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Blog post
GeoCASe 2.0 and the evolution of data from physical specimen to the digital
As Principal Curator of the National Museums Scotland’s (NMS) 200 year old ‘Earth System collection, a collection of 70000 minerals, rocks and meteorites, one of my responsibilities is to ensure the collection puts its best foot forward into the Digital Era. So for the past few years, I have lead...Walcott, Rachel
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Blog post
Embroidered crucifixion
Thanks to a generous donation from benefactor Leslie Durst, we have acquired an exquisite seventeenth-century embroidery with a surprising history of secret Catholic devotion. This small panel embodies entwined stories of religious faith, skilled workmanship, and the mythology of a doomed Queen. Senior Curator of Historic Textiles Helen Wyld reveals...Wyld, Helen
Embroidery , Global Arts Cultures And Design , New Acquisitions , and Textiles
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Blog post
Collecting Collections: Brooches
Museums aren’t alone when it comes to collecting objects. Personal collecting, usually more rooted in identity or passion, can offer a glimpse into who people are and what makes them tick. Digital Media Content Manager Russell Dornan reflects on his brooch collection, what it says about his identity and shares...Dornan, Duncan
Collecting , LGBTQIA+, Collections , Jewellery , Brooch , LGBT History Month , and Global Arts Cultures And Design
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Book
Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life
he book of the exhibition, Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life, 2 July-30 October 2022 at the National Museum of Scotland. History and science collide in the fascinating history of anatomy, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci, and the pioneering, lavishly illustrated book by Andreas Vesalius, to the...Phillipson, Tacye
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Book chapter
The hoard of gaming pieces from Lewis, Scotland: The context and meaning
The Lewis hoard of gaming pieces is possibly the most iconic find of medieval material culture discovered in the British Isles. They are more plentiful, more elaborate (combing both figurative and abstract pieces) and more opaque in their find circumstances than the pieces from Sandomierz, but like them appear to...Caldwell, David ; Hall, Mark A
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Exhibition-related event
The Galloway Hoard
Dr Adrian Maldonado, Galloway Hoard Researcher, National Museums Scotland. Dr Adrian Maldonado will unearth the history and stories surrounding the Galloway Hoard, currently on display in Aberdeen Art Gallery. Discover how these stunning objects were assembled 1,100 years ago, and how they are reshaping our understanding of the Viking Age...Maldonado, Adrián
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Journal article
Defining role
Geraldine Kendall Adams talks to Christopher Breward about the shift in priorities for National Museums Scotland. Photography by Philip SayerKendall Adams, Geraldine
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Book chapter
The King and I: Commemorating the privilege of royal statue dedication in Ramesside Deir El-Medina
It is generally understood that in ancient Egyptian statuary, “a private person is never sculpted together with the king”. However, an unusual small limestone statue in the collections of National Museums Scotland contradicts this understanding, depicting a man kneeling to offer a statue of a king (NMS A.1956.139). Clearly Ramesside...Maitland, Margaret
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Journal article
Living with a legacy - Managing the challenges of historic loans and lending at National Museums Scotland
National Museums cares for a collection of over 12.4 million objects and specimens, representing a vast range of collecting spread over five separate sites. The Museums' collecting history spans across 150 years, and like many long-established museums, both lending and borrowing collections have followed different processes and standards. In the...Stevens, Lyn
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Book chapter
Introduction
The 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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Book
Highland Style: Fashioning Highland dress c.1745-1845
For many people across the world, Highland dress, bagpipes and Highland landscapes are the images of Scotland that first spring to mind. Ideas about the Scottish Highlands which took hold around the turn of the 19th century remain to the present day. National Museums Scotland holds a significant collection of...Waine, Rosie
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Book chapter
Foreword
The 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...Breward, Christopher
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Lecture
Ancient African Queens: New perspectives on Black history
Join our panel as they discuss how reassessing 19th and 20th century colonial attitudes can bring new perspectives to fascinating aspects of ancient Egyptian culture and its place in African history.Maitland, Margaret ; Ashby, Solange
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Journal article
Anatomy: A matter of death and life
Dr Tacye Phillipson explores what was behind the demand for a supply of dead bodies in 19th-century Edinburgh - and how and why this grisly practice cam to an end.Phillipson, Tacye
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Book
Curious devices and mighty machines: Exploring Science Museums
Science museums have paradoxes at their core. They must be accessible and fun while representing increasingly complex science. They must be both historic and contemporary. Their exhibits attract millions, but most of their objects remain in deep storage, seldom seen. This book delves into these conflicts, revealing the secret lives...Alberti, S J M M
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Blog post
Collecting Scottish constitutional politics: 5 representative objects
Scottish politics is currently undergoing one of the most consequential and controversial periods in its modern history. Recently, important questions about the status of Scotland within a political union, the United Kingdom, have been posed. These politics are not only played out in formal debates and institutions, but in the...Vullinghs, Georgia
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Blog post
Dedicated collector: Michael Daniels and his Eocene birds
A stunning collection of over 700 bird fossils has been bequeathed to National Museums Scotland. Collected in Essex by Michael Daniels, the fossils date from 54-56 million years ago, the beginning of the Eocene period. They represent the early stages in the evolution of modern birds and contain many species...Kitchener, Andrew C
Conservation , Fossil Hunters , Palaeontology, Birds , Collections, Fossils , and Natural Sciences
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Journal article
First large‐scale quantification study of DNA preservation in insects from natural history collections using genome‐wide sequencing
Insect declines are a global issue with significant ecological and economic ramifications. Yet, we have a poor understanding of the genomic impact these losses can have. Genome-wide data from historical specimens have the potential to provide baselines of population genetic measures to study population change, with natural history collections representing... -
Journal article
Signatures of increasing environmental stress in bumblebee wings over the past century: Insights from museum specimens
Determining when animal populations have experienced stress in the past is fundamental to understanding how risk factors drive contemporary and future species' responses to environmental change. For insects, quantifying stress and associating it with environmental factors has been challenging due to a paucity of time-series data and because detectable population-level... -
Lecture
Beyond Treasure: new findings from fieldwork on Scotland’s prehistoric hoards
Hoards evoke stories and generate questions: Why do people collect things, both now and in the past? How do ordinary things become treasured objects? And why do we find these discoveries so fascinating? Hoards help us imagine particular events – the moment of burial, the moment of discovery – but...Freeman, Emily ; Knight, Matthew
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Lecture
The Galloway Hoard latest findings
Hoards evoke stories and generate questions: Why do people collect things, both now and in the past? How do ordinary things become treasured objects? And why do we find these discoveries so fascinating? Hoards help us imagine particular events – the moment of burial, the moment of discovery – but...Goldberg, Martin
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Journal article
Middle Jurassic fossils document an early stage in salamander evolution
Salamanders are an important group of living amphibians and model organisms for understanding locomotion, development, regeneration, feeding, and toxicity in tetrapods. However, their origin and early radiation remain poorly understood, with early fossil stem-salamanders so far represented by larval or incompletely known taxa. This poor record also limits understanding of...Jones, Marc E H ; Benson, Roger B J ; Skutschas, Pavel ; Hill, Lucy ; Panciroli, Elsa …
AMPHIBIANS , PHYLOGENY , JURASSIC , SALAMANDER, and EVOLUTION
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Blog post
Flying without wings: The conservation of a DC-10 aircraft mode
How do you conserve a model aircraft? The DC-10 in our aviation collection was in need of repair to bring it back to its former glory. In this blog Suncana Marochini gives us a quick blow by blow of the conservation process. Prepare for lift-off, Suncana!Marochini, Suncana
Aviation , Aircraft, DC-10, and Conservation
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Book
Hugh Miller: stonemason, geologist, writer
Hugh Miller was born in 1802 in Cromarty, Ross-shire. He started his working life as a stonemason’s apprentice; he later became a social commentator and crusader. He also inspired in others an interest in fossils. His was a household name in his lifetime, not only in Scotland but across the...Taylor, Michael A
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Blog post
Unwrapping stories revisiting the costume at Paxton House
Nestled on the bank of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, Paxton House is an eighteenth-century home and museum with exceptional collections. The Chippendale and Trotter furniture is recognised as being of international importance, and the building itself is Grade A listed. But what else lies hidden in storage?Tayor, Emily ; Murrell, Fiona Salvesen
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Journal article
‘Is Radioactive Iodine Present Equally in the Cream on Milk as in the Milk Itself?’: Lonely Sources and the Gendered history of Cold War Britain
This article argues that one way to foreground and privilege women's perspectives on the Cold War is by re-interpreting their historical experiences of food and drink. The article develops this argument by analysing one letter, from an unknown woman to the BBC, in the context of nuclear health concerns in...Douthwaite, Jessica
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Lecture
Ice Age Fauna of Scotland and the Loch Ryan Mammoths
Scotland is renowned today for its rich and varied wildlife but have you ever wondered what lived here in the past? Andrew Kitchener, Principle Curator of Vertebrates at National Museum of Scotland, presents a talk about creatures that lived in Scotland during the Ice Ages. The talk will include a...Kitchener, Andrew
Stranraer, mammoth, Ice age, and Rhins of Galloway
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Journal article
Noninvasive Characterization and Quantification of Anthraquinones in Dyed Woolen Threads by Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy
The anthraquinone components of the roots of various species of madder (like Rubia tinctorum L. and Rubia peregrina L.) have been used for millennia as red colorants in textiles, carpets, tapestries, and other objects. To understand the selection and preparation of dyestuffs in various cultures and historical periods, these dyes...Chavanne, Clarisse ; Troalen, Lore G ; Fronty, Isabelle Bardies ; Buléon, Pascal ; Walter, Philippe
Dyes and pigments, Optical properties, Color, Extraction, and Liquid chromatography
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Journal article
Northern Modernist Jewellery – a museum collecting project
In 2015 National Museums Scotland was awarded an Art Fund New Collecting Award to collect, research and disseminate jewellery designed and created in Britain and the Nordic States between 1945-1978. The project highlighted a legacy of transnational influences and traditions within Northern Europe, particularly shared cultural heritage, the influence of...Rothwell, Sarah
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Journal article
Nouveaux départs ? Écrire l’histoire de l’art par ses déplacements
Depuis une dizaine d’années, on observe un glissement dans l’historiographie française des institutions culturelles et dans les études sur la vie sociale et culturelle des œuvres. Dans le cadre d’une histoire classique des collections, qui perçoit l’artefact surtout à travers la formation des collections privées et publiques, des logiques de... -
Lecture
The Fossil Insects of Scotland
Fossil insects are rare in Scotland, though those that are found are significant and are from four periods: Specimens from the Lower Devonian Rhynie Chert of Aberdeenshire are the oldest in the world; a few species are known from the Upper Carboniferous Coal Measures of Ayrshire and Fife; as yet...Ross, Andrew J
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Lecture
The Ballachulish Goddess
Come along to Glencoe Folk Museum to learn about the mysterious Ballachulish Goddess from an expert in the field.Hunter, Fraser
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Lecture
Insights into the Dan Klein Collection
The British Museums Object Conservator Stefka Bargazova and National Museums Scotland Senior Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design Sarah Rothwell join us to discuss the Dan Klein Conservation Project, a wonderful collaborative project that they initiated in 2017 that brought conservators, curators, and practitioners together to share their knowledge to...Bargazova, Stefka ; Rothwell, Sarah
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Conference paper (unpublished)
The Body Beautiful: Addressing Cultural Diversity in Museum Fashion Collections
Collecting as a practice and the collections that result from this practice are crucial for museums. Collecting and collections embody power on many different levels – providing insights and basic knowledge, illustrating specific practices of our work to the widest audiences, and forming a basis for contextualizing our world. How...Ripley, Georgina
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Not So Hidden Messages – an Exploration of Contemporary Artist Jewellers Using Text as Persuasive Statement
Rothwell, Sarah
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Confronting colonial histories and legacies in Egyptian and Sudanese collections at National Museums Scotland
Maitland, Margaret
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Lecture
Diaspora Flows of Cultural Artefacts to and from Africa
In this session we were pleased to welcome keynote speakers who are experts in their specialist research and engagement with Africa’s historic, material culture; architecture, artefacts and their involvement with the curation and presentation of heritage to the public both in the diaspora and in Africa. A key theme of...Kingdon, Zachary ; Chirikure, Shadreck ; Layiwola, Peju ; Aderinto, Saheed ; Lawanson, Taibat …
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Lecture
Dressing the cultural imaginary: whose ‘gypsy’?
Emily Taylor and Benjamin Wild discuss the collector Charles W. Stewart.Tayor, Emily ; Wild, Benjamin Linley
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Journal article
New fossils from the London Clay show that the Eocene Masillaraptoridae are stem group representatives of falcons (Aves, Falconiformes)
The Eocene taxon Masillaraptoridae includes long-legged, raptorial birds, the phylogenetic affinities of which are poorly resolved. Here, fossils from the London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, U.K.) are described, which corroborate the hypothesis that masillaraptorids are stem group representatives of the Falconiformes (falcons). Two partial skeletons are assigned to a new...Mayr, Gerald ; Kitchener, Andrew C
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Journal article
Oldest fossil loon documents a pronounced ecomorphological shift in the evolution of gaviiform birds
We describe a stem group representative of Gaviiformes (loons or divers) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK). The holotype of Nasidytes ypresianus gen. et sp. nov. is a partial skeleton including the mandible and all major limb bones. The new species is the oldest unambiguously identified...Mayr, Gerald ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Nasidytes ypresianus, Walton-on-the-Naze, Aves, fossil birds, and London Clay
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Journal article
Early Eocene fossil illuminates the ancestral (diurnal) ecomorphology of owls and documents a mosaic evolution of the strigiform body plan
We describe a partial skeleton of a fossil owl (Strigiformes) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK). The holotype of Ypresiglaux michaeldanielsi, gen. et sp. nov. is one of the most complete specimens of a Palaeogene owl and elucidates the poorly known ecomorphology of stem group Strigiformes....Mayr, Gerald ; Kitchener, Andrew C
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Journal article
Edmund Jarzembowski at 70: An appreciation
Edmund Aleksander Jarzembowski (BSc PhD FGS FRES) is currently a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow; Scientific Associate (researcher) at The Natural History Museum London (NHMUK); and Professor at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), Nanjing, specializing in the study of fossil insects (palaeoentomology).Austen, Peter A ; Wang, Bo ; Ross, Andrew J ; Coram, Robert A
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Lecture
From Gaul to Galloway: Early Celtic Art and Iron Age Connections
Galloway has produced remarkable treasures of early Celtic art such as the Torrs pony cap, found near Castle Douglas, but their stories are little known. Fraser Hunter, principal curator of prehistoric and Roman archaeology at National Museums Scotland, uses art and archaeology as witnesses to the area’s ancient past. How...Hunter, Fraser
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Book chapter
Harnessing the power of natural science collections: a blueprint for the UK
Between September 2021 and March 2022, a consortium across the twelve major regions of the UK, led by the Natural History Museum, London (NHM), participated in a study to develop the business case and plan to support a national programme of natural science collections digitisation. This work, funded by the... -
Lecture
Co-evolution of geological and biology from a mineralogical perspective
• Earth's surface harbours at least 5809 known minerals, but when Earth first formed 4.65 billion years ago, it had about 420. Moreover, what is common on the surface today was uncommon then. Many rocks and minerals have come into being while others have become extinct. • The overall increase...Walcott, Rachel
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Book chapter
13-inch lunar globe, by Räth, East German, c. 1961 Wh.6098 13.5-inch lunar globe, by Lipsky, Russian, 1967 Wh.6683
The forty-year global conflict known as the Cold War had many fronts. Some of them, like proxy wars in Asia and Africa, were hot; others, like the Berlin Wall or the northern North Sea, were indeed cold; but colder still were the battle lines drawn up in space. Famously, the...Alberti, S J M M
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Book chapter
Medals illustrating various scientific subjects, by E. Thomason, English, mid-19th century Wh.4511
This set of sixteen Scientific and Philosophical Medals, each three inches in diameter, were sold with a magnifying glass in a book-shaped leather and velvet case. They were first advertised in 1829 by the Birmingham manufacturer, Edward Thomason. The son of a buckle manufacturer, Thomason had been apprenticed to Boulton...Higgitt, Rebekah
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Smart and Sustainable: Collecting urban transport and mobility innovation in the 2020
Scotland’s cities are experiencing a revolution in smart, sustainable transport and active travel. City centre transformation schemes were radically accelerated by Covid-19, prioritising pedestrians and cyclists over motor vehicles in response to the public health emergency. Concurrently, electric vehicles, cargo bike delivery collectives, bike hire schemes, an extended tram network...Greiling, Meridith
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Newspaper article
Taking another look at the past
There are over 12 million objects in Scotland’s National Collection, ranging across natural sciences, Scottish history and archaeology, art, design, science, technology and ancient and living cultures from around the world.Giblin, John
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Blog post
Capturing the present with 20th century photographic equipment
In the 20th century, camera technology was very different to the digital cameras we use today. As part of the Scotland 365 Youth Project, Julie Gibb explains how a group of young people used this older photographic technology to capture objects in the collection with a connection to their local...Gibb, Julie
National Museums Collection Centre, Scotland 365, and Photography
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Blog post
Object itineraries and tools of knowledge
One aspect of the data enhancement that forms part of the Tools of Knowledge project involves connecting the remodelled SIMON database with object data from partner institutions. Bringing in object data, as a first step, allows us to make more connections, undertake new kinds of analysis, and reveal new stories...Middle, Sarah
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Don’t believe the hype: scientific instruments and inflated expectations, 1550-1914
The Tools of Knowledge project is remodelling the legacy Scientific Instrument Makers, Observations and Notes (SIMON) database, and significantly enhancing the information it contains about the scientific instrument trade between 1550-1914. One key aim is to reconnect the persons involved in the craft and trade with the instruments that they...Middle, Sarah ; Butterworth, Alex ; Hay, Duncan ; Higgitt, Rebekah
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Conference paper (unpublished)
A Five-Star Model for Linked Humanities Data Usability
Middle, Sarah
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Presentation
Jacobite material culture
Vullinghs, Georgia
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Abstract
At the edge of the waterscape: Interaction at the boundaries between drainage basins in early prehistoric Britain and Ireland
River catchments and drainage basins are being increasingly used as units of ecological and socio-political organisation. There is also ample evidence in the archaeological record that knowledge of drainage basins was important in the past. This paper will explore a wide array of archaeological evidence that the watershed boundaries of...Goldberg, Martin
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Abstract
Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard: Object Biographies in the Galloway Hoard
The stereotype of Viking-age hoards in Britain is that they are products of an international context of mobility, migration and raiding, buried at times of stress or under duress. Initially heralded as a ‘Viking’ hoard par excellence, the ongoing conservation and research on the Galloway Hoard from southwest Scotland continues...Goldberg, Martin ; Davis, Mary
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Book chapter
AA: Vessel fragments not allocated to types
Among the material not catalogued by Curl was a box of 'scrap' (see Chapter 31). It is presented here in the following categories: decorated elements; other unusual elements; feature sherds (rims, base); fragments with lathe grooves; body sherds and non-diagnostic material.Hunter, Fraser
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Book chapter
Other hoards with Roman Hacksilber
This appendix offers background and analysis of all Hacksilber hoards, defined here as hoards with cut, folded or crushed Roman plate.Hunter, Fraser
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Book chapter
Technical case studies of particular vessel types
The objects in the Traprain Law hoard have been grouped according to their shape and function. The characteristics and construction of each major group are discussed below, with examples. Radio-graphs referenced here can be found in the Catalogue section.Lang, Janet ; Troalen, Lore
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Book chapter
Compositional data from the Traprain Treasure
Analysis of the Traprain Law Treasure was under-taken in the science laboratory of National Museums Scotland between 2008 and 2018. Ninety-three fragments of the silver were investigated by X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) and particle-induced X-ray emission analysis (uPIXE)Troalen, Lore ; Tate, Jim
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Book chapter
The Treasure of Traprain: conclusions and questions
Tackling the Hacksilber hoard from Traprain Law is an imposing project. Not only in the primary publication by Alexander Curle a masterly analysis that has survived the test of time, but the sheer scale of the material is daunting. Our work suggests that the surviving 23kg consisted of 327 individual...Hunter, Fraser ; Kaufmann-Heinimann, Annemarie ; Painter, Kenneth
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Book chapter
After the Traprain Treasure: Hacksilber hoarding in 5th/6th-century Scotland
After the supply of late Roman silver was cut off in the 5th century, this precious metal became a finite resource in northern Britain until new supplies were introduced during the Viking Age. In between these two periods of abundant supply, the chronology of silver use and recycling in early...Goldberg, Martin ; Blackwell, Alice
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Book chapter
A context for the Treasure: Traprain Law and Rome's northern frontier
The discovery of the Traprain Treasure was the most dramatic moment in a spectacular and long-running excavation. While nothing else quite matched the excitement of this find, the results of work at Traprain Law redefined perspectives on the Scottish Iron Age and relations with the Roman world. This chapter will...Hunter, Fraser
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Book chapter
Hacksilber in the Roman period and beyond
Although Alexander Curle was able to call on the Ballinrees (Coleraine) hoard from Northern Ireland as a parallel for the hacking of Traprain, it was not until Wilhelm Grunhagen's 1954 study of the Großbodungen hoard (Thüringen/Germany) [Illus 41.1] that Hacksilber saw serious study as a concept in the Roman period....Hunter, Fraser
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Book chapter
Hacking the Traprain Treasure
The Traprain Law Treasure1 has traditionally been viewed as a group of late Roman silver that met an unfortunate fate. Most vessels had been completely distorted, often by multiple hacking phases, with fittings removed, rims severed, footrings pushed out of position and sometimes even split lengthwise. Many had been crushed...Hunter, Fraser
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Book chapter
The technology of the Traprain Treasure
When the hoard was first found, according to Alexander Curle, the metal was greyish-brown and 'appeared to be embedded in a purple paste'.Troalen, Lore ; Lang, Janet
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Book chapter
Insights from unidentified fragments
Alexander Curle's published catalogue consists of 152 entries, which correlate directly with National Museums Scotland catalogue nos GVA 1-152. His entry 144 is for a 'collection of irregularly-shaped fragments of undecorated, thin pieces of plate which has probably broken off platters or other flat dishes.Hunter, Fraser
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Book chapter
'I have had a great day': A O Curle and the discovery of the Traprain Treasure
The recovery of the Traprain Treasure was by far the greatest moment in Alexander Ormiston Curle's antiquarian career [Illus 1.1]. It is safe to assume that at the outset of the work in East Lothian on behalf of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, he had no expectation of such...Clarke, David
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Book chapter
Introduction
On 12 May 1919, a workman was digging on the Iron Age hillfort of Traprain Law in East Lothian, some 30km east of Edinburgh in south-east Scotland [p1]. The work had only restarted for a fortnight: excavations had been in abeyance for three years in the turmoil of the Great...Hunter, Fraser ; Kaufmann-Heinimann, Annemarie ; Painter, Kenneth
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Book chapter
Foreword
The late Roman silver hoard from Traprain Law is one of the treasures of National Museums Scotland and has excited international attention since its discovery a century ago.Breward, Christopher
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Blog post
The many lives of the Traprain Treasure’s Roman silver
One of the greatest treasures of our museum is the late Roman silver hoard from Traprain Law in East Lothian, which fills three display cases in the Early People gallery. Found in excavations in 1919, it’s been on display pretty much constantly since 1920. Now, more than a century after...Hunter, Fraser
Traprain Treasure, Silver, and Roman
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Late antique Scotland: The earliest Christians in Galloway
This paper will cover the evidence for the arrival of Christianity in south-west Scotland, in particular focusing on new research on Kirkmadrine and Whithorn. It is argued that the missionary model for conversion to Christianity is insufficient, and explores other archaeological evidence for contacts between this region and the late...Maldonado, Adrián
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Lecture
Chasing threads: where next for the Galloway Hoard?
Join Dr Adrián Maldonado as he summarise the main findings from this seminar series, address some recurring audience questions, and discuss the gaps in our knowledge which still remain about the Galloway Hoard. Buried at the beginning of the 10th century in Dumfries and Galloway, the Hoard lay undisturbed for...Maldonado, Adrián
Online Community Seminars, #scotland, Online Seminars, #vikings, Online Events, #history, #heritage, and #gallowayhoard
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Book
Little black dress: a radical fashion
In 1926, Coco Chanel designed a simple, short black dress described in American Vogue as 'the frock that the entire world will wear'. This lavishly illustrated book with contributions from experts explores interpretations of the 'LBD' throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.Ripley, Georgina
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Journal article
William Littler in West Pans; His Marriage to Jane Booth
The hamlet of West Pans, 1 1/4miles east-north-east of Musselburgh on the south side of the Firth of Forth, included a rocky foreshore on which stood the saltpans from which the name is derived. However, it is not just salt production there from at least the 12th century, but the...Haggarty, George R ; Gaskell, Tony
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Blog post
Viewing museum objects through a Cold War Lens – eye-opening possibilities
In museums, Cold War history is often hidden in plain sight. Objects are silently relevant. Timelines skip across well-known dates of the postwar period. Maps steer visitors’ eyes towards ‘hotspots’. Thematic exhibitions shake up narrative. Omission is the natural by-product of curatorial focus. Coupled with the false but detrimental view...Douthwaite, Jessica
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Blog post
Exchange: Exploring experiences of empire, migration and life in Britain
Over the last year, the ‘Exchange: Community-Led Collections Research’ project has helped galleries, libraries, archives and museums to work with South Asian, African and Caribbean diaspora organisations to answer research questions identified by these community groups. National Museums Scotland and Royal Museums Greenwich, London, worked as a hub to gather...Barry, Yahya
Scotland's Material Heritage, Exchange , Black History Month , Colonial Histories And Legacies , and Partnerships
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Blog post
From Scotland with love: the origins of Ian Fleming and James Bond
Bond. James Bond. These three words are some of the most famous in cinematic history. For almost 60 years and across 25 films, the Bond movies have grown into one of the most recognisable and profitable film franchises of all time. Scotland – its people and its places – has...Robertson, Calum
Film, James Bond , and National War Museum
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Journal article
Collecting COVID-19 at National Museums Scotland
This opinion piece discusses National Museums Scotland’s first responses to collecting COVID-19. Drawing on perspectives from social history, biomedical science and military history, this short paper contextualizes COVID-related collecting within the contexts of the organization’s programme of contemporary collecting and the nation’s ongoing socio-political journey.Laurenson, Sarah ; Robertson, Calum ; Goggins, Sophie
Scotland, Contemporary collecting, social history, military history, and medical history
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Blog post
Dressed to kill? A 16th century doublet in historical context
A dazzling Renaissance silk doublet is now on display in the Fashion and Style gallery at National Museums Scotland. In this blog Helen Wyld, Senior Curator of Historic Textiles, and Calum Robertson, Curator of Modern and Military History, take a deep dive into the history of the doublet, and its...Wyld, Helen ; Robertson, Calum
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Video
Robert Burns on film
As part of Burns&Beyond 2021 celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns with curator Dr Calum Robertson and objects from our collection.Robertson, Calum
Music and performance, Belief, Military, Books and printing , Film , Scottish History and Archaeology , and Ceramic and glass
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Lecture
Place, from a distance: using digital media to go local
Objects in a museum’s collections are often a natural focus for digital media activities – but what about the places the objects come from?International audiences have long been fascinated with Scotland’s historic landscapes and communities. Domestic audiences, partly due to pandemic lockdowns making knowledge of ‘the local’ more integral to...Weinczok , David
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Lecture
A shot in the arm for QR Codes in museums
QR codes in museums & galleries draw strong reactions from many in the GLAM community. The COVID pandemic has given these little black & white squares shot in the arm, but how can museums ensure they’re used considerately and enhance the visitor experience? Adam Coulson has been testing out how...Coulson, Adam
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Podcast
The Galloway Hoard
Listen in as Dr Adrián Maldonado and Dr Tim Carlisle discuss: ‘What is a hoard?’ and ‘what makes The Galloway Hoard so unique?’Maldonado, Adrián ; Carlisle, Tim
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Newspaper article
We’re revisiting our stories of Empire in museums and galleries - Dr John Giblin and Dr Yahya Barry
Across the UK, galleries, museums, libraries and archives hold collections which tell many millions of stories. Some of these are better known than others, while some are yet to be properly explored.Giblin, John ; Barry, Yahya
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Lecture
Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard
The Galloway Hoard contains an unusual variety of materials and artefact types beyond the silver bullion so often found in Viking-age hoards. The find included heirlooms, ecclesiastical items (one of which names a previously unknown Northumbrian bishop), and the rare preservation of organic materials wrapping parcels and distinct groups. A...Goldberg, Martin
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Blog post
Air Personnel of Colour: Recovering their experiences in Scottish wartime aviation
A new project looks to recover and reconstruct the presence of personnel of colour within the RAF in Scotland during the two world wars. PhD researcher Isobel Westbury will explore the diversity of people connected to flying in Scotland during this period and talks us through the aims, and her...Westbury, Isobel
Wartime Experience , War , World War Two, Aircraft , World War One , Black History Month , Research , and Colonial Histories And Legacies
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Book chapter
Following the Threads of 19th-Century Edinburgh Science
Starting work at National Museums Scotland in 2020, while access to collections and archives was limited, prompted me to see what I could learn of 19th-century Edinburgh’s scientific circles from the life of a “genial and kindly” Scottish participant in the 1874 transit of Venus expeditions. I first encountered him...Higgitt, Rebekah
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Journal article
Synchrotron tomography of a stem lizard elucidates early squamate anatomy
Squamates (lizards and snakes) include more than 10,000 living species, descended from an ancestor that diverged more than 240 million years ago from that of their closest living relative, Sphenodon. However, a deficiency of fossil evidence1,2,3,4,5,6,7, combined with serious conflicts between molecular and morphological accounts of squamate phylogeny8,9,10,11,12,13 (but see...Tałanda, Mateusz ; Fernandez, Vincent ; Panciroli, Elsa ; Evans, Susan E ; Benson, Roger J
Skeleton, Herpetology , Phylogenetics , and Palaeontology