Depository?

[Petethedig]

Having been involved with quite a few conversations recently I thought I'd run this idea and see if it has any legs to run on?
Do you think there is a need for a mega-Warehouse facility in the central area of the UK that would act as a National Depository for archaeological finds? A kind of collection centre. Hermetically controlled with a full time staff of both conservationist and curators. It would be the size of one of the supermarket distribution centre's. It might contain a national centre for learning and study for the artefact's that it may contain. Everyone knows that a major problem facing British Archaeology is space to store finds. We have several other depositories in the UK, why not one for Archaeology? National lottery funding could be a way of developing such a site and certainly if it did happen it could free up more space regionally for our museums! What do you think?

Evil to him who thinks evil.

[the invisible man]

You mean a LAARC for the whoLe country? There was quite a bit of oppositin to the LAARC at first, from curators (in the old meaning of the word!) who saw it as empire building by MOL, and taking work and influence away from local museums and their staff.

How about, rather than a national one, a series of regional ones, like LAARCs for each region of the country?

[BAJR Host]

Now a regional one would be hekpful.... access to finds etc... in a regional context... would need serious funds though...

[Sparky]

LAARC?
MOL?
Code please.

[Petethedig]

I thought of the regional ones, but the cost would be to large? One big build, less cost involved. Less land to have a watching brief on too!

Evil to him who thinks evil.

[the invisible man]

Sorry. MOL= Museum of London.

LAARC=London Archaeological and Archive Resource Centre. A great big warehouse in Hackney (called Mortimer Wheeler House) that houses MOLAS (MOL Archaeolgy Service) and MOLSS (MOL Specialst Services) as well as being exactly the kind of depository described. Basically it is the stores for MOL and where finds from excavations in the Greater London area are (usually) deposited. It was opened 3 or 4 years ago, funded in part by the lottery and part by donations from individuals, companies, societies and so on. They have facilities for research and education, and interestingly an incredibly lengthy and onerous manual of conditions for the depositing of stuff - it runs to two volumes and really does specify how many staples are required for finds bags! I know of units trying to comply having their little van sent back to them with all the material returned for not complying with something - something else to cost for!

But overall an excellent concept, I would say. Except that it is anticipated to be full in 7 years, I think it is!

[troll]

excellent idea! When repositories are full and recording complete, why can`t we provide schools/colleges etc with their own teaching collections/displays etc of the overflow? One assemblage can be used to good effect across almost every curriculum subject. Displays provided for public buildings nationwide?

[Petethedig]

I think it's not necessarily re-inventing the wheel, but a National Centre would be of National importance. One huge building with many disciplines attached to it would make more sense than trying to up-keep many smaller ones that would fill up more quickly?
Its easier to maintain one project like this and certainly have a more controlled and uniform care of the finds deposited. Yes there would need to be some need to control the quality of deposits but why can't that be done at the centre and then deposited by staff in the centre. Have a collection van for each region at a time which deposits each year hence spreading the load and making space in local museums each year. Just a thought!

Evil to him who thinks evil.

[the invisible man]

A national centre would have to be unfeasibly vast, and would be too inaccessible for most of the country. They have to be used by the general public, extra-mural students, schools. societies etc as well as academics and professionals, and act as a base for FLO's and the "communty archaeologists". A major advantage of them would be that local (well regional) knowledge and expertise would be accumulated, something that may have been diminished with he advent of commercial archaeology.

Annual collections even if regional would need a train or two, rather than a van! And where would the stuff be kept in the meantime? I think you may be under-estimating the amount of material and archives being generated, Pete.

The LAARC does have teaching collections that are sent out to schools, obviously only comprising the two-a-penny stuff. They also do all sorts of day-schools and hands-on sessions for all "levels" of interest, which surely can only be a good thing.

[Petethedig]

Vast, 'yes!' un-feasible never! I sometimes wonder if some of you guys think to much inside the box? What do you plan on doing with all the mass detritus you have now? Perhaps museums will start to bury them again eh? And yes I've heard that happens already so don't shoot the messenger!
The point is these type of projects are big and bold and MP's love them! A statement of our times is what we need, just like the Dome in London.
By the way Mr Invisible have you ever been inside a distribution centre? It would take more than whats left of your lifetime to fill one with bags of pottery fragments. From what you say you sound like you work in or around archaeology so whats wrong with having such a large national facility. All the other disciplines are already catered for elsewhere so why not have a depository for the whole of England?

Evil to him who thinks evil.