This is just an update on our next conference, being held in September. We still have room for people to attend. If you would like to add your name to the list, please contact Michael Lewis (mlewis@britishmuseum.org).
RECORDING THE PAST: HOW DIFFERENT EUROPEAN COUNTRIES DEAL WITH PORTABLE ANTIQUITIES
MONDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2009
BP LECTURE THEATRE, BRITISH MUSEUM
PROGRAMME
This conference aims to gain a wider understanding of how different European countries deal with portable antiquities (archaeological small finds) found by members of the public and promote best practice amongst finders. The key questions that speakers will address are: whether there is a legal requirement for finders of portable antiquities to report archaeological objects and whether the state claims ownership of them; whether it is permissible to search for such finds with a metal-detector or by other means; how many people (in that country) are known to search for archaeological objects (legally or not); how many objects are reported each year; and whether the systems in place (in that country) work as well as they could or whether improvements could be made. It is hoped the conference will help identify the main strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches adopted by countries across Europe, in order to draw conclusions as to how best to preserve an archaeological record of finds found, develop best practice, and find ways to educate the public about the importance of such finds for understanding the past.
09:30 Registration
09:45 Welcome: Neil MacGregor, Director, British Museum
10:00 Dr Roger Bland (British Museum, London), The English and Welsh approach to portable antiquities: a perfect system or fundamentally flawed?
10:30 Dr Alan Saville (National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh), Little and large: portable antiquities and treasure trove in Scotland
11:00 Dr Cormac Bourke (Ulster Museum, Belfast), Found objects: the Northern Ireland experience
11:30 Coffee
12:00 Dr Eamonn P Kelly (National Museum, Dublin), Portable antiquities in the Republic of Ireland
12:30 Dr Johan Nicolay (University of Groningen), Metal detection in the Netherlands: the law and reality
13:00 Lunch (not provided)
14:00 Dr Martin Segschneider (Archäologisches Landesamt, Schleswig Holstein), Methods of cooperation with metal detectorists in Schleswig-Holstein – first results and experiences
14:30 Dr Mogens Bo Henrikson (Odense Museum), Detectors and Danefæ in Denmark
15:00 Dr Andrej Gaspari (Military Museum of Slovenian Armed Forces, Ljubljana), Purchase, compensation or reward? Abolition scheme for the illegally excavated archaeological artefacts between law and practice (experience from the Republic of Slovenia).
15:30 Coffee
16:00 Gábor Lassányi (Aquincum Museum), Metal detecting and the antiquities law in Hungary.
16:30 Prof Aleksander Bursche and Mr Maricn Rudnicki (Instytut Archeologii, Uniwersytet Warszawski), Metal Detecting in Poland – law and reality.
17:00 Discussion
17:30 Close
Bookings: please send a cheque for £15 payable and your contact details to The British Museum to Michael Lewis, Department of Portable Antiquities & Treasure, The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Tel: 0207 323 8611.
