing quite like a cup of hot chocolate. But have you ever had one from a coconut cup? Assistant Curator Dr Emily Taylor and Professor Kathleen Kennedy explore the origins and cultural background behind a ‘little cup of happiness’ in our collections – a coconut shell made into a...Taylor, Emily ; Kennedy, Kathleen
Collections, silver, Colonial Histories And Legacies , and coconut cup
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Other
Robert Riddell manuscripts: A Collection of Scottish Antiquities Selected by R.R. Vol 11 1791
Ballads, with notes: Jock o’ Milk (p.1); Archie of Capeld (p.14); Lord Maxwell’s Goodnight (p.18); Sir Andrew Barton (p.20); Fair Helen of Kirkconnel (pp.29, 46); Lads of Wamphray (p.34); Lochmaben Harper (pp.39, 42); Fray of Soupart (p.55); Border Lament of the Union (p.59); Outlaw Murray (p.61); Laidley Worm (p.71); McNaughton...National Museums Scotland
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Other
Library Special Collections: Robert Riddell Manuscript Collection Volume 8 (SAS 586). A journal of a tour in Scotland in 1789, made by Captain Grose and Captain Riddell.
Transcription of Robert Riddell Manuscript Collection Volume 8 (SAS 586). A journal of a tour in Scotland in 1789, made by Captain Grose and Captain Riddell.National Museums Scotland
Special Collections, journal transcription , exploration, and Archives
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Other
Robert Riddell manuscripts A Collection of Scottish Antiquities, selected by R.R. Vol 2 1786
‘A collection of Scottish antiquities, selected by R.R. Vol.2d., 1786’: accounts of Border and other Scottish families (pp.1, 22, 25). ‘Scottish antiquities, historical and genealogical, collected by Capt. Robert Riddell....1786’ (p.69): genealogies and antiquities of various parts of Scotland; copies of early documents; account of raids on the Western Border...National Museums Scotland
journal transcription , exploration, Archives, and Special Collections
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Interactive resource
Chalcolithic and Bronze Age
The British Chalcolithic period is now widely recognised as beginning during the 25th century BC. It is marked by the appearance of the first metal artefacts, produced from copper and gold and the introduction of new material culture and other practices from the European Continent (Allen et al 2012; Parker...Sheridan, J A ; Knight, Matthew G
Chalcolithic, archaeological period, Early Bronze Age, Prehistoric Scotland, Late Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, and Research Framework
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Interactive resource
Early Medieval
This early medieval chapter deals with the period around AD 350–1058 and will follow a new structure which aligns with those used for the medieval and post-medieval chapters. In the past the period was often viewed as ‘the Dark Ages’ at the end of ‘prehistory’. The emphasis was on the...Strachan, David ; Maldonado, Adrián ; Hall, Mark ; Mitchell , Juliette
Research Framework, early medieval , archaeological period, and Scotland
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Journal article
We need to encourage a plurality of voices in collections-based research
Stories have too narrow a perspective, says John Giblin and Phoenix ArcherGiblin, John ; Archer, Phoenix
Exchange, African, Caribbean and South Asian diaspora heritage communities, Museology, Colonial Histories and Legacies, and Collections Research
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Book
Donald Ross and the Highland Clearances 'Yet still the Blood is Strong'
The Highland Clearances was a dark episode in Scottish history when many thousands of people were forced off lands that they and their kin had lived on for generations. Some boarded ships destined for the colonies of America and Australia, others ended up on small barren plots by the coast...Ross, Andrew J
evictions, emigration , venerable societies , highland clearances, biography , and Donald Ross (1813-1882)
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Magazine article
Donald Ross and the highland Clearances
Andrew J. Ross provides the background to his new book on the life of his relative Donald Ross, a critic of the highland clearances who raised money and provided supplies for sufferers of the potato famine, but ultimately became a victim of his own success and emigrated to Canada following...Ross, Andrew J
venerable societies, emigration, highland clearances, biography, and Donald Ross (1813-1882)
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Journal article
A Thomas Rathbone & Joseph Machin letter
I purchased a letter on a postal history website as it was from Thomas Rathbone, and which had been sent from his pottery at Portobello on the 17th June 1817 and addressed to the important Staffordshire potter Joseph Machin.Haggarty, George R
Joseph Machin, Thomas Rathbone, pottery history, Jack Dunlop, letter correspondence, and Messer's Leggat stoneware merchant
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Blog post
Tartan trendsetting in our library catalogue
Tartan’s bold and sometimes scandalous history is retold in 19th century pattern books and trade catalogues at the National Museums Scotland Library that form part of our Special Collections. Assistant Librarian Jennifer Higgins puts the spotlight on several of these books to better understand how the mass adoption of Highland...Higgins, Jennifer
Tartan, Research Library , National Museum Of Scotland , National War Museum , Scottish Fashion , and Books
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Abstract
A moment in time: Cloth culture of an early medieval hoard buried in Galloway, Scotland, 900 CE
Cloth culture provides the framework to recognise the cultural significance of an assemblage of textiles and leather in a particular time and place. This paper examines the cloth culture of the textiles, skin products and braids that wrap and connect an assemblage of metal and precious objects that form the...Makin, Alexandra ; Harris, Susanna
Galloway Hoard, Cloth Culture, textile and leather assemblages, Early Medieval Scotland, and braids
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Abstract
Connecting organic and inorganic materials in the Viking-Age Galloway Hoard
Research into hoards has often focused on metal objects and while the Galloway Hoard contains over 5kg of silver, and more gold objects than any extant hoard surviving from Viking-Age Britain and Ireland, it is the other materials that make it outstanding. Wood, leather, and textile (silk, linen and wool)...Goldberg, Martin
Early Medieval Scotland, Wood, Galloway Hoard, glass, rock crystal and mineral elements , wrapping, leather, textiles, and bundling
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Abstract
Twisted reflections of life: creating communities of death through Iron Age Italic funerary dress
The early Iron Age communities of Italy are known mainly through their funerary records. This paper is a reflection on my PhD research analysing Iron Age Italic communities through their funerary dress, applying material and sensory analyses to the evidence for published funerary dress assemblages from the cemeteries of Bazzano,...Prew, George
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Journal article
Narrow-beaked trogons from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK)
We describe multiple partial skeletons of a new trogon species from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK), which are among the oldest fossils of the Trogoniformes. , gen. et sp. nov. has a much narrower and more gracile beak than extant trogons, which denotes different ecological attributes...Mayr, Gerald ; De Pietri, Vanesa L ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Eotrogon stenorhynchus, gen. et sp. nov. , Phylogeny, Fossil birds , Paratrogon gallicus , Aves , and Evolution
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Journal article
The prevalence of vestigial teeth in two beaked whale species from the North Atlantic
Beaked whales, Family Ziphiidae, occur in deep offshore and oceanic seas, where they are very difficult to study, so that much of our knowledge about them is derived from stranded animals. Most beaked whales (e.g., genera and ) have only one pair of mandibular teeth. A reduced dentition is widely...Kitchener, Andrew C ; Herman, Jeremy S ; Doeschate, Mariel ten ; Davison, Nicholas J ; Brownlow, Andrew …
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Website
Whit's in a name: Scottish connections to mineral names
In mineralogy, as in other natural sciences, there are strict rules on the naming of mineral species. The vast majority of minerals are named after a person or a place. Many of these names have strong Scottish connections, while others are a little less obvious. The naming of minerals. In...Davidson, Peter
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Presentation
Marine invertebrate collection
Next, the curator of the invertebrates at National Museums Scotland, Sankurie Pye, will talk about the fascinating diversity of specimens they have in their collections and why collecting these specimens is crucial for science and conservation. The National Museum Scotland are renowned worldwide for their collections, so get ready to...Pye, Sankuri
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Journal article
Molecular fingerprints resolve affinities of Rhynie chert organic fossils
The affinities of extinct organisms are often difficult to resolve using morphological data alone. Chemical analysis of carbonaceous specimens can complement traditional approaches, but the search for taxon-specific signals in ancient, thermally altered organic matter is challenging and controversial, partly because suitable positive controls are lacking. Here, we show that...Loron , C C ; Rodriguez Dzul, E ; Orr, P J ; Gromov, A V ; Fraser, Nicholas C …
Eukaryote , Biogeochemistry, Palaeontology , and Prokaryote
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Doctoral thesis
“A Co-operation of Observers”: Crafting knowledge infrastructures for microscopy
In 1887, the President of the British Postal Microscopical Society, J. W. Measures, declared that "the beginner is unable to learn from the books on the microscope all the minutiae of so fine an art as mounting (microscope specimens). "1 The preparation of microscope slides, the observation of specimens, as...Beiermann, Lea
scientific instruments, craft knowledge, citizen science, and microscopes
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Lecture
Sacrifice, scrap or something else? Practices of metalwork deposition in Late Bronze Age Britain and Ireland
Throughout the Bronze Age, large quantities of metal artefacts were deposited across Europe. Interpretations often centre around whether these deposits may have been sacrificial offerings to deities or else discarded scrap metal intended for recycling. These grand ideas mask the individual decisions local communities made when depositing their objects, such...Knight, Matthew
recycle, archaeology, Bronze Age Europe, metal depositpion, worship, and sacrificial objects
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Lecture
Feasting with Latinus: the earliest Christians of Whithorn
The excavations led by the late Peter Hill at Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway are widely understood as revealing one of the earliest monasteries in Britain. New analysis and dating evidence by the Cold Case Whithorn project is forcing a rethink of the earliest phases of the sequence. A poorly-understood late... -
Journal article
Pests or prey? Micromammal species within an ancient anthropic environment at the Norse settlement site of Tuquoy (Westray, Orkney)
Micromammals, like rodents and shrews, adapt rapidly to take advantage of new food sources, habitats and ecological niches, frequently thriving in anthropogenic environments. Their remains, often retrieved during archaeological investigations, can be a valuable source of information about the past environmental conditions as well as interspecies interactions and human activity....Romaniuk, Andrzej A ; Troalen, Lore G ; Bendrey, Robin ; Herman, Jeremy S ; Owen, Olwyn …
commensalism, introductions, Orkney, micromammal, archaeology, and predation
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Journal article
Provocation: Are museums relevant for social and environmental justice today?
JG: I work at National Museums Scotland. Our vision is 'inspiring people: addressing the challenges of our age'. Arguably, two of the most important of these challenges are social and environmental inequality. I've worked in or with museums for over twenty years. One of the reasons that I have done...Asante, Sheila ; Cummins, Nelson ; Giblin, John ; Loovers, Jan Peter Laurens
contemporary collecting, climate change, museology, colonial collections, museum, and curation
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Journal article
‘South Kensington is practically as far away as Paris or Munich’: the making of industrial collections in Edinburgh, Newcastle and Birmingham
The provocation within the heart of the Congruence Engine leads us to consider not only the connections between our industrial collections, but the differences which shine a light on the gaps that exist nationally as well as institutionally due to the unique ways in which those collections were built. Emerging... -
Journal article
Development and Application of Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Historical Dye Analysis
A desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) source was built and attached to a Bruker 7T SolariX FT-ICR-MS for the in situ analysis of 14 early synthetic dyestuffs. Optimization using silk and wool cloths dyed with rhodamine B concluded that when using a commercial electrospray emitter (part number: 0601815, Bruker Daltonik), a...Sandström, Edith ; Vettorazzo, Chiara ; Mackay, C Logan ; Troalen, Lore G ; Hulme, Alison N
Solvents, Dyes and pigments, Biomimetic materials, Ions, and Fibers
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Journal article
A new long‐necked archosauromorph from the Guanling Formation (Anisian, Middle Triassic) of southwestern China and its implications for neck evolution in tanystropheids
A long neck is an evolutionary innovation convergently appearing in multiple tetrapod lineages, including groups of plesiosaurs, non-archosauriform archosauromorphs, turtles, sauropodomorphs, birds, and mammals. Among all tetrapods both extant and extinct, two Triassic archosauromorphs, Tanystropheus and Dinocephalosaurus, have necks that are particularly elongated relative to the lengths of their trunks....Wang, Wei ; Spiekman, Stephan N F ; Zhao, Lijun ; Rieppel, Olivier ; Scheyer, Torsten M …
Triassic archosauromorphs, Dinocephalosaurus, tetrapods, evolution, and Tanystropheus
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Journal article
New machaeridian data from the Upper Ordovician of Scotland: palaeoecological and global palaeobiogeographical implications
New machaeridian material housed in the National Museum of Scotland alongside the type material held in the Natural History Museum London and the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Cambridge, is documented here from the Ordovician of Girvan. The specimens are included in four taxa, three of these in open nomenclature.... -
Journal article
The landscape of tolerated genetic variation in humans and primates
Personalized genome sequencing has revealed millions of genetic differences between individuals, but our understanding of their clinical relevance remains largely incomplete. To systematically decipher the effects of human genetic variants, we obtained whole-genome sequencing data for 809 individuals from 233 primate species and identified 4.3 million common protein-altering variants with...Gao, Hong ; Hamp, Tobias ; Ede, Jeffrey ; Schraiber, Joshua G ; McRae, Jeremy …
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Journal article
A global catalog of whole-genome diversity from 233 primate species
The rich diversity of morphology and behavior displayed across primate species provides an informative context in which to study the impact of genomic diversity on fundamental biological processes. Analysis of that diversity provides insight into long-standing questions in evolutionary and conservation biology and is urgent given severe threats these species...Kuderna, Lukas F K ; Gao, Hong ; Janiak, Mareike C ; Kuhlwilm, Martin ; Orkin, Joseph D …
evolutionary and conservation biology, primates, and genomic diversity study
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Other
Library Special Collections: National Museums Scotland Archives
National Museums Scotland Archives Incorporating: • Industrial Museum of Scotland • Edinburgh University Natural History Museum • Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art • National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland • Royal Scottish Museum • National Museums ScotlandNational Museums Scotland
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Other
Robert Riddell manuscripts A Collection of Scottish Antiquities, selected by R.R. Vol 3
A collection of Scottish antiquities...Vol.3d., 1786’: accounts of English families and Cumbrian antiquities (p.2); ‘A dissertation on the ancient fortresses and castles in Scotland,’ by Riddell (p.58). ‘Historical and genealogical collections....1786’ (p.173): ‘Icolmkill,’ by the Earl of Buchan, 1786 (p.187) (not the same as the paper in Archaeologia Scotica., I).Lists...National Museums Scotland
journal transcription , exploration, Special Collections, and Archives
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Other
Robert Riddell manuscripts A Collection of Scottish Antiquities, selected by R.R. Vol 6
‘1788’ (title page torn away). ‘A catalogue of great and learned men born in Dumfriesshire’ (p.36); a history of Sweetheart (pp.7, 52), with a satirical poem on William Copland of Colliston, who sold it for demolition (p.55); the ballad, ‘The Bedesman on Nithsdale’ (p.56); anecdotes of Prince Charles Edward (p.147);...National Museums Scotland
journal transcription , Special Collections, exploration, and Archives
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Research report
Surfacing the National Collections: adapting image cataloguing standards to transform access to National Museums Scotland's online collections
This report summarises the findings and outputs of a knowledge exchange project between the University of Glasgow and National Museums Scotland (the Museums) which was intended to inform image cataloguing standards through an audience-centred approach. A recent AHRC-Towards-a-National-Collection-funded report identified a discrepancy between metadata standards used by the Museums’ staff... -
Journal article
Artefacts of Arran pitchstones from Slewcairn Early Neolithic funerary monument, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Between 1973 and 1980, the late Lionel Masters excavated an Early Neolithic long cairn at Slewcairn, close to the Solway Firth in south-west Scotland (NGR NX 9239 6142; Canmore ID 65491). The monumement is situated on the slope of Meikle Hard Hill, 6 km from the coast and 15 km...Ballin, Torben ; Sheridan, J A
pitchstone, assemblage report, long cairn, and Early Neolithic Scotland
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Book
The Old Red Sandstone, or New Walks in an Old Field
Facsimile edition of this classic book first published in 1841. Ross-shire-born polymath Hugh Miller (1802-56), self-educated stonemason, geologist and writer, was famous in his lifetime across the English-speaking world. On one level, The Old Red Sandstone, is a description of the geology of Cromarty, Ross-shire, with diversions into its scenery,...Miller, Hugh
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Book
The Old Red Sandstone, or New Walks in an Old Field
Facsimile edition of this classic book first published in 1841. Ross-shire-born polymath Hugh Miller (1802-56), self-educated stonemason, geologist and writer, was famous in his lifetime across the English-speaking world. On one level, The Old Red Sandstone, is a description of the geology of Cromarty, Ross-shire, with diversions into its scenery,...Miller, Hugh
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Blog post
Brooching questions: conserving a silver brooch from the Galloway Hoard
After spending over 1,000 years in the soils of Galloway, it’s no wonder objects from the Galloway Hoard needed some serious work before going on display. Bethan Bryan talks through the complex process of conserving a silver brooch, from mending “mini-volcanoes” of copper erosion to using porcupine quills and algae-derived...Bryan, Bethan
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Abstract
Encounters and transformations beyond Roman borders: an-integrated paleoenvironmental, archaeological and historical approach which will explore the unconquered societies living beyond the northern most Roman frontier and their encounters with Rome
It is well known that the Roman Empire expanded as far north as the Highlands of Scotland between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD before retreating to a series of frontiers in modern day central Scotland and northern England. Major changes to the everyday activities of locals and to the... -
Book
High Pasture Cave: ritual, memory and identity in the Iron Age of Skye
High Pasture Cave, located on the island of Skye, Scotland, occupies a liminal location on the very edge of a settlement, and appears to have been a focus for specific and special activities. Its extended period of use is indicated by ephemeral signs of Neolithic Activity, limited Bronze Age usage,...Birch, Steven A ; Cruickshanks, Gemma ; Mackenzie, Jo T
High Pasture Cave, archaeological excavations, Iron Age Scotland, and Isle of Skye
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Research report
‘Collecting the New Past: developing representative collections of the present for the future’ National Museums Scotland National Training Programme Report for Contemporary Collecting Symposium, 21 November 2022
This report outlines the discussion and outcomes of the contemporary collecting symposium held by National Museums Scotland in November 2022. The symposium covered three key themes: how contemporary objects represent current issues in Scotland and contribute to expanding representation in museum collections; collecting with communities; and care of short-lifespan material....Vullinghs, Georgia
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Book review
Review of: The Circular Archetype in Microcosm: the carved stone balls of late Neolithic Scotland. Chris L Stewart-Moffitt
Carved stone balls are on of Scotland's most intriguing Neolithic artefacts.Anderson-Whymark, Hugo
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Journal article
The geological and historical milieu of an ornamental cephalopod limestone (‘orthoceratite limestone’, Ordovician, Sweden) used in the Clerk Mausoleum (1684), St Mungo's Kirkyard, Penicuik, Scotland
A slab of cephalopod limestone bears a dedicatory Latin inscription on the mausoleum built around 1684 by Sir John Clerk of Penicuik (1649–1722) for his wife Elizabeth Henderson (1658–83) at St Mungo's Church, Penicuik, near Edinburgh, Scotland. The stone is identified on sedimentological and palaeontological evidence and historical context as... -
Blog post
Riddle me a creepie and a cruik: Scots words for household objects
Many of our objects speak to the rich heritage of the Scots language. Whether you came to see our ‘flauchters’ or were ‘conflummixt’ by our collection of ‘creepies’ or ‘crusies’, many of these object names have a beguiling origin and unexpected uses far removed from their original purpose. In this...Taylor, Oliver
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Blog post
Entangled Knowledges: Sharing collections in Albany
Since 2021 Ali and Andrew have been participating in a project which aims to highlight Menang Nyungar knowledge embedded in a historical collection of fishes and cultural objects and return this knowledge to the Menang community in Western Australia. Here they tell us about this collection, their recent visit to...Clark, Ali ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Research, Collections , Fish , and Colonial Histories And Legacies
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Journal article
Collecting stories
Dr John Giblin introduces a brand new gallery at National Museum of Scotland, which delves into how the items collected by the museum have come together over the past two centuries.Giblin, John
Arctic life, The Tytler collection, Lady John Scott, Imperial war art, museum, scientific instruments, Collecting stories, Treasure Trove, and Scotland
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Blog post
Period products for a 21st century Scotland
Tampons, pads, and menstrual cups are everyday objects used by many though rarely considered noteworthy. But what can a group of period products say about the social and environmental concerns of Scotland today? Georgia Vullinghs, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary History, discusses some recent acquisitions relating to the campaign...Vullinghs, Georgia
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Book chapter
Lithics
Evidence for earlier prehistoric activity in the vicinity of Iron Age settlements is common in the north-east region, and the sites of Morley Hill and Lower Callerton are no exceptions. Pre-Iron Age activity tends to be scattered and smaller in scale, often appearing as a series of discrete pits, only...Anderson-Whymark, Hugo
Lithics, Mesolithic , Lower Callerton, Morley Hill , Bronze Age, Neolithic, and earlier prehistory
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Blog post
Inspiring Women: Helen Monro Turner
Helen Monro Turner (1901 – 1977) was a hugely influential Scottish glass engraver, designer, educator, and illustrator, as well as a highly respected role model for women pursuing careers as glass artists, designers, and makers. Her prominence in 20th century British glass made important inroads in a field which, until...Rothwell, Sarah
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Book chapter
The Matter of Slavery at National Museums Scotland
In the ‘Industry and Empire’ gallery of the National Museum of Scotland (NMS) in Edinburgh sits a gleaming cup of white porcelain, resting on its saucer. Text rendered in black lettering around the body of the cup reads: ‘and so it was that those long sea/journeys became yonder awa awa’....Laurenson, Sarah
Colonial Histories and Legacies, Slavery, Scotland, and Industry and Empire
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Video
Museum Role Call: Ian Brown
MUSEUM ROLE CALL! In our new monthly series, get to know people from across our museums, the spaces they work in and the objects they are inspired by. In our first episode, we surprised Ian Brown (Assistant Curator - Aviation) in the object stores. Join us as we follow him...National Museums Scotland
East Fortune , curation, object store, collection and interpretation of objects, National Museum of Flight, and Aviation
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Magazine article
'Alice Balfour' In: Herstory - women who changed the world
To mark Women's History Month, female curators at National Museums Scotland have each selected an inspiration woman represented in the collection. From entomologist to artist to queen, their legacy lives on.Whiffin, Ashleigh
Alice Blanche Balfour (1850-1936), Whittingehame, Entomology, and Women's History Month
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Magazine article
'The 'Qurna Queen' In: Herstory - women who changed the world
To mark Women's History Month, female curators at National Museums Scotland have each selected an inspiration woman represented in the collection. From entomologist to artist to queen, their legacy lives on.Maitland, Margaret
Archaeology, Women's History Month, Nubia, gold jewellery, gilded coffin, Excavations in Egypt, and Qurna Queen
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Magazine article
'Phoebe Anna Traquair' In: Herstory - women who changed the world
To mark Women's History Month, female curators at National Museums Scotland have each selected an inspiration woman represented in the collection. From entomologist to artist to queen, their legacy lives on.Blakey, Claire
Scottish Arts and Crafts movement, Women's History Month, and Phoebe Anna Traquair (1852-1936)
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Magazine article
'Mary, Queen of Scots' In: Herstory - women who changed the world
To mark Women's History Month, female curators at National Museums Scotland have each selected an inspiration woman represented in the collection. From entomologist to artist to queen, their legacy lives on.Groundwater, Anna
Women's History Month, The Mary, Queen of Scots Casket, tomb, Monarchy, and Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587)
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Journal article
Two Enlightenment collections of scientific instruments in Hanoverian Britain
This lecture looks at the long-dispersed eighteenth-century collections of scientific instruments formed by two wealthy Scots noblemen, who turn out to be related to one another. They were Archibald Campbell, Earl of Ilay, later third Duke of Argyll, and his nephew, John Stuart, third Earl of Bute.Morrison-Low, Alison
scientific instrument collection, George Adams the Elder, John Stuart, Richard Glynne, and Archibald Campbell
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Magazine article
'Mrs Lovi's beads' In: Herstory - women who changed the world
To mark Women's History Month, female curators at National Museums Scotland have each selected an inspiration woman represented in the collection. From entomologist to artist to queen, their legacy lives on.Higgitt, Rebekah
Women's History Month, relative density of liquids, specific gravity, scientific instruments, Isabella Lovi, and aerometrical beads
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Blog post
“It’s good I’m Scottish!”: Scots and Scotland in the Doctor Who universe
The Scottish run of Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder feels, if you’ll excuse the pun, very timely. Only a few weeks prior to the launch of the exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, we witnessed the sensational return of David Tennant as The Doctor. Then came the news that...Smith, David
Scottish connections, Exhibition, and Doctor Who Worlds Of Wonder
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Journal article
Revision of the Llandovery (lower Silurian) trimerellide brachiopod Yidurella in South China
Although a minor group of brachiopods in the Ordovician and Silurian, the trimerellides include some of the largest known brachiopods in the Early Paleozoic. Yidurella Zeng, a monospecific genus of moderate size from the Shamao Formation of Tizikou, Yidu City, Hubei Province, was originally described as having a solid platform....Chen, Di ; Huang, Bing ; Candela, Yves
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Journal article
Seasonal Adaptation: Geographic Photoperiod–Temperature Patterns Explain Genetic Variation in the Common Vole Tsh Receptor
The vertebrate photoperiodic neuroendocrine system uses the photoperiod as a proxy to time the annual rhythms in reproduction. The thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) is a key protein in the mammalian seasonal reproduction pathway. Its abundance and function can tune sensitivity to the photoperiod. To investigate seasonal adaptation in mammals, the hinge... -
Journal article
Evolutionary trends in trimerellid brachiopods
Non-articulated trimerellides, one minor group among the largest brachiopods, are commonly found in massive monospecific accumulations in Ordovician and Silurian rocks. In this paper, all species of the family Trimerellidae are listed for the first time, and some of them are discussed. They appeared in the Sandbian and became extinct...Chen, Di ; Huang, Bing ; Candela, Yves
Morphospace, Trimerellids, Platform, Vault, and Cladistics
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Video
Museum Role Call: Rachel Drury
MUSEUM ROLE CALL! In our second episode, we surprised Rachel in the Learning Centre. Join us as we follow her around asking a bunch of random and not-so-random questions.National Museums Scotland
workshops, handling collections, sessions, museum audiences, learning enabler, learning studios, and engagement
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Blog post
Winnie Drinkwater: the pioneering Scottish woman aviator
Scotswoman Winnie Drinkwater was not only the world’s first woman airline pilot but was also Scotland’s first woman to be a licensed aircraft engineer. Her achievements in the fledging aviation industry are even more remarkable since she made important inroads in a field with very few women. On the 100th...Brown, Ian
Aviation , Aviation History , and Civil Aviation
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Book review
Findlater, The Armorial of Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount with a photographic facsimile
In a SHR review of 2008, heraldry in Scotland was said to be in the midst of a revival, with interest greater than at any time since the resurgence in the 1970s that had witnessed the founding of the Heraldry Society of Scotland.1 The present volume is produced by that...Blackwell, Alice
Medieval Scotland, heraldry, charters, and seals
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Exhibition-related event
Burying valuables and valuable burials: The Adabrock Hoard, the Aird Dell Swords and other Bronze Age metalwork from western Scotland
Comunn Eachdraidh Nis (CEN) is pleased to announce the launch of a special exhibition on the 18th April 2023. Following a year of planning between CEN and The National Museum of Scotland, locally discovered Bronze Age finds will be returning to Ness. In 1910, an eclectic hoard of objects was...Knight, Matthew G
exhibition, loans programme, Ness, Aird Dell Swords, Bronze Age finds, and Adabrock Hoard
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Blog post
Doctor Zoo: the real-world taxonomy behind Doctor Who's monsters and aliens
Mark Gatiss, in his narration for the Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder exhibition, astutely observes that the show is rooted in science. This is evident in its portrayal of alien life, including both monstrous creatures and humanoid allies. Dr. Vladimir Blagoderov, Principal Curator of Invertebrates, explores the expansive legendarium of...Blagoderov, Vladimir
Natural Sciences, Doctor Who Worlds Of Wonder , Invertebrate Biology , and Biology
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Journal article
Collecting the nation in the museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1832–91
The sixty-year period from 1832 to 1891 was key to the development of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and its museum, during which time its collection was transferred to national ownership and greater emphasis began to be placed on social and cultural history. This article analyses acquisition data to... -
Blog post
The Majestic and the Mundane the material culture of coronations
With the approaching coronation of King Charles III, Georgia Vullinghs, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary History, has been looking at our collections of coronation material. From batons of ceremony and containers for holy oils, to souvenir cups, handkerchiefs, and biscuit tins, this range of material performs an important function...Vullinghs, Georgia
Coronation, Royal History , Scottish History, Politics, and Collections
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Interactive resource
Scottish material culture in historical coronations
On 6 May Charles III’s coronation will take place in Westminster Abbey – where English monarchs have been crowned since at least the 11th century. But Charles is not just king of England, he is king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as fourteen...Wyld, Helen
Scottish Material Culture, Coronations, Politics and Society, Fashion And Textiles, and Kings and Queens
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Book
The material landscapes of Scotland’s jewellery craft, 1780-1914
During the long 19th century, Scotland was home to an established body of skilled jewellers who were able to access a range of materials from the country's varied natural landscape: precious gold and silver; sparkling crystals and colourful stones; freshwater pearls, shells and parts of rare animals. Following these materials...Laurenson, Sarah
contemporary collecting, crafts, precious metals, Scotland, jewellery, natural environment, and material culture
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Journal article
Rethinking practice, reimagining the future: climate, colonial collections and contemporary collecting
Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua (Māori proverb) (English Translation: I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past.) The Museum Ethnographers Group (MEG) 2022 conference, Rethinking Practice, Reimagining the Future: Climate, Colonial Collections, and Contemporary Collecting, held at National Museums Scotland (NMS), was for many of...Giblin, John
climate change, museum, curation, colonial collections , contemporary collecting, and museology
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Doctoral thesis
The typewriter trade in Scotland, from the 1870s to 1920s
This thesis explores the typewriter trade in Scotland from the 1870s to the 1920s. It analyses the businesses and individuals involved in the marketing, sale and use of writing machines, revealing the processes by which typewriters went from little known novelties in the mid-1870s to essential technologies for commercial and...Inglis, James
Typewriter , Scotland, Office, Commercial education, Technology, Shorthand, Women's employment, 19th century, Exhibitions, 20th century, Retail, and Typing
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Abstract
The Woven Archive. Material Characterization of Textile Collections in Archives and Libraries
Textiles are present in archival and library collections in multiple and sometimes surprising forms: enclosed in letters, in fabric swatch books and as samples in dyers´ notebooks; but also, as wrappings for wax seals, in embroidered bindings or as the substrate of early photographs known as pannotypes [1]. Such textiles...Lucía, Pereira Pardo ; Jasperse, Jitske ; Cabrera Lafuente, Ana ; Dryburgh, Paul ; Sandström, Edith …
preservation, materiality research, textiles archives , and library collections
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Journal article
Silver stories: new insights from the Traprain Treasure
The late Roam silver hoard from Traprain Law (East Lothian) was found over 100 years ago but is still revealing fresh secrets. A recently-published research project (see 'Book Reviews') involved an international team of specialists analysing all aspects of this silver, from its manufacture and use to is later treatment,...Hunter, Fraser