The ‘Before The Museums’ project is an initiative aiming to create the smooth transition of finds from their recovery during archaeological fieldwork through to their deposition at a museum. The project is part of the Scottish Archaeology Strategy and is being managed jointly between ALGAO:Scotland and National Museums Scotland. The project work is being delivered by Dr Sam Paul and Dr Manda Forster. 
The overall outcomes of this stage of the ‘Before The Museums’ project will be twofold:

  • The creation of guidance for the transfer for archaeological assemblages to museums in Scotland, building on the draft standards that have already been created.
  • The development and implementation of a processing fee from depositors to museums for archaeological archives.

Previous work has included a feasibility study and consultation, as well as Focus Groups delivered in 2024. The updated documents respond to feedback received concerning both the proposals and their implementation. 
This new sector-wide consultation includes an updated version of the proposed guidance document and fee proposals for archive deposition in Scotland, as well as information about implementation. The survey will remain open until 25 September 2024.

SURVEY LINK: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JGVNHJN

Documents for review:

SCA24_StandardsGuidanceTransferArchaeoAssemblagesScotland_ConsultationDraft_Aug24_v2.0Download
MuseumsScotland_BlankArchaeologicalAssemblageSpreadsheet_ConsultationDraft_v2.0_Aug24Download