Friday 2 October 2020

The Archaeological Values of the PAS Database (XV): Lockdown Outreach: "Could you Please Weigh it Madam?"


I've not done one of these peer criticism pieces recently. Here's an ideal opportunity, another lockdown piece. It is from: Binley and Willenhall near Coventry, one of a newspaper's finds of  "flowerbed archaeologists" (sic): 
INSCRIBED OBJECT Unique ID: WMID-634A9A Object type certainty: Certain Workflow status: Awaiting validation Find awaiting validation A sub rectangular, sandstone rock with ogham script inscribed down three of the four sides. The front and back sides are smooth. The rock is a dark grey colour. It measures 110 mm in length, 38 mm wide and 19 mm thick. It weighs 139 g. Katherine Forsyth (University of Glasgow) has confirmed that the markings are those of an ogham inscription. The script is that of an early style, most likely 5th to 6th Century but possibly as early as 4th Century. The script is similar to that on an ogham-inscribed knife handle from Weeting, in Norfolk. Notes: Find not seen in person by FLO. Images and dimensions kindly sent by the finder. Find of note status This is a find of note and has been designated: Regional importance Subsequent actions Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder Chronology Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL Subperiod from: Early Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL Subperiod to: Early Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL Date from: Circa AD 400 Date to: Circa AD 500 Dimensions and weight Quantity: 1 Length: 110 mm Width: 38 mm Thickness: 19 mm Weight: 139 g

How can it be "returned" to a finder who never lent it out to them? So, someone says they found a dirty old rock with grooves on it in their garden and it gets the status of "certain" in a notoriously receptive "database", despite the FLOs never having had the thing in their hands, let alone under a microscope. The boringly repetitive "record" contains a lot of redundant information,  except the most important, it's called "inscribed" but nobody has gone to the bother of telling the members of the public that pay for the PAS, its database and the salaries of all these people what it says. What is this voice from the past telling us? 

Since the PAS will not help us investigate this "piece of the past" the public is left to their own devices. If an utter layman (like myself in this) googles "reading Ogham" they'd  find that a case could be made for the shorter inscription reading "class G"...  (?) which would make me, at least, a bit suspicious that this might in fact be a modern object. The other side... "[something] [Sluo?] sang"??? But I think it would be best that the PAS get this properly translated, and told us what this object would have been used for, an ownership inscription on a pebble seems rather odd... The public needs to know and not left to guess.

Now, it "weighs" 139 g, that is obviously "very important" information, especially if a seller is going to send it abroad by post... but one wonders what is its specific gravity?  

And what kind of stone? Local or non-local? That also is vital information. What kind of value does a "record" like this have? 


No comments:

 
Creative Commons License
Ten utwór jest dostępny na licencji Creative Commons Uznanie autorstwa-Bez utworów zależnych 3.0 Unported.