The SCAPE Trust Finds Protocol

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2 The SCAPE Trust Finds Protocol This pamphlet gives you information on what to do if you discover an archaeological object. It contains advice, tips and contact details of key individuals or organizations, and outlines the legal situation which applies to anyone who discovers an object of archaeological interest. The SCAPE Trust Finds Protocol is intended as guidance for Shorewatch groups and all other groups or individuals collaborating with SCAPE, as well as anyone who has found an archaeological object and wonders what to do with it. The SCAPE Trust, April 2006 Front cover images: Crown Office and the SCAPE Trust

3 Contents Finding archaeological objects: a quick guide to best practice p. 1 When to collect. p. 2 and when not to collect! p. 2 What to do with your find p. 3 Finding Human Remains p. 5 How to store an archaeological object p. 6 Making archaeological discoveries: the legal situation p. 7 Reporting your find p. 8 References p. 9 Contacts p. 10

4 Finding archaeological objects: a quick guide to best practice When you have discovered an archaeological object there are a number of things that you can do, and one that you must do. This is summarized below and explained in more detail later in the text. The things that you CAN do include: picking up the object and storing it temporarily it in a safe and suitable environment. recording the location of the object. taking photographs of the object and the place where you found it. What you MUST do is: report your discovery to the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP) or contact your Local Authority archaeologist or Museums Officer who can help you identify your find. They will then report the find to SAFAP on your behalf. Your name will put down as the finder of the object, and any rewards due will be paid to you. SCAPE encourages everyone to follow the guidelines in this pamphlet, and in that way adhere to what is considered to be best practice. 1

5 When to collect. Two basic premises should be kept in mind when picking up stray archaeological finds from the ground. One is the notion that archaeological objects and sites are precious, fragile and finite resources which need to be treated with care and attention. The other is that in order for new archaeological discoveries to be recorded in a meaningful way it is necessary to know exactly where an object was found. If an object is lying on the ground surface, be it in a field, on the beach or in your garden, you may pick it up. Remember that you should take note of where the object was found. If you do decide to pick up an archaeological object and take it home you should make sure that it is stored in a manner that will not damage it. While the find is in your care (whether in your home or in your coat pocket) it is your responsibility to store it safely. and when not to collect! As a general rule, if an object is embedded in soil (for instance, an exposed section or dune face or an archaeological feature on the ground) do NOT attempt to pull it out. This will speed up the erosion of archaeological deposits, and you may damage the object in the process. What you can do instead is to record the location of your discovery and report it to your Local Authority Archaeologist. If an object is fragmented and the pieces are found together in the same spot (for instance a broken bone object or two halves of the same stone tool), it can be a good idea to pick up all the pieces. However, a scatter of archaeological objects, like flints or midden material, can be an indicator of an archaeological site. In this case the objects should not be picked up. Your Local Authority Archaeologist should be informed of the discovery, or you can contact SCAPE. 2

6 It is very common to find small bits of pottery and midden material, such as animal bone and shells, near to eroding archaeological sites, particularly on sandy beaches. Before picking this type of material up you should consider what will happen to it once you have removed it from the site and taken it home. Are you going to report your discovery to an archaeologist? Are you going to take the finds to your local museum? Will the objects end up on your mantle piece? Or in the pocket of your waterproof jacket? While you have a legal obligation to report all archaeological discoveries, it is not always practical to do so for every single bit of pottery that you find. Instead, leave the objects where you found them, make a note of the location and tell your Local Authority Archaeologist about it. Scheduled Ancient Monuments Some archaeological sites and monuments are classified as Scheduled Ancient Monuments. Such sites are protected by law. To remove an archaeological find discovered within a scheduled area (including metal detecting) is a criminal offence. There are about 8000 scheduled sites across Scotland. To find out if a specific archaeological site is scheduled, and the extent of the protected area, please contact Historic Scotland (details on p. 9). What to do with your find When you discover an archaeological object and pick it up, the most important bit of information to remember is the location where you found it. Having this information to hand helps pin point a find spot, should you, or someone else, need to return to it in the future. It also helps archaeologists keep track of where objects are found, and where new archaeological sites may be located. 3

7 Record it! Recording a find spot is best done by relating the location to the British National Grid, for example by recording the National Grid Reference with a handheld Global Positioning System device (GPS) or by plotting the site onto an Ordnance Survey map. If you do not have a map or a GPS with you make sure that you note down the find location as soon as you come home, while this is still fresh in your mind. Or even better, photograph the object in situ (i.e. where you found it and before picking it up). Include as much of the surrounding landscape in your photo as you can this helps to show the location. For more information on how to record a National Grid Reference please refer to the Shorewatch training manual which can be downloaded from the Shorewatch website ( Label it! If you store a find in your home you should ensure that it is labelled properly to avoid confusion, and to aid future identification. As a minimum, the information you should include is: The National Grid Reference The date of when the object was discovered You can write these details directly onto the plastic bag or container using an permanent marker pen. Report it! Reporting your find is not only a legal requirement, it could mean that rare or valuable objects will get the conservation treatment that they need. 4

8 Finding Human Remains It is not unusual to find human bones eroding out of sand dunes and on beaches. While it can sometimes be difficult to tell some human skeletal parts apart from animal bones it is important to report your discovery, if you think you may have found human remains. This is a legal requirement, in order to establish whether the human remains are archaeological, or in fact part of a modern crime scene. It is far more likely that the remains you find belong to a dead animal, rather than a human. The most obvious human bones are the skull, the long bones and the pelvis. Figure 1 shows the bones of the human body. Compare what you have found to the diagram. To get an idea of how large the long bones of a human are, think of the size of your own bones. In general, a sheep has much shorter long bones, and a cow much thicker ones. Because you shouldn t disturb a human burial, a photograph can again be very helpful. If you think you have found a human skeleton, the first thing to do is to contact your local police station who will visit the site and make a report. It is important that you leave the bones where you found them and that you do not disturb the site. Once you have contacted your local police station you do not need to do anything else. If the Police take no further action the case passes Historic Scotland, who may send a team of archaeologists to examine the site. Figure 1: A human skeleton. Source: 5

9 How to store an archaeological object This section is about how to keep an archaeological find safe and prevent damage to it. Different objects require different environmental conditions depending on what they are made of. Below are some basic rules of thumb which you can follow while temporarily storing an archaeological find in your house. Stone Objects made of stone, such as flint and sandstone, are normally quite resilient and durable. However, they can be more fragile than you think and should be handled with care. Let wet stone objects dry slowly indoors on a wooden or plastic surface never dry them in direct sunlight or close to a heater. Shale and jet: Dry shale and jet are very fragile and should be lifted or handled very carefully. Wet shale and jet should be stored wet or humid. Do not re-wet shale and jet which has dried out, as it may shatter. Amber: Store waterlogged amber wet. Dry amber should be stored humid. Pottery Pottery is made of dried, fired clay and is very fragile. Prehistoric pottery, in particular, is extremely fragile, especially when wet. Do NOT attempt to clean it by rubbing it with your fingers or washing it, as any applied decoration will come off or the whole sherd may crumble. Sherds can be dried on a newspaper lined tray; this should happen slowly, and never in direct sunlight or close to a heater. Once dry, pottery sherds may be stored in small plastic bags or lidded plastic containers. To avoid abrasion do not store too many sherds together in the same container. 6

10 Iron Keep all waterlogged iron objects wet do not allow them to dry out. Dry iron objects can be stored on newspaper lined trays or in plastic bags/containers, but make sure to perforate plastic containers to allow airing. Non-ferrous metals Non-ferrous metals include copper, copper-alloys, bronze, tin, lead, silver and gold. All objects of these materials should be allowed to dry and stored in a dry environment. Once dry, they should be handled as little as possible. You may be lucky enough to find a coin. If so, avoid the temptation of rubbing or cleaning the faces to see if it has a date. Coins can be very fragile and important details can be damaged if you clean the surfaces. Organic objects Organic materials include wood, leather, textile, bone, antler, ivory and horn. Objects made of any of these materials need to be kept in a moist environment. Do not let them dry out as they will crack and split! Seal organic objects in a plastic bag or lidded plastic container and keep them cool (for instance in the fridge). If you have several organic objects of different materials store them in separate plastic bags, sorted by material. Making archaeological discoveries: the legal situation Treasure Trove In Scotland, ALL lost and abandoned property which is not otherwise owned belongs to the Crown. This is defined by the regalia minora common law rights of the Crown in Scotland. Thus, all objects whose original owner or rightful heir cannot be identified or traced are the property of the Crown, and this also applies to objects of archaeological and historical interest. This system is known as Treasure Trove. 7

11 It does not matter whether objects were lost or intentionally hidden, or what material they are made of the Crown may claim finds of almost any date, made from any type of material. Generally, finds such as fragments of farm machinery, 19th and 20th century coins and other modern, everyday objects need not be reported. The system applies to finds from anywhere in Scotland, on land, from inland waters, from within harbours, and from the coast and estuaries down to mean low water level. Receiver of Wreck The duty to declare finds also extends to the sea and seabed in this case reporting is to the Receiver of Wreck. The Receiver of Wreck deals with wreck which comes from tidal waters up to mean low water level. All wreck material raised from the seabed must be reported and this includes archaeological material. This could be a medieval pot, gold coins, a prehistoric spearhead or a canon. As with Treasure Trove, a finder reporting a find to the Receiver of Wreck may be entitled to a reward, called salvage award. Reporting your find In cases of Treasure Trove the Crown Agent is advised by a panel of experts, appointed by the Scottish Ministers, the National Museums of Scotland and the Scottish Museums Council. This panel is known as the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP) and this is the body to which you report when you have discovered an archaeological object. Details of how to report a discovery can be found on the Treasure Trove website ( Most often this process happens via your local museum curator or Local Authority archaeologist. Once an object has been submitted it will be assessed on behalf of the SAFAP as to whether the object should be claimed as Treasure Trove or not. If it is claimed the SAFAP will recommend which museum the object should be allocated to, and how much 8

12 reward the finder should receive. If an object is not claimed it is returned to the finder for him or her to keep or dispose of as they please. For further information on this process please refer to the Treasure Trove website. References: Information on the treatment and storage of objects was summarised from Watkinson, N. and Neal V. 1972: First Aid for Finds. London. Information on the Treasure Trove system in Scotland was summarised from the Treasure Trove website: Further reading Richard Hobbs, Celia Honeycombe and Sarah Watkins, 2002, Guide to Conservation for Metal Detectorists, Tempus. ISBN The Portable Antiquities Scheme website - The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is a voluntary scheme to record archaeological objects found by members of the public. Although the scheme covers England and Wales only (not Scotland) plenty of useful advise can be found on their website. Note that the Treasure system works differently in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, than it does in Scotland. The PAS website can provide more information on this. 9

13 Contacts The SCAPE Trust University of St Andrews St. Katharine's Lodge, The Scores St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9AL Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) Websites: and Treasure Trove Secretariat National Museums of Scotland Chambers Street Edinburgh EH1 1JF Website: Receiver of Wreck Spring Place 105 Commercial Road Southampton SO15 1EG Tel: +44 (0) Website: Historic Scotland Longmore House Salisbury Place Edinburgh EH9 1SH Tel: +44 (0) Website: 10

14 Local Authority Archaeologists Judith Stones Keeper of Archaeology Aberdeen City Council Whitespace 60 Frederick Street ABERDEEN AB24 5HY Tel: Fax: Aberdeenshire; Angus; Moray Ian Shepherd Archaeologist, Planning & Development Aberdeenshire Council, Woodhill House Westburn Road ABERDEEN AB16 5GB Tel: Fax: Argyll and Bute; Glasgow City; E Ayrshire; E Renfrewshire; Inverclyde; N Ayrshire; N Lanarkshire; Renfrewshire; S Ayrshire; S Lanarkshire; W Dunbartonshire Dr Carol Swanson West of Scotland Archaeology Service Charing Cross Complex, 20 India Street GLASGOW G2 4PF Tel: Fax: carol.swanson@wosas.glasgow.gov.uk Clackmannanshire; Stirling Lorna Main Archaeologist Environmental Services Stirling Council Viewforth STIRLING FK8 2ET Tel: Fax: mainl@stirling.gov.uk Dumfries and Galloway Jane Brann Archaeologist, Environment and Infrastructure Planning and Environment Group Dumfries and Galloway Council Newall Terrace DUMFRIES DG1 1LW Tel: Fax: janeb@dumgal.gov.uk East Lothian Biddy Simpson Heritage Officer East Lothian Council John Muir House HADDINGTON EH41 3HA Tel: Fax: bsimpson1@eastlothian.gov.uk 11

15 City of Edinburgh John Lawson Archaeology Officer, Archaeology Service Department of Recreation City of Edinburgh Council 10 Broughton Market EDINBURGH EH3 6NU Tel: Fax: Falkirk Geoff Bailey Keeper of Archaeology & Local History Falkirk Council Callendar House Callendar Park FALKIRK FK1 1YR Tel: Fax: Fife Douglas Speirs Archaeologist, Planning and Building Control Service, Fife Council Forth House, Abbotshall Road, Kirkcaldy KY1 1RU Tel: Fax: Highland Archaeology Service Planning & Development Highland Council Glenurquhart Road INVERNESS IV3 5NX Tel: Fax: Orkney Julie Gibson Orkney Archaeologist c/o Orkney College Weyland, Kirkwall ORKNEY KW15 1LX Tel: Fax: as above Perth and Kinross David Strachan Area Archaeologist Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust The Lodge 4 York Place PERTH PH2 8EP Tel: DLStrachan@pkc.gov.uk Scottish Borders Rory McDonald Heritage Officer, Economic Development & Environmental Planning Scottish Borders Council Shetland Val Turner Shetland Archaeologist Shetland Amenity Trust Garthspool 12

16 Newtown St Boswells MELROSE TD6 0SA Tel: Fax: Lerwick SHETLAND ZE1 0NY Tel: Fax: Western Isles Mary MacLeod Islands Archaeologist Arc-eòlaiche nan Eilean Siar 24 Gearrannan, Carloway ISLE OF LEWIS HS2 9AL Tel: Fax: