Day conference organised by the Archaeological Archives Group, 16 March 2016
Introduction
It now seems to be generally accepted that we can no longer retain everything produced or recorded during an archaeological project, while space could be created in museum stores, through retrospective selection to current criteria – but what are those criteria? What should a selection strategy look like and has anybody actually applied one?
The aim of the conference in March 2016 was to answer those questions with a set of overviews and case studies that provide context, introductory guidance and practical examples, with the ultimate goal being the creation of national guidelines. Participants included those who monitor selection, those who apply it and those who curate the resulting collections. This issue is of interest to all archaeologists, in the present and the future, and we must ensure that the strategies we adopt are consistent, comprehensive and sound.
To read more about the presentations and our discussions please click on the links below
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Duncan Brown MCIfA (Historic England): Introduction and case study
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Mark Hall MCIfA ‘Is it safe?’ Adventures in retrospective rationalisation
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Emma Durham (University of Reading): The Silchester Insula IX Project
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Lorraine Mepham MCIfA (Wessex Archaeology): Throwing it all away: lessons learnt from archive review
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Deborah Fox MCIfA (Museums Worcestershire) and Laura Griffin (Worcester Archive & Archaeology Service): Worcester – a joint approach
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Rob Symmons and Greg Campbell (Sussex Museums): Standardisation in Sussex?
Sussex Museums Selection & Retention Guidelines
