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Journal article
The tale of a Mesolithic harpoon head from Arisaig
This is a remarkable tale about a remarkable artifact that would have been lost to Scottish archaeology had it not been for a brave decision by a schoolgirl to disregard the views of her teachers over 50 years ago!Sheridan, J A
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Book chapter
Making sense of Scottish Neolithic funerary monuments: tracing trajectories and understanding their rationale
This contribution offers an overview of the appearance , spread and regionally specific developmental trajectories of funerary monuments in Neolithic Scotland, setting these within the broader context of the arrival of farming groups from Brittany and northern France in the early centuries of the 4th millennium, and the subsequent expansion...Sheridan, J A
funerary monuments , Bayesian models , migration, Neolithic Scotland, passage tombs, cairns, and farming practices
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Book chapter
Introduction
This edited volume explores how (what is today) Scotland can be compared with, contrasted to, or was connected with other parts of Early Medieval Europe. Far from a ‘dark age’, Early Medieval Scotland (AD 300–900) was a crucible of different languages and cultures, the world of the Picts, Scots, Britons...Blackwell, Alice
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Book chapter
Norrie's Law, Gaulcross and beyond: widening the context of hacksilver hoarding in Scotland
This edited volume explores how (what is today) Scotland can be compared with, contrasted to, or was connected with other parts of Early Medieval Europe. Far from a ‘dark age’, Early Medieval Scotland (AD 300–900) was a crucible of different languages and cultures, the world of the Picts, Scots, Britons...Blackwell, Alice ; Goldberg, D Martin
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Book
Scotland in Early Medieval Europe
This edited volume explores how (what is today) Scotland can be compared with, contrasted to, or was connected with other parts of Early Medieval Europe. Far from a ‘dark age’, Early Medieval Scotland (AD 300–900) was a crucible of different languages and cultures, the world of the Picts, Scots, Britons...Blackwell, Alice
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Book chapter
Early Medieval burial in European context: log coffins in Scotland
This edited volume explores how (what is today) Scotland can be compared with, contrasted to, or was connected with other parts of Early Medieval Europe. Far from a ‘dark age’, Early Medieval Scotland (AD 300–900) was a crucible of different languages and cultures, the world of the Picts, Scots, Britons...Maldonado, Adrián
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Book chapter
An Early Medieval and prehistoric nexus: the Strathearn Environs and Royal Forteviot project
This edited volume explores how (what is today) Scotland can be compared with, contrasted to, or was connected with other parts of Early Medieval Europe. Far from a ‘dark age’, Early Medieval Scotland (AD 300–900) was a crucible of different languages and cultures, the world of the Picts, Scots, Britons...Maldonado, Adrián ; Campbell, Ewan ; Driscoll, Stephen ; Gondek, Meggen
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Lecture
Design in Postnormal Times
Design in Postnormal Times is live streamed from the City Observatory on Edinburgh’s Calton Hill, today home to the visual arts organisation, Collective. Alice & Chris will talk for around 45 minutes, we will then invite questions and comments. Please type your questions and / or remarks in the box...Tremlow, Alison ; Breward, Christopher
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Blog post
Conservation and conversation: What can a National Museum do about a global emergency?
The global environmental emergency – not only the climate crisis but also large-scale biodiversity loss – is the biggest challenge facing the world. With COP26 just days away, our Director, Chris Breward, reflects on the role we have to play, from understanding the past to improving our future.Breward, Christopher
Climate , Climate Change, Museums , and Sustainability
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Journal article
Rethinking the Dark Age: the multiple voices of early medieval Britain
What do you picture when you think of the Dark Age. The common perception the phrase conjures is simple living and hardship. However, the sheer number of inscribed objects from this period paint another picture. Through new research methods, we are uncovering the multiple voices of early medieval Britain and...Maldonado, Adrián
literacy, Archaeology, Vikings, Symbols, Research Project, St Ninian's Isle Treasure, Glenmorangie, and Picts
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Presentation
Ni’isjoohl memorial pole repatriation – an international panel discussion
The Nisga’a delegation, alongside staff from National Museums Scotland will participate in the first public panel discussion on the Ni’isjoohl Memorial Pole re-p/matriation. The discussion will be moderated by Barbara Fillion, Programme Officer for Culture with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. Among the topics addressed, the panel will discuss the...Giblin, John ; St Clair Inglis, Chante
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Journal article
Doughty Donald Ross - fighter for cleared Highlanders: Donald Ross [1813-1882], critic of the Highland Clearances and contemporary of Hugh Miller
Much has already been written about the Highland Clearances, then and since, foremost among them Hugh Miller in the Editor’s chair at The Witness, with such still famous leading articles as “Sutherland as it was and is” (1843), and by Donald Macleod and other eyewitnesses, to the savage cruelties of...Ross, Andrew
evictions, Donald Ross (1813-1882), emigration, Highland Clearances, and biography
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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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Journal article
History in the balance: a newly-discovered Anglo-Saxon runic inscription from Croy, Highland
A recent reassessment of the National Museums Scotland’s Viking-age collections revealed a new runic inscription from a previously overlooked scrap of copper alloy. The Croy Hoard is a mixed collection of objects deposited in the late 9th century AD, not far from what is now Inverness Airport. The Hoard was...Maldonado, Adrián
Old English rune, Viking-age collections, Anglo-Saxon runes, Early Medieval Scotland, Runic inscription, The Croy Hoard, and Bronze balance beam
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Blog post
Forewarned is forearmed: inside the hidden world of the Royal Observer Corps
The Royal Observer Corps were a group of appointed civilians who manned bunkers across the country during the Cold War in case of nuclear attack. Luckily this never came to pass, and on the 30th anniversary of their stand down, Sarah Harper looks back at their important work.Harper, Sarah
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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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Journal article
Scleromochlus and the early evolution of Pterosauromorpha
Pterosaurs, the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight, were key components of Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems from their sudden appearance in the Late Triassic until their demise at the end of the Cretaceous1,2,3,4,5,6. However, the origin and early evolution of pterosaurs are poorly understood owing to a substantial stratigraphic and morphological...Foffa, Davide ; Dunne, Emma M ; Nesbitt, Sterling J ; Butler, Richard J ; Fraser, Nicholas C …
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Journal article
"Shall I gie them more wind?" James Richardson VC and his pipes
The short life of James Cleland Richardson VC is both poignant and pertinent to the broader narrative of the Scottish diaspora at war. It encapsulates the experience of a young, newly-arrived Scottish emigrant to Canada who so very soon after his arrival volunteered to defend his recently left homeland and...Forsyth, David S
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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
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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Abstract
Fractured mountains: quartz crystals and the Cairngorms
Dr Sarah Laurenson is Principal Curator of Modern and Contemporary History and Head of the Modern and Contemporary History Section. She is responsible for the Scottish collections representing cultural, social, political, military and domestic history from c.1750 to the present.Laurenson, Sarah
collections, Scottish material culture, mountains, fragmented objects , research, natural environment, and mineralogy
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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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Exhibition-related event
The Declaration of Arbroath: Insights from the Archives
Inspired by a rare chance to see The Declaration of Arbroath, curator Dr Alice Blackwell and National Records Scotland conservator, Hazel de Vere, discuss its historical significance and material fragility.Blackwell, Alice ; de Vere, Hazel
Pope John XXII, Robert the Bruce, conservation, preservation, The Declaration of Arbroath letter , barons and freeholders of the Kingdom of Scotland, and seals
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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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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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Video
Museum Role Call: Calum Robertson
In our third episode of Museum Role Call, we surprised Calum in the National War Museum. Join us as we follow him around asking a bunch of random and not-so-random questions.National Museums Scotland
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Blog post
The Black Watch at National Museum of Scotland
Rosie Waine is the William Grant Foundation Research Fellow at the National Museum of Scotland. Here she writes how the Black Watch Museum & Castle collection contributed to the exhibition she has curated called Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland. -
Lecture
'The Viking-age Reuse of Insular Metalwork From Northern Britain'
The looting of Christian shrines and reliquaries in the Viking Age is so well-documented that it has been reduced to a cartoonish vision of pillaging heathens. A close look at the evidence for such ‘looting’ tells a different story – or rather a number of different stories. A recent reassessment... -
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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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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Journal article
Two medieval pilgrim badges attributed to St Margaret, Queen of Scotland
Two late medieval lead-alloy badges found in Cambridgeshire, England, are argued here to belong to the cult of Saint Margaret of Scotland (r 1070–93). As such, they represent the first pilgrim souvenirs to be linked to this important Scottish saint, whose cultic centre was at Dunfermline, Fife, and for whom...Prosser, Lydia ; Webley, Robert
stray finds, saints’ cults , pilgrimage , Dunfermline, medieval , and pilgrim badge
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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... -
Presentation
Scottish Weapons: crafting and collecting identity
Join our conversation on the issues of provenance, repatriation, collections, and collecting practices, explored through the lens of material culture. This roundtable brings together researchers to discuss these topics as they pertain to the theme of object biographies from the experience of their various professional backgroundsRobertson, Calum
arms and armour , Scottish Weapons, crafting and collecting identity, national collections, and National War Museum Scotland
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Lecture
Re-framing Mary: audience-focused collecting and display
During the life of the RSE project, and following the acquisition of the Mary Queen of Scots casket, National Museums Scotland re-framed the narrative it tells of Mary in the Chambers Street museum. This talk explores the museum’s role in mediating narratives of Mary’s life and impact, to argue that...Groundwater, Anna
casket, material culture, Mary, Queen of Scots, and museum collecting, interpretation and display
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Lecture
Highland Style: Fashioning Highland Dress, c.1745-1845
he period c.1745-1845 was a revolutionary chapter in the history of Highland dress. With the advent of the European Romantic movement, this once regional costume was revived and reinvented to reflect the changing times and preoccupations of its wearers. Associated with the warrior culture of Gaelic society, by the close...Waine, Rosie
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Lecture
The Traprain Treasure – latest research on a remarkable Roman silver hoard
The Roman Treasure from Traprain Law Excavated on Traprain Law in May 1919, this was one of the most spectacular discoveries of Roman silver ever made in Europe – and the biggest hoard found to date of ‘hacksilver’: 23kg, battered, crushed and chopped-up silver vessels. An international team of scholars...Hunter, Fraser
Late Roman Hoard, Traprain Law, East Lothian, hacksilver, elite tableware, and Silver Treasure
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Lecture
Metal Detecting and Treasure Trove in Scotland
Did you know that in Scotland, archaeological artefacts found by members of the public are considered 'Treasure Trove' and can be claimed to enable them to end up in museums. But what is Treasure Trove, and how do you make sure you're following the rules and metal detecting responsibly, in...Flynn, Sophie
Scotland, metal detecting, portable antiquities, recording and processing finds, and Treasure Trove Unit
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Lecture
Viking Panic? Looking for the 9-12th centuries in Argyll
The story of early medieval Argyll is told through overarching narratives: the arrival of the Scots of Dál Riata; incoming missionaries in the age of saints; and the invasions of the Vikings. A recent reassessment of the National Museums Scotland collections from this period emphasises how material culture tells a... -
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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Book chapter
Ancient DNA and modelling the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Britain and Ireland
The current paradigm-changing ancient DNA revolution is offering unparalleled insights into central problems within archaeology relating to the movement of populations and individuals, patterns of descent, relationships and aspects of identity – at many scales and of many different kinds. The impact of recent ancient DNA results can be seen...Sheridan, J A ; Whittle, Alasdair
Neolithic Studies Group, Britain, DNA, Ireland, and human migration
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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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Lecture
The Challenges of a Photography Curator
Geoff Belknap is Keeper of the Department of Science and Technology at National Museums Scotland. His talk will offer some ‘behind the scenes’ evidence of the challenges and considerations that have to be borne in mind when caring for a national collection. He has unparalleled experience of working with photography,...Belknap, Geoffrey
photography collections, National Museums Scotland, and conservation
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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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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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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)
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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Journal article
Two new species of European Microgaster Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Microgastrinae), with host data on some further species
Two new European species of are described from reared material. parasitizes species (Depressariidae) on and in Britain, and a key is provided to separate it from two other British species that parasitize other , with host information. ., a parasitoid of (Noctuidae), is described from Austrian specimens. The host repertoires... -
Lecture
Revealing and Connecting African Collections in Scottish Museums
The project will establish a collaborative network to enable collection holders to engage with museums in Africa and the Caribbean and people of African and Caribbean descent in Scotland. These partnerships will explore provenance, colonial histories and legacies and the relevance of the collections to descendent and diaspora community interests...Giblin, John ; Grout, Nikki
African collections review, Scottish museums, and partnership project
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Presentation
Details on the Textiles in St John's Collection
Taking inspiration from the college's unique gallery of stunning medieval vestments, this conference will feature two day's worth of speakers and presenters. These presentations will be enriched by displays from both the college and Bodleian Library archives as well as a dynamic exhibition of works created during the conference workshops.Wyld, Helen ; Brooks, Mary
textiles, medieval, and church vestments
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Journal article
The Stoneykirk, Wigtonshire, hoard
An unusual hoard, spread over an area of approximately 20 m, was recovered by a group of three detectorists from a ploughed field at Stoneykirk, Wigtonshire, in 2019. The total number of coins was either 46 or 47, many of them in sacks fused together, comprising examples of almost every...Holmes, N M McQ.
James V, Scottish coinage, numismatic hoard, gold unicorn, Stoneykirk, Wigtownshire, and metal detecting
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Journal article
Scottish Edwardian hoards, 2019
The following three hoards were submitted to the Scottish Treasure Trove Unit in 2019, but Covid restrictions led to severe delays in identification and analysisHolmes, N M McQ. ; Savage, Carl
numismatic hoards, metal-detecting, coins, Treasure Trove Unit, Roslin, Midlothian, Cockburnspath, Berwickhire, and Caverton, Morebattle, Scottish Borders
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Journal article
Two newly discovered dies for pennies of Alexander II
The Scottish Short Cross and Stars coinage bearing the name of Alexander was the subject of a detailed paper in a recent edition of this Journal.1 All known obverse and reverse dies used for this coinage were listed and illustrated but, as is so often the case, two new dies...Holmes, N M McQ. ; Savage, Carl
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Journal article
A site assemblage from Culross, Fife
Between 2016 and 2019 a total of 214 coins dating from the period between 1180 and 1322 were recovered by metal-detectorists from a field neat Culross.1Holmes, N M McQ.
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Journal article
A previously unrecorded 'British Victory' type for Septimius Severus
Most people with an interest in the history of the Roman period in Britain will be aware of the series of coins struck in the names of the emperor Septimius Severus and his sons, Caracalla and Geta, following military campaigns carried out against native tribes in present-day Scotland during the...Holmes, N M McQ.
coins, Rome mint, military campaigns in Scotland, and Septimius Severus
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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
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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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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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
'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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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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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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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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Blog post
Objects in Place: the Eynhallow Sound, Orkney
Stone steps washed with waves and selkie songs glitter in the late summer gloaming. Roaring tides sweep in from all sides to batter the shore with ageless determination, steadily devouring the remnants of cairn-raisers, Picts, Norse, and crofters with equal indifference. The west wind catches a string of hanging seashells...Weinczok, David C
Orkney , Vikings, Objects In Place , Neolithic , Iron Age , and Archaeology
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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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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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Journal article
Twenty-first century sofa: conserving an eighteenth century object for modern museum display
This article describes the upholstery conservation treatment of a mid-eighteenth century sofa made for Spencer House, one of London's finest private houses. The sofa is now in the collection of National Museums Scotland. Details are given about the object's history, the approach taken to the complex treatment options, and the...McClean, Lynn ; Porter, Heather ; Jackson, Stephen
collaboration, conservation, sofa, Ethafoam™, upholstery, and digital
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Abstract
Exploring literal and conceptual fragmentation through medieval material culture
This paper will explore meaning-rich fragmentation in a medieval context and suggest that relevant theoretical frameworks may be enriched by thinking about different kinds of deconstruction. The breaking and remaking of Christian reliquaries provide one opportunity – viewing things like the Monymusk reliquary not as one object but as many...Blackwell, Alice
Monymusk reliquary , fragmentation, Christian reliquaries, Archaeology, and deconstruction
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Abstract
Revisiting the fragmentation revolution
Fragments are commonly encountered in the archaeological record. Historically, broken things have been considered scrap or rubbish resulting from accidental processes. However, during recent decades archaeologists have come to recognise acts of deliberate fragmentation, and fragments themselves, as performing a range of important roles in the past. A key moment...Knight, Matthew G ; Chittock, Helen
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Abstract
The long, strange journey of Viking-Age ringed pins
Ringed pins are the calling card of the Viking Age in Britain and Ireland: small, low-value metal cloak fasteners, found in dressed burials, and frequently encountered as stray finds. They have a complex trajectory, beginning as Irish dress items in the pre-Viking period. From the middle of the ninth century,...Maldonado, Adrián
Ireland, Scandinavia, burials, diaspora, Iceland, Newfoundland, Britain, Viking Age , Dublin, Ringed pins, and Irish Sea trading settlements
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Abstract
Presenting a complex hoard deposit – the Galloway Hoard
The Galloway Hoard is the focus of an ongoing research project at National Museums Scotland examining a complex Viking-age deposit composed of multiple parcels, with organic preservation and a variety of materials (gold, silver, copper-alloy, glass, rock crystal, minerals, leather, wood, wool, silk, linen, and animal gut). There may be...Goldberg, Martin
Viking-age hoards, Galloway Hoard , rock crystal, minerals, wool, research project, wood, animal gut, silk, linen, gold, copper-alloy, leather, silver, and glass
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Blog post
Collecting a New Past
Museums have long been interested in collecting material culture of the present. Objects that demonstrate the design, technological, natural, and social stories and changes of today. More recently, ‘contemporary collecting’ has been given renewed attention as a specific approach to building museum collections. Georgia Vullinghs, Curator of Modern and Contemporary...Vullinghs, Georgia
Collections , Community Engagement, Contemporary Collecting, and Conservation
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Journal article
2. SCOTLAND
Sites explored in North of the Antonine Wall, The Antonine Wall, City of Glasgow, Falkirk and South of the Antonine Wall.Hunter, Fraser
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Book chapter
Stone tools
The excavations at Lower Callerton revealed a multiphase Iron Age settlement consisting of 53 structures, multiple enclosures and linear boundaries which extended beyond the excavated area (Fig. 4.1). The activity was concentrated within Area 2, which measured c. 4.6 ha, with the removal of the topsoil revealing a settlement extending...Hunter, Fraser
Lower Callerton, excavations, settlement, Iron Age , and Stone tools
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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
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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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
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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Book chapter
From Ultima Thule: fragmentation in the Bronze Age metalwork of Scotland
While ancient Thule was probably located beyond modern Scotland (Breeze & Wilkins 2018), the title of this contribution seems appropriate since Scotland was on the margin of the Bronze Age world depicted by Patrice Brun (1991: fig. 8, insert). After a brief period when copper and gold were used, bronze...O'Connor, Brendan ; Cowie, Trevor
Scottish metalwork, bronze axes, hoards, Bronze Age, gold, Scottish Archaeological Research Framework, Thule, and copper
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Book chapter
Coral in northern climates: an exotic coral bead from Iron Age Scotland and its implications
This paper is offered to Eugène in the spirit of his own wide-ranging research and his ability to extract good stories from finds. The first author met Eugène at an Edinburgh conference on 'Scotland in later prehistoric Europe', where he offered a masterly overview of the southern Low Countries over...Hunter, Fraser ; Fürst, Sebastian
rich finds assemblage, Scotland and Europe, Eugène Warmenbol, Broxmouth, Iron Age, and Bead of Mediterranean coral
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Book chapter
Practices of metal deposition in Late Bronze Age Scotland
One of Eugène Warmenbol's many contributions has been to provide cross-contextual and nuanced perspectives on Bronze Age metalwork deposition in Europe. It is in this spirit that this contribution approaches metalwork from Late Bronze Age Scotland (1100-800BC), with focus on single finds, hoards and settlements. The ways in which objects...Knight, Matthew G
Scotland , settlements, hoards, Late Bronze Age , Eugène Warmenbol, finds, and metalwork deposition
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Video
Book of Hours inscribed by Mary, Queen of Scots
Delve into the pages of an exquisitely illuminated Book of Hours in which Mary, Queen of Scots, inscribed an affectionate verse in French to her great-aunt, Louise de Bourbon. Presented by Dr Anna Groundwater, Principal Curator of Renaissance and Early Modern History. The verse sits within a manuscript 'Book of...Groundwater, Anna
Mary, Queen of Scots, prayers and psalms, vellum, Book of Hours, and Louise de Bourbon
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Book chapter
Lithics
A total of seven flaked lithic artefacts and a flaked and ground stone axehead were recovered during the excavations at Morley Hill (Table 2.1).Anderson-Whymark, Hugo
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Concrete Cairns: Bunker Museums and Cold War Memory on Britain’s Peripheries
This paper will examine two Cold War bunkers in Scotland that have been converted into museums. Both buildings’ ‘cold’ lives and afterlives are integral to the curated stories within and the museums’ multiple meanings contested by communities previously kept out by barbed wire fences.Gledhill, Jim