Scottish Government has opened two consultations on, Proposed changes to depositing archaeological assemblages in Scotland

Consultation 1 – Implementing a museum processing fee for archaeological assemblages in Scotland – http://archaeologystrategy.scot/2020/12/14/before-the-museum-project-consultations-on-draft-guidance-and-museums-processing-fee/2020-feasibility-report-on-implementing-a-museum-processing-fee-for-archaeology-in-scotland-final/

Please use https://bit.ly/3mfzPUg for submitting your response. The deadline for responses is the 8th February 2021. This report is a feasibility study only at this stage, with recommendations for how to go about establishing the costs of any such fee in consultation with the wider sector.

Consultation 2 – New draft guidance for the minimum standards for the transfer of archaeological assemblages to museums in Scotland – http://archaeologystrategy.scot/museum_archaeological_archiving_standards_consultation-draft/

Please use https://bit.ly/3gLp62v for submitting your response. The deadline for responses is the 8th February 2021. The guidance is at a DRAFT stage following on from careful consideration of all available standards currently available. The intention is not to replace those standards developed by the Society for Museum Archaeology, CIfA etc, but rather to act as a quick reference guide to those standards and others so that the requirements are in one place. In addition to guidance on packing, labelling etc, there are also new templates for use including ‘Statement of Significance’ which will hopefully help all involved with an assemblage to understand its relative importance.

FAME will be responding to both of these consultations; if Members have opinions on what they would like to see in a FAME response, please send your comments to me at ceo@famearchaeology.co.uk; all will be treated in confidence, and if your comment or opinion is used, you won’t be identified as their source.