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Contents Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections Society for Museum Archaeology 2020
Contents
Standards and Guidance in the Care of
Archaeological Collections
Society for Museum Archaeology 2020
© Society for Museum Archaeology and individual contributors 2020.
Editors: Gail Boyle and Anooshka Rawden.
Images reproduced on the front cover and on pages 6, 37, 51 and 70
courtesy and © Bristol Culture.
Design and layout by Maria Geals.
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 1
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Part 1: Collect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Introduction to collecting archaeology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Collections policies (key considerations) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Collections development policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Deposition policy and procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Selection and retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Donations, bequests and purchases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Human remains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Rationalisation and disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Preparation and Transfer of Archaeological Archives . . . . . . . . . 18
Collecting archaeological archives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
The purpose of an archaeological archive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Archive contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Existing guidance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Deposition standards and guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
How an archive is created . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Project stages and communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Communication between the project stakeholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Copyright and ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Human Remains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Human remains in archaeology collections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Key legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Collections management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Collections care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Writing a human remains policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 2
Contents
Record Holders & Sources of Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Historic Environment Records (HERs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
The Portable Antiquities Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Subject Specialist Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
The Society for Museum Archaeology (SMA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Chartered Institute for Archaeology (CIfA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Planning archaeologists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Museum Development Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Part 2: Manage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Managing Archaeological Collections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Collections management: archaeology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Primary Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Sources of archaeological materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Actions and conversations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Archaeological archives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Archives in poor condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Transfer of title and copyright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Human remains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Transfer of title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Bulk accessioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Inventory: specific additional considerations in relation to archaeology . . . . . . . 44
Cataloguing: specific additional considerations in relation to archaeology . . . . . 44
Object exit: specific additional considerations in relation to archaeology . . . . . . 45
Loans in (borrowing objects): specific additional considerations in
relation to archaeology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Loans out (lending objects): specific additional considerations in
relation to archaeology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Documentation planning: specific additional considerations in
relation to archaeology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Health and Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Relevant legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 3
Contents
Inherent hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Contamination from the ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Contamination in storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Reducing risk when working with collections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Part 3: Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Using Archaeology Collections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Practicalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Positive outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Collections research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Enabling research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Research charter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Research & community archaeology projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Public impact and research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Collections engagement: archaeology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Audiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Contributor Biographies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 4Contents Introduction These standards and guidelines have been produced by the Society for Museum Archaeology (SMA), which is the Subject Specialist Network for British Archaeology in the UK. They seek to update the 1992 Standards in the Museum Care of Archaeological Collections, one of a series of guidance documents produced by the Museum and Galleries Commission in 1992. Although the 1992 Standards remain a useful guide, they are recognised as being outdated and no longer reflect the reality of archaeology collections management in light of a rapidly changing sector. SMA also recognises that museums are no longer the only type of organisation, which are managing archaeological collections. The updated content was produced after a thorough review of the 1992 Standards, which included an evidence mapping exercise and consultation with focus groups comprising a wide range of sector representatives in 2019. It is hoped that as a result these revised guidelines are more accessible and will signpost all those who work with archaeological collections, whether professionally or voluntarily, whether a subject specialist or not, to current best practice. It is with thanks to Arts Council England for its Subject Specialist Network Fund grant to the Society for Museum Archaeology, and support from a wide range of recognised thematic and collections specialists, that these new Standards have been made possible. Gail Boyle and Anooshka Rawden (Eds.) March 2020 Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 5
Contents
Part 1: Collect
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 6Part 1: Collect Contents
Introduction to
collecting archaeology
Museums may hold large amounts of Although these broad categories persist, times
archaeological material amassed over have changed since this list was produced.
long periods of time from a wide variety of
sources, which can incorporate material ཌཌ The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS)
dating from the earliest human activity now covers most of England and Wales
to the present day. Some of this material and creates accurate records of metal-
will originate from the interests of early detected objects (and any other chance
antiquarians and collectors, and others finds) made by members of the public.
can derive from modern development-led ཌཌ Archaeological work was incorporated into
commercial archaeological investigations, the planning system across the UK in the
or from community archaeology projects. early 1990s to manage the impacts that
development may have on the historic
In 1997, Susan Pearce divided archae- environment. As a result, most fieldwork in
ological collections found in museums the UK is now carried out by independent
into six categories (Pearce, 1997 p49): commercial archaeology units, and is
funded by developers who are required
1. Single pieces or small groups found as to carry out archaeological investigation
chance finds, often with very limited in advance of development as part of the
records attached. The majority of these planning process. The products of their
in any given museum collection are likely work are often deposited in museums as
to be local finds. ‘archaeological archives’.
2. Large groups formed as private collections,
sometimes with substantial records The majority of archaeological collecting by
attached. These may be from anywhere museums in the UK results from the delivery of
in Britain or abroad but may well include the planning process. The National Planning
local material. Collections of this kind Policy Framework (NPPF) states that:
were mostly acquired before c. 1950.
3. Material from museum-based “Local planning authorities should require
excavations. These will be local with developers to record and advance
excellent records. The material is likely understanding of the significance of
to be of relatively recent accession. any heritage assets to be lost (wholly
4. Material from excavations conducted or in part) in a manner proportionate
by other bodies, including from all old to their importance and the impact,
excavations, and from new excavations and to make this evidence (and any
where consultation is a possibility. archive generated) publicly accessible.”
5. Material from fieldwork projects. This NPPF (199)
is likely to be of recent and ongoing
accession, and the museum should have It goes on to define making archaeological
links with the organisation. evidence ‘publicly accessible’ by ensuring
6. To this list must be added material that “copies of evidence should be deposited with
has been discovered by metal-detectors. the relevant historic environment record,
Here a judgement has to be formed about and any [archaeological] archives with a
the value of associated information. local museum or other public depository.”
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 7Part 1: Collect Contents
An archaeological archive is defined by “An accredited repository for the
the Archaeological Resources in Cultural collection, curation and safe-guarding
Heritage European Standard (ARCHES) of archaeological archive material which
as follows: is pro-actively managed and developed
by staff qualified to ensure continued
“An archaeological archive comprises public engagement with, and the best
all records and materials recovered possible access to the archaeological
during an archaeological project and resource, for the purposes of enquiry,
identified for long-term preservation, exhibition, learning, research, inspiration,
including artefacts, ecofacts and other enjoyment and general interest.”
environmental remains, waste products, Society for Museum Archaeology (2018)
scientific samples and also written and
visual documentation in paper, film and This definition applies to museums with
digital form.” archaeological collections but also to
other types of organisation, such as local
These archives will for the most part authorities that have created their own
form a distinct group of entities within archive stores with no direct museum
an overall archaeological collection and affiliation. These include, for example, those
sit alongside the other elements within managed by Cambridgeshire County Council
it. Many museums will have acquired and Suffolk County Council, where historically
large quantities of material as a result of there has been no county museum and local
the planning and development process, museums have never had the capacity to
although there is no statutory requirement collect large archaeological archives.
for them to do so. The sheer quantity of
material being produced in this way has In addition to archaeological archives, objects
led to some museums refusing to collect may also be acquired by private purchase
archives, usually as the result of limited or public auction, through the Treasure
storage space and lack of staff expertise. process and through community archaeology
excavation and field-walking activities,
All museums that continue to collect as well as by gift from individuals who have
archives should develop a Deposition Policy made chance finds. Occasionally material
and Procedure (also known as ‘Deposition will also be gifted as part of a bequest.
Guidelines’ or ‘Conditions of Acceptance
of Archaeological Archives’) that prescribe All the material in archaeology collections
the process by which these archives will be form part of the evidence base relating
collected, the form they should be physically to the wider archaeological and heritage-
presented in, the documentation required related landscape. It is important to
and a schedule of fees associated with recognise an archaeological collection is
the process. made up of both objects and the records
that they are associated with. These records
If the products of these archaeological also take many forms, for example, personal
interventions are to remain accessible correspondence, administrative papers and
for future generations, it follows that they transcribed oral histories, each of which
should be deposited in publicly accessible may provide information that leads to the
repositories – a Publicly Accessible better understanding of human activity,
Repository has been defined by the archaeological sites or their social and
Society for Museum Archaeology as: historical contexts.
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 8Part 1: Collect Contents The development of all archaeology collections should be governed by a Collections Development Policy, which will refer to its scope, the geographic area it encompasses and the legislative framework under which material will be collected, as well as policies such as those governing human remains. Resources ཌཌ Association of Local Government Officers (UK) ཌཌ Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre (Deposition Guidelines) ཌཌ Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) ཌཌ Society for Museum Archaeology: Definition of ‘Publicly Accessible Repositories’ Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 9
Part 1: Collect Contents
Collections policies
(key considerations)
Collections development policy The template includes references to key
areas of law relevant to archaeological
Museums hold objects in trust for future collections such as spoliation, UNESCO
generations. In order to do so appropriately conventions, and human remains.
and ethically, all museums should have a
policy which governs what they will collect There is no statutory requirement for
as well as what may be considered for museums to collect archaeological
disposal, based on the organisation’s ability archives that result from excavation or
to care for its collections in the long term. any other form of intervention. Museums
should be specific about their position
In order to meet the required standards on this (i.e. whether they are prepared
of the Arts Council England UK Museum to collect archaeological archives or not)
Accreditation Scheme, museums in the UK in their Collections Development Policy.
should have: The Collections Development Policy should
also include a definition of what the museum
“a policy, approved by the governing considers an archaeological archive to
body, for developing collections, be, and a clearly defined geographic
including acquisitions and disposals.” collecting area.
Arts Council England (2018)
Accreditation Guidance Archaeological archives are the result of
archaeological projects, which are carried
All museums should consider adopting a out by a wide variety of organisations,
Collections Development Policy as good including commercial archaeology
practice, regardless of whether they are units, community groups and academic
Accredited or wish to become so. organisations. The majority of archives
will be those created by archaeology units
A Collections Development Policy as the result of a condition placed on a
should include: developer as part of the planning process.
Museums may receive requests to deposit
ཌཌ The museum’s statement of purpose. archives from numerous organisations,
ཌཌ An overview of current collections. which may or may not be operating
ཌཌ Themes and priorities for future collecting. commercially, or which may or may not be
ཌཌ Themes and priorities for rationalisation in receipt of research-funding or grant-aid.
and disposal. Whilst the Collections Development Policy
ཌཌ Information about the legal and ethical is crucial in establishing what a museum
framework for acquiring and disposing will or will not collect and from where,
of items. as well as framing its future collecting
ཌཌ The date you’ll next review the policy. activity, the detail of how it approaches
the deposition of archives should be
Arts Council England provides a template the subject of a detailed Deposition
Collections Development Policy, which Policy and Procedure (also known as
museums can adapt for their specific ‘Deposition Guidelines’ or ‘Conditions of
collecting areas. Acceptance of Archaeological Archives’).
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 10Part 1: Collect Contents
Deposition policy and procedure Selection and retention
The nature, scale and scope of an archive Control measures that limit what is collected
is often unknown at the point at which can be specified in a Deposition Policy
an archaeology unit (or any other type and Procedure. Nevertheless, it is not best
of organisation) approaches a museum practice to introduce measures to reduce
for confirmation that it would be willing to archives to such an extent that what is
accept it (see Spectrum; Object Entry in collected would make future reinvestigation
this document). Additionally, whereas many of the original research questions it
objects can be considered for acquisition addressed impossible. An archaeological
on an individual and case-by-case archive should not be the subject of
basis (such as stray finds and Treasure), ‘cherry-picking’ but should be managed
archaeological archives are generally by the adoption of an agreed selection
accepted based on their production within and retention strategy. A selection and
a geographic collecting area. As a result, retention strategy should be developed in
a museum may have limited control over consultation with all stakeholders relative to
the volume of archives it receives as this the production and curation of an archive.
is dependent on what is found during The Chartered Institute for Archaeology
excavation and how much development (CIfA) and Historic England have produced
takes place within its collecting area. a Toolkit for Selecting Archaeological
Archives (2019) to help ensure selection is
All museums collecting archaeological focused on what should be retained in order
archives should have a Deposition Policy to preserve the integrity of the archive, while
and Procedure as well as a Collections also ensuring sustainable collecting.
Development Policy. The Deposition
Policy and Procedure (also known as There are several other important
‘Deposition Guidelines’ or ‘Conditions of considerations that should be referenced
Acceptance of Archaeological Archives’) in a Deposition Policy and Procedure:
is a document that complements a
Collections Development Policy. It should ཌཌ Museums are recommended to charge a
provide clear guidance to archaeology units, deposition fee to offset the costs involved
universities, societies and others regarding in the administration of the deposition
the museum’s specific requirements for process as well as representing a
the creation, compilation and transfer of financial contribution to the long-term
archaeological archive components. These storage and curation of the archive.
requirements may cover the treatment of This is one of the recommendations
specific types of finds, preferred methods of made by Historic England in response to
packing (including box sizes and packaging The Mendoza Review (2017) as follows:
materials) and the documentation required
as part of the transfer of ownership to “DCMS should recommend to museums
the museum. The Deposition Policy and that they should consider charging
Procedure ensures a common standard for the deposition and curation of
for all archaeological archives received archaeological archives where they
by the museum and reduces the museum are created as part of the planning
resources required to process and curate process. Any charges should be fully
them. Good examples of Deposition Policy justified and transparent and should
and Procedures have been included in be informed by guidance produced
the ‘Additional Resources’ section of by ACE and Historic England. DCMS
this chapter. should also recommend to museums
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 11Part 1: Collect Contents
that receipts generated in this way ཌཌ Museums should reference their position
should be directed only to sustaining with regard to collecting ‘negative
archaeological archive storage and archives’, which have recently been
curation, either in the charging museum defined by the Archaeological Archives
itself or in a supporting publicly Forum (AAF) as:
accessible archaeological archive.”
Historic England (2018) “A negative site is defined as those which,
on investigation, reveal no archaeological
Historic England funded a Research Report record of any kind i.e. there were no
in 2019, ‘A Survey of Fees for the Transfer contexts. Negative archives are the
of Archaeological Archives in England’ archives produced from such negative
(Research Report Series no. 3/2019) which sites. They will be ‘paper’ only and
you may find useful when thinking about include no information of archaeological
how to calculate appropriate deposition fees. significance. Sites which produce no
finds are not necessarily negative
ཌཌ Museums should consider their capability sites, and it is possible for a paper
of curating specific types of materials, for record to be produced for a site where
example some museums do not collect no finds were recorded or retained.”
waterlogged materials, unanalysed soil or Archaeological Archives
other environmental samples. Decisions Forum (AAF) (2020)
not to acquire some parts of archives
should be taken on a case-by-case ཌཌ Museums should specify that the born
basis and in consultation with relevant digital elements of an archive must
specialists, rather than by blanket be deposited with a CoreTrustSeal
approach. It is widely accepted that not accredited digital archive repository.
all the records and materials collected or At the time of writing, the Archaeology
created during an archaeological project Data Service (ADS) at the University
require preservation in perpetuity. These of York represents the only gold-
records and materials constitute the standard accredited UK repository
Working Project Archive, which will be for heritage data and is a recognised
subject to selection, in order to establish Trusted Digital Repository (TDR). ADS
what will be retained for long-term make all of its content available for
curation by deposition with a museum researchers online. The Society for
(or Publicly Accessible Repository) Museum Archaeology has been provided
as the Preserved Archive. Museums with model wording regarding the digital
should reference the CIfA Selection archiving process for inclusion within
Toolkit within its Deposition Policy and a Deposition Policy and Procedure,
Procedure as the mechanism by which a which is available on its website.
selection strategy is determined. This will For further information on the digital
provide the details of the project-specific elements of an archive, see the section
selection process, which will be applied in this guidance titled ‘Preparation and
to a Working Project Archive prior to Transfer of Archaeological Archives’.
its transfer into curatorial care as the Work Digital/Think Archive guidance
Preserved Archive. has also been produced by the
DigVentures team, working with the
For definitions of a Working Archive and Chartered Institute for Archaeologists,
Preserved Archive, see the section in this and is useful for everyone working
guidance titled ‘Preparation and Transfer of with digital data in archaeological
Archaeological Archives’. projects. The guidance forms part of the
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 12Part 1: Collect Contents
Archaeological Archives Forum’s ongoing England and Wales, Northern Ireland and
series of practice guides for archives the Isle of Man. Museums should make
management aimed at practitioners. themselves aware of these differences,
which are summarised on the Portable
ཌཌ Museums should specify that a data Antiquities Scheme (PAS) website.
sharing agreement will be required for
all archaeological documentary archives Museums should also make themselves
with the depositing organisation (i.e. the aware of the different requirements for
archaeological unit). This includes written reporting non-treasure items across the UK.
statements regarding use and storage of The Portable Antiquities Scheme provides
personal data, important for GDPR. The further information on this.
Society for Museum Archaeology has
produced a template for this, which is Museums are often the first port of call
available on its website. for members of the public to seek advice
and/or identification of items they believe
ཌཌ Museums should specify the conse may be Treasure. Some finders will be
quences of not preparing the archive unaware they must report Treasure
to the required standard. This might finds. It is the responsibility of the finder
be refusal of the deposition at point to report Treasure finds, but in England
of delivery, or recharging for the work and Wales they are best assisted in this
required to rectify the issues that by the local Portable Antiquities Scheme
have been identified. Alternatively, (PAS) Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) – see
arrangements might be made to enable the section within this guidance entitled
the depositor the possibility of rectifying ‘Record Holders’ for more information on
the problems at the museum. PAS and FLOs.
Treasure Any person who fails to report a find of
Treasure is guilty of a criminal offence and
The Collections Development Policy should liable to conviction.
outline the museum’s position regarding the
acquisition of Treasure. Reference should Museums are advised to appraise themselves
be made to its approach to collecting single of the detailed explanation of the Treasure
items and groups of items (such as hoards) process, which can be found on the Portable
that may be acquired because they fall Antiquities Scheme (PAS) website.
under the definitions articulated in the 1996
Treasure Act (England, Wales and Northern The process that follows the preliminary
Ireland) and the Treasure Designation Order identification of Treasure for museums in
(2002) or Treasure Trove (Scotland). It is not England and Wales is summarised below:
best practice for museums to state they will
collect all items of Treasure found within their 1. The FLO will complete a Treasure receipt.
collecting area. This is primarily because not all 2. The FLO will liaise assist the finder in
objects that fall under the definitions will add reporting the find to the Coroner.
value to the collection or be archaeologically 3. The FLO will produce a record of the
significant. The acquisition of Treasure should object (photographs, weight, measure
therefore be assessed on a case by case basis. ments, description, provenance etc.)
and use this to produce a report
The law regarding Treasure and the summarising the circumstances of
processes by which it is reported, admin the find, identification, context and
istered and acquired varies between any significance.
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 13Part 1: Collect Contents
4. The Treasure report is shared with the museum’s overall collection development
museum that collects archaeological strategy. Considerations in the decision-
finds from the geographic area in which making process may include, for example:
the find of Treasure has been made
as well as with the finder/landowner/ ཌཌ The Collections Development Policy -
occupier on whose land the find has what does it say?
been made. ཌཌ Archaeological significance – is the
5. The collecting museum is asked whether it find locally, regionally and/or nationally
wishes to express an interest in acquiring significant?
the treasure (see below for more detail ཌཌ Collection value – is there an equivalent
on the implications of doing so). The in the collection already?
British Museum or the National Museum ཌཌ Rarity – is it a comparatively rare find in
Wales may also wish to acquire the find, the locality/region?
particularly if there is no local interest. ཌཌ Display – what value can it add to the
6. If a museum expresses an interest in narrative? Will it be a draw for new
acquiring the find, the Coroner will be audiences? Can it raise the museum’s
asked to hold an inquest. This does not ambition and standing? Will it help you
happen when the finder and landowner/ tell new stories through your exhibitions?
occupier agree to forego their right to a ཌཌ Community engagement – will this
reward for the find. If those parties agree find provide opportunities to engage
to forego their reward at this stage, the with people in different ways, and how
Treasure Section at the British Museum important a find will this be for the local
will disclaim the Crown’s interest in the community?
find and it will be able to go directly to ཌཌ Research – will you be preserving the
the appropriate museum. find’s future research potential?
7. If the collecting museum does not wish ཌཌ Funds – does the museum have the
to express an interest in acquiring, the capacity to pay the reward associated
Treasure is disclaimed and it will be with the find, or have the capacity to
returned to the finder and/or landowner. fundraise for it?
8. After a find has been confirmed as
Treasure at an inquest, it goes through a Making the decision to express an interest to
valuation process to determine the level acquire Treasure should not be undertaken
of reward payment that will be paid to lightly. Expressing an interest means that the
the finder/landowner/occupier. This part museum is fully prepared to pay the Treasure
of the process is administered by the valuation fee to the finder/landowner/
Treasure Section at the British Museum occupier, after this has been determined by
for all finds from England, Wales and the Treasure Valuation Committee. Museums
Northern Ireland. should be aware that the administration
of the process which leads to the valuation
Advice on the Treasure process for is a costly and resource heavy exercise
museums can be found on the Portable and so once an expression of interest has
Antiquities Scheme website. been made, this should be seen as a firm
commitment to acquire the Treasure and all
Decisions on whether to express an interest efforts should be made to avoid withdrawal
to acquire Treasure should be rooted in what from the process. This also means that
is articulated in the Collections Development museums should, to the best of their ability,
Policy, and should relate to the significance make attempts to try and ascertain what the
of the find to the local/regional/national value of an object might be before expressing
archaeological record as well as to the an interest. This is not an easy process, but:
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 14Part 1: Collect Contents
ཌཌ Information may be found for similar exceptional and fully justified, though it is
items within the Treasure Annual good practice to discuss and keep a written
Reports, published online. record of the rationale to collect any object.
ཌཌ Information may be found for similar
items within Treasure Valuation Human remains
Committee Minutes, published online.
ཌཌ Auction sale prices may be found online, For detailed guidance relating to the care and
but remember valuations for Treasure management of human remains, please see
are based on hammer prices and not the relevant section within these guidelines.
retail prices.
ཌཌ Just like finders, museums can arrange The law does not recognise property rights
a private valuation during the valuation in human remains in England and Wales -
stage (but will have to cover the financial this means there is no right of ownership
cost of doing so). in them. Museums should only agree to
ཌཌ Advice can also be sought from the collect human remains in accordance with
Treasure Administration Team. its Collections Development Policy and as
specified in a written Human Remains Policy.
It is worth remembering that museums For more information see ‘Writing a Human
can make representations with regard Remains Policy’ in the Human Remains
to provisional valuations as part of this section of this guidance.
process, but these should be supported
with evidence that demonstrates why the Excavated human remains should only
provisional valuation should be revised. be retained with guidance from, and
in consultation with, the reporting
Once a valuation has been agreed, museums osteoarchaeologist (the relevant specialist
are given three months to make the payment, in human remains from the archaeology
or four months if they are undertaking unit) and where specific research agendas
fundraising and applying to funding bodies. make this ethically appropriate: they may
also only be retained in a museum where
Information about national funding bodies exhumation licenses and documentation
for the acquisition of Treasure can be found from the archaeology unit confirms that
on the Portable Antiquities Scheme website. the remains have been exhumed legally,
and where the Ministry of Justice has
Donations, bequests and purchases not made conditions for their reburial.
Acquisition of human remains should be
Other items may be donated or purchased approached with care and it is crucial to
from individual owners or, more rarely, establish that:
purchased at auction or through bequests
to the museum made in an individual’s will. ཌཌ The remains can be held lawfully
These items should be treated as typical (a license sought or provided).
acquisitions, and standard considerations like ཌཌ Provenance has been established.
provenance, relevance and condition must be ཌཌ There is no suspicion that the remains
taken into account prior to acquisition. have been acquired or traded illegally.
ཌཌ There is potential scientific and research
In all circumstances, any acquisition of these value in retaining rather than reburying
types of objects or groups of objects should the remains.
be subject to the organisation’s Collections
Development Policy. Any acquisition which Human remains under 100 years old are
falls outside of this should be wholly subject to the Human Tissue Act (2004, 2006).
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 15Part 1: Collect Contents
Rationalisation and disposal The following considerations have been
reproduced from SMA’s guidance:
Guidance produced by the Society for
Museum Archaeology (SMA) as a result of the Disposal of archaeological material should
Historic England (2016-2017) Rationalisation only be undertaken in accordance with all
of Museum Archaeology Collections project, legal and ethical considerations as outlined in:
includes key considerations, practical advice
and case studies to help inform disposal and ཌཌ Museums Association Code of Ethics
rationalisation projects in museums holding ཌཌ Museums Association Disposal Toolkit
archaeological collections. The SMA website ཌཌ Museums Association supplementary
also provides access to reports from each guidance notes
of the five organisations that undertook the
scoping studies which informed the content of In summary:
the guidance. The project responded directly
to the need for more practical information to When disposing of material there should be:
help guide museums through the process of
rationalisation, and additionally assessed the ཌཌ A strong presumption for keeping items
validity of the process when cost, resource within the public domain.
and gains were reviewed against the capacity ཌཌ A strong preference for free gift or
required for delivery. transfer to other accredited museums
and items should be offered to them in
The variation that exists across the museum the first instance.
sector in terms of, for example, scale,
resource and governance means that Action should be taken to ensure continued
the guidance reflects a series of practical public trust in museums by:
considerations to highlight what should
be considered before, during and after a ཌཌ Being fully aware of actions that have
rationalisation project. the potential to result in legal, financial or
reputational damage.
Museums who are considering undertaking ཌཌ When in doubt seek expert legal advice
this type of activity should appraise and ensure reasonable due diligence can
themselves of the recommendations provided be demonstrated.
within SMA’s Rationalisation Guidance.
Anyone contemplating disposal should
It is important to note that while one appraise themselves of restrictions placed
outcome of a rationalisation process may upon this type of activity by:
be the disposal of objects, rationalisation
provides an opportunity to consider ཌཌ Specific forms of organisational
collections in a new light, highlighting governance and associated legislation,
opportunities to use material in new and such as charity law.
different ways through the application ཌཌ Legal frameworks governing, for
of a collections review process. example, the recovery and ownership
of archaeology, human remains
The Museums Association Disposal Toolkit and Treasure.
(2014) articulates disposal as “...the ཌཌ The Museums Association Disposal
permanent removal of an item from a Toolkit and Code of Ethics, which
museum collection.” specifically identify the circumstances
when disposal is unacceptable.
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 16Part 1: Collect Contents
Disposal of archaeological material should ཌཌ Staff time.
not be allowed to contribute to the future ཌཌ Administrative costs.
contamination of the archaeological record. ཌཌ Equipment and materials.
Disposal may be achieved by: ཌཌ Legal advice.
ཌཌ Disposal processes (e.g. destruction).
ཌཌ Free gift or transfer to another
Accredited museum. The process of digitisation as part of a disposal
ཌཌ Exchange of items between museums. project should be approached with caution:
ཌཌ Free gift or transfer to another institution/
organisation within the public domain ཌཌ It is time-consuming and requires
(e.g. schools, colleges, community specialist knowledge and equipment to
organisations). produce high quality digital copies.
ཌཌ Return to donor. ཌཌ It should not be considered without
ཌཌ Sale of items to an Accredited museum. provision being made for long-term
ཌཌ Transfer outside the public domain. curation of the digital assets produced.
ཌཌ Sale outside the public domain. ཌཌ All records produced this way should
ཌཌ Recycling of items. be deposited with an accredited
ཌཌ Destruction of items. Trusted Digital Repository (such as the
Archaeology Data Service).
Whilst controlled reburial may be an option, ཌཌ Sufficient funds need to be allotted to
permanent destruction of archaeological digital production and deposition costs.
objects for disposal (e.g. grinding to hardcore)
may be the only solution to ensure that no Resources
contamination of the future archaeological
record occurs through the act of disposal. ཌཌ Introduction to Human Remains in
In all cases, stakeholder engagement and Museums, Museums Galleries Scotland
detailed research and documentation must ཌཌ Collections Development Policy template,
be undertaken in advance of any disposal. Arts Council England
Public engagement is also strongly advised. ཌཌ Guidance on the Rationalisation of
Museum Archaeology Collections,
All aspects of the disposal process must Society for Museum Archaeology
be documented to Spectrum standards. ཌཌ Guidance for the Care of Human
A paper trail must be created that records: Remains in Museums, DCMS
ཌཌ Guidelines for the Care of Human
ཌཌ Reasons for disposal. Remains in Scottish Museum Collections,
ཌཌ Desired outcomes. Museums Galleries Scotland
ཌཌ Opinions and advice considered. ཌཌ Code of Ethics for Museums,
ཌཌ Method of disposal. Museums Association
ཌཌ Conclusion of process: retention, ཌཌ Researching and Processing a
transfer, sale etc. Restitution or Repatriation Claim,
ཌཌ Any conditions attached. Collections Trust
ཌཌ Information and photographs ཌཌ Disposal Toolkit: Guidelines for Museums,
relating to the item. Museums Association
ཌཌ Documentation relating ཌཌ UK Museum Accreditation Standard (2018)
to transfer of title. ཌཌ The Novium Museum: Procedure for
ཌཌ Note of any new location. the Deposition of Archaeological
Archives (2016)
Allowances should be made within the
project budget for these types of activities:
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 17Part 1: Collect Contents
Preparation and Transfer of
Archaeological Archives
Collecting archaeological archives ཌཌ The Working Project Archive comprises
all the records and finds collected
Almost everything in a museum archaeology during data-gathering and retained for
collection is derived from archaeological subsequent analysis and reporting.
projects. Archaeological archives are the ཌཌ The Preserved Archive comprises
results of those projects, compiled to be all records and finds selected from
suitable for accessioning into the permanent the Working Project Archive for final
collection of a museum/repository. compilation and transfer to a museum/
repository for curation in perpetuity.
The essential principle of archive compilation
is to make the results of the project, the Selection is therefore important in deter
records and finds accessible for future use. mining the contents of the Preserved
Archive. Staff responsible for the care of
As such, once an archive is accessioned, museum archaeology collections must be
it becomes part of a greater whole, the involved in the development and application
collection, which represents the results of the archive selection process.
of studying the past of any given locale.
Archaeological archiving is about preparing The purpose of an
something that will enhance that resource. archaeological archive
This should be comprehended by anyone
who creates or compiles archives for All archaeological projects must result
transfer to a museum or repository. in a stable, ordered, accessible archive
that represents the results of data-
Definitions gathering, analysis and interpretation.
An archaeological archive must be compiled
An archaeological archive comprises in accordance with the requirements of the
all records and material objects (finds) museum/Publicly Accessible Repository
recovered during an archaeological project that will curate it in perpetuity, as part
and identified for long term preservation, of a broader archaeology collection
including artefacts (e.g. pottery, metalwork), that represents studies into the past of
environmental remains (e.g. animal bone, a particular area or locale and has the
seed remains), waste products (e.g. slag), potential to inform further research.
scientific samples and also written and
visual documentation in paper, film and An archaeological archive must represent the
digital form. results of the project and have the potential
to inform future research and enable
As a project progresses, the archive will curatorial activities such as enquiry, exhibition,
develop as follows: learning and any other form of public access.
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 18Part 1: Collect Contents
Archive contents As well as providing the long term stability of
the digital archive a TDR will:
An archaeological archive has two basic
components: ཌཌ proscribe preservation file formats.
ཌཌ ensure the archive is findable by
The documentary archive exists in both assigning a globally unique and
physical and digital forms and can include: persistent identifier.
ཌཌ provide a metadata framework within
ཌཌ project planning documents (e.g. project which the data is described so that it is
brief, project design, practice manuals findable and reusable.
and standards). ཌཌ ensure the data is accessible through
ཌཌ administrative and formal documents well-defined access conditions using
(e.g. licences, transfer of title, selection standardised communication protocols.
strategy, data management plan).
ཌཌ textual records (e.g. pro-forma for The material archive includes all material
data-gathering, notebooks, databases, collected during data-gathering. These can
spreadsheets). be sub-divided into:
ཌཌ graphic and spatial material (e.g. photo
graphs, drawings, x-radiographs, ཌཌ bulk finds, which are inherently robust
CAD files). and are not recorded in detail, or
have specific storage requirements
Digital material is part of the documentary (e.g. pottery, brick, tile, animal bone).
archive but should not be collected for ཌཌ registered finds, which may be recorded
curation by anyone other than a Trusted as individual objects and/or need to be
Digital Repository (TDR). stored in environmentally controlled
conditions (e.g. metals, ancient glass,
See the following: worked bone, flint tools, leather, textiles).
ཌཌ material retrieved from samples and
ཌཌ Archaeological Data Service – Data Seal sampling and related to, or identifiable
of Approval by, a sample number (e.g. mortar, mollusc
ཌཌ OCLC Research – Attributes of a Trusted shells, seeds or micro-finds).
Digital Repository ཌཌ human remains, which are required to be
ཌཌ Collections Trust – Trusted Digital stored in particular ways.
Repository Checklist ཌཌ specimens or samples collected during
analysis, which may result from laboratory
A museum/Publicly Accessible Repository work (e.g. thin-sections of pottery or stone,
may collect copies of digital material purely polished samples for scientific analysis).
for reference purposes but is unlikely ever
to attain TDR status. Staff responsible All archive components should be fully
for the care of museum archaeology documented in an archive catalogue
collections should therefore require digital with accompanying indexes. This should
archive material to be sent to a TDR that be a requirement of acceptance of an
collects archaeological data, such as the archaeological archive by a museum/
Archaeology Data Service. Publicly Accessible Repository.
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 19Part 1: Collect Contents
Existing guidance
Here is a list of standards and guidance The Chartered Institute for Archaeology
documents relating to archaeological archives. (CIfA) Selection Toolkit is aimed at museum/
They are mostly written to inform people who repository curators as well as other practi
create archives rather than staff responsible tioners and is essential for understanding
for the care of museum archaeology how selection should be managed
collections but are useful for establishing what throughout an archaeological project.
archaeologists should be expected to do.
Title Published by Web address Comment
Archaeological Archives, Archaeological http://archives. Comprehensive
a guide to Best Practice Archives Forum archaeologyuk.org/ guide mapped to
in Creation, Compilation, aaf_archaeological_ project stages.
Transfer and Curation archives_2011.pdf
A Standard and Guide Europae https://www.europae- International
to Best Practice for Archaeologiae archaeologiae-consilium. standard based on
Archaeological Archiving Consilium org/eac-guidlines the AAF Guide.
in Europe
Standard and Guidance for Chartered https://www.archaeologists. Aimed at practi-
the creation, compilation, Institute for net/codes/cifa tioners abiding by
transfer and deposition of Archaeologists CIfA membership
archaeological archives requirements.
Standard and Guidance Chartered https://www.archaeologists. Standards for finds
for the collection, Institute for net/codes/cifa work; aimed at
documentation, conser Archaeologists practitioners abiding
vation and research of by CIfA membership
archaeological materials requirements.
The Selection Toolkit for Chartered http://cifa.heritech.net/ Everything you
Archaeological Archives Institute for selection-toolkit need to produce a
Archaeologists selection strategy.
Digital Archives in DigVentures https://digventures.com/ Requirements for
Archaeology projects/digital-archives/ digital archiving.
Deposition standards and guidelines
It is recommended that every museum/ be made available to anyone planning
Publicly Accessible Repository develops an archaeological project, in advance of
their own standard requirements and the project start. This document might be
guidelines for the compilation and transfer called a Deposition Policy and Procedure, a
of archaeological archives. This should Deposition Standard or Deposition Guidelines.
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 20Part 1: Collect Contents
These should cover: Archive Compilation
Project Planning ཌཌ the contents of the archaeological archive.
ཌཌ how to clean, treat, mark, label, pack and
ཌཌ preliminary conditions for accepting box all types of finds.
an archive e.g.: planning conditions ཌཌ how to mark, label, catalogue, pack and box
being fulfilled; deposition of final report all elements of the documentary archive.
with Historic Environment Record; ཌཌ requirements for selecting digital
OASIS record created and maintained. material and transferring it to a Trusted
ཌཌ reference to any archiving standards Digital Repository.
referred to in the archaeological ཌཌ the documentation of all archive elements
standards and guidance of the relevant (catalogues, indexes and box lists).
planning authority e.g. requirement to ཌཌ requirements for security copying of the
archive, digital archiving, consequences physical documentary archive.
for contractors who fail to archive.
ཌཌ how to establish and maintain Archive Transfer
communication through the course
of a project. ཌཌ procedures for the delivery of archives to
ཌཌ procedure for notification of the store.
commencement of field work. ཌཌ procedures for checking that archive
ཌཌ the procedure for acquiring an requirements have been met.
accession number. ཌཌ the consequences of an archive not
ཌཌ involvement of museum/repository meeting the standard.
staff in the archive selection process. ཌཌ archive transfer and accessioning costs.
ཌཌ requirement to produce a selection
strategy. Staff responsible for the care of museum
ཌཌ requirement for a data management plan. archaeology collections should ensure that
ཌཌ the updating of event indexes in OASIS. anyone planning an archaeological project
ཌཌ procedures for dealing with treasure within their collecting area has received a
finds under the Treasure Act 1996. copy of the archive deposition standards
ཌཌ procedures for dealing with human and guidelines and knows how to contact
remains. you with any enquiries.
ཌཌ procedures for transfer of title
and copyright. Here are two examples of recently produced
archive deposition standards and guidelines.
Title Produced by Web address Year
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire https://www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk/wp- 2018
Archaeological Museums Group content/uploads/2018/04/Gloucestershire-
Archive Standards Archaeological-Archive-Standards-2018.pdf
Archaeological Northamptonshire https://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/ 2020
Archives Standard Archaeological councilservices/archives-and-heritage/
Resource Centre northamptonshire-archives/Pages/
archaeological-archives-%E2%80%93-
northamptonshire%E2%80%99s-
archaeological-resource-centre.aspx
Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 21Part 1: Collect Contents
How an archive is created the archive is to be compiled and curated.
Some archives remain with academic
A variety of different organisations carry departments for teaching purposes, so the
out archaeological projects. They should all need for communication with the museum/
be working towards the aim of producing a Publicly Accessible Repository is not always
stable, ordered, accessible archive. acknowledged.
Professional archaeological contractors Community Groups rely on enthusiastic
(sometimes referred to as an ‘archaeology volunteers who will not always have
unit’ or ‘commercial unit’) account for nearly experience of all parts of the archaeological
all the archaeological projects carried out in process, including archiving. Their focus
the UK. They range from large organisations is often on fieldwork, especially survey or
with several regional offices to small excavation, and they may need support and
localised outfits that carry out small jobs assistance through the post-fieldwork and
within a limited area. archiving stages of their projects.
Across the spectrum, levels of archiving Project stages and communication
expertise are inconsistent, as can be
the frequency with which archives are An archaeological project consists of these
deposited. If they often work in a particular principal stages:
area then they should become familiar with
museum/repository deposition standards ཌཌ planning.
and guidelines. ཌཌ data-gathering.
ཌཌ assessment and analysis.
Their projects are embedded in the planning ཌཌ reporting and dissemination.
system, where archaeological work is required ཌཌ archive compilation.
prior to development, such as housing, ཌཌ archive transfer.
offices, roads or pipelines. Such projects
will be initiated by a Development Control At all stages, communication between the
Archaeologist (DCA) working on behalf of a project stakeholders is vital for successful
planning authority. DCAs are often known delivery of a well compiled archaeological
by other job titles such as Archaeological archive. Establish good lines of commun
Officer, County Archaeologist, Planning ication during project planning and the
Curator or Planning Archaeologist. They rest of the process will be much easier.
will issue a brief which will be met by a
contractor commissioned by the developer. Communication between the project
stakeholders
Professionally contracted projects include
watching briefs (where ground works are The final project archive is shaped through
observed and archaeological evidence consultation between the project stake-
recorded), field evaluations, excavations, holders. Decisions are taken throughout the
surveys and desk-based assessments. lifetime of a project that will influence the
All these will produce archive material, archive, e.g.
even if it is solely documentary or digital.
ཌཌ changing research aims of the project.
Universities usually conduct research ཌཌ percentage of site excavated.
projects in the form of surveys or ཌཌ selection and retention strategies.
excavations. They will have produced a ཌཌ extent to which material is assessed as
project design which should describe how part of post excavation analysis.
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