Tuesday, 12 September 2017

Fluff Celebratory Conference all the Brits can do on Significant Anniversary


Yorkshire Museum,Museum GardensYork
PAS 20 Years of Treasure Conference – Wed 11 Oct 2017
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the commencement of the Treasure Act 1996 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In this time over 11,000. Treasure finds have been reported under the Act, presenting local museums with an opportunity to acquire important objects from all periods of British history. Treasure objects not acquired by museums have a permanent record on the Portable Antiquities Scheme online database.*

This conference will consider Treasure now, and look at what has been learnt in the past 20 years. There will be particular focus on discovery, acquisition and interpretation with relevant case-studies.** The conference will also look forward, considering the potential of Treasure in the years to come.

Speakers include:
Ian Richardson, Treasure Registrar, Portable Antiquities Scheme
Anna Booth, Finds Liaison Officer, Portable Antiquities Scheme
Penny Bull, Senior Programmes Manager, Art Fund
Andrew Woods, Curator of Numismatics, York Museums Trust
Natalie Buy, Curator of Archaeology, York Museums Trust
Tim Pestell, Curator of Archaeology, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery
Mike Heyworth, Director, Council for British Archaeology

So the usual fluffstuff from UK museum folk and coineys. Mr Heyworth will probably come out with his usual fence-sitting lukewarm 'archaeology for all-innit?' message by which the interests of the archaeological record are traditionally 'represented' in Bonkers Britain. No other archaeological body seems likely to have been invited.

Why, instead of fluff, is there not going to be an informed debate about where the TA has got us, and where it will take us in the next two decades? What if its a road to nowhere?

*But of course that is NOT what the Treasure Act actually stipulates, is it?
** And what about proper PUBLICATION?

Vignette, a massive shoulder shrug

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