Boundary objects: using grave goods to link communities in the present (as well as the past)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Reading
Department Name: Archaeology
Abstract
This project will build on work undertaken from 2016-2020 as part of the AHRC-funded 'Prehistoric Grave Goods' project (PGGP). PGGP brought together diverse information about objects from burials to reveal fascinating details about some of the most alluring and intriguing objects found in prehistoric Britain. One key element of the original project was to build on identified public interest, raising awareness of and providing new, accessible information about prehistoric grave goods in the British Museum and - via information packs - in primary schools across the UK. Another important strand was to ensure that, having used information from existing, publicly accessible digital holdings (HERs) as a starting point for our research, detailed findings from the project were fed directly back into these repositories so that they could provide a sound platform for future investigations of prehistoric burial.
The proposed Boundary Objects project (BOP) aims to build on this work, developing it in new directions according to recognised needs. Over the course of PGGP, we became acutely aware of how difficult it can be to access information about grave goods, and the extent to which different parcels of information exist in different, unconnected silos - there is a chronic lack of joined-up thinking across the heritage sector regarding archaeological objects (finds) and their contexts of discovery (sites). We also came to realise that, despite a very clear public interest in prehistoric grave goods and the stories they have to tell, very few opportunities currently exist for volunteers to contribute meaningfully to finds research, whether in national- or regional-level institutions. In order to respond to these parallel gaps/needs, BOP aims to: (1) use grave goods to inspire a new wave of archaeological volunteers in both national and key regional institutions, and (2) enable people to access information about archaeological finds/sites, currently located in diverse and often relatively inaccessible locations, through one coherent, centralised portal: a 'finds hub'.
In order to achieve these goals, we will: hold a series of stakeholder workshops in Edinburgh, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides; engage volunteers in new and meaningful finds-related research (populating the 'finds hub', connecting museum finds back up with their sites of origin, co-creating a series of 'grave good stories' which will be published as Canmore 'long reads' and form part of our end-of-project celebration exhibition and creating new 3D digital models of finds); work with leading industry players to develop an effective and sustainable 'finds hub' that will connect disparate archaeological information in one location; and produce two best-practice documents that will concretize the project's legacy and, we hope, ensure uptake of its ideas across the UK heritage sector. Whilst PGGP covered Britain as a whole, Scotland has been selected as the pilot area for BOP because of the coherency and accessibility of its digital repositories (Canmore and NMS) and because of our project partners' enthusiasm to participate.
The core project team will include members of the original PGGP together with colleagues at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the National Museum of Scotland (NMS). Wider stakeholders include Historic Environment Record and museum professionals from two case study areas - Orkney and the Outer Hebrides - and volunteer groups associated with these organisations. In producing a sustainable 'finds hub' resource that, in principle, can be rolled out across the UK, inviting UK-wide heritage professionals to our end-of-project workshops and producing two widely-available best practice documents, we hope to ensure a nationwide, scalable legacy for the project.
The proposed Boundary Objects project (BOP) aims to build on this work, developing it in new directions according to recognised needs. Over the course of PGGP, we became acutely aware of how difficult it can be to access information about grave goods, and the extent to which different parcels of information exist in different, unconnected silos - there is a chronic lack of joined-up thinking across the heritage sector regarding archaeological objects (finds) and their contexts of discovery (sites). We also came to realise that, despite a very clear public interest in prehistoric grave goods and the stories they have to tell, very few opportunities currently exist for volunteers to contribute meaningfully to finds research, whether in national- or regional-level institutions. In order to respond to these parallel gaps/needs, BOP aims to: (1) use grave goods to inspire a new wave of archaeological volunteers in both national and key regional institutions, and (2) enable people to access information about archaeological finds/sites, currently located in diverse and often relatively inaccessible locations, through one coherent, centralised portal: a 'finds hub'.
In order to achieve these goals, we will: hold a series of stakeholder workshops in Edinburgh, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides; engage volunteers in new and meaningful finds-related research (populating the 'finds hub', connecting museum finds back up with their sites of origin, co-creating a series of 'grave good stories' which will be published as Canmore 'long reads' and form part of our end-of-project celebration exhibition and creating new 3D digital models of finds); work with leading industry players to develop an effective and sustainable 'finds hub' that will connect disparate archaeological information in one location; and produce two best-practice documents that will concretize the project's legacy and, we hope, ensure uptake of its ideas across the UK heritage sector. Whilst PGGP covered Britain as a whole, Scotland has been selected as the pilot area for BOP because of the coherency and accessibility of its digital repositories (Canmore and NMS) and because of our project partners' enthusiasm to participate.
The core project team will include members of the original PGGP together with colleagues at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the National Museum of Scotland (NMS). Wider stakeholders include Historic Environment Record and museum professionals from two case study areas - Orkney and the Outer Hebrides - and volunteer groups associated with these organisations. In producing a sustainable 'finds hub' resource that, in principle, can be rolled out across the UK, inviting UK-wide heritage professionals to our end-of-project workshops and producing two widely-available best practice documents, we hope to ensure a nationwide, scalable legacy for the project.
Planned Impact
The Boundary Objects project (BOP) aims to enhance significantly the impact of the original AHRC-funded Prehistoric Grave Goods project (PGGP), ensuring that the latter has impact on new audiences and benefits the wider heritage sector in new ways. Our key aims are (1) to inspire a new wave of archaeological volunteers, and (2) to enable people to access information about archaeological finds/sites, currently located in diverse silos, using one coherent, centralised portal. In order to achieve these goals, we will hold a series of stakeholder workshops, engage volunteers in new finds-related research, co-create a series of 'grave goods stories' for public dissemination, and produce two best-practice documents that will concretize the project's legacy and, we hope, ensure uptake of its ideas across the UK heritage sector.
Several groups of people will benefit from the project:
1. Existing and potential volunteers, community groups and members of the public who have an interest in archaeology and would like to 'get involved'
Consultation with our project partner institutions and other interested stakeholders has identified a lack of opportunities for members of the public to undertake voluntary work relating to Scottish archaeological finds. In providing (a) new impetus for both national and regional heritage organisations to encourage volunteering, and (b) a specific set of meaningful and engaging tasks for volunteers to undertake in the first instance (including population of the new 'finds hub', research for our 'grave goods stories' and 3D modelling of finds), BOP will ensure multiple new opportunities for people to get involved. This will not only provide volunteers with personal satisfaction, but potentially also important transferable skills and access to a community of other like-minded people.
2. Historic Environment Record officers (HEROs), local museum curators and other heritage professionals
Heritage professionals - especially those located in our case study areas (Outer Hebrides and Orkney) - will benefit from the project's creation of a diverse range of new volunteering opportunities, both immediately (in relation to this project) and in the future. This will, we hope, lead to new ways of working with local communities in future, enhancing collections/repositories, improving heritage resources (e.g. information available in HERs) more widely and ensuring a sustainable platform on which further volunteering can be undertaken.
3. The National Museum of Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland
Our highly motivated project partners will make important gains from the project. Both organisations will benefit from the expansion and upskilling of existing volunteers, from increased usage of their currently underused (yet meticulously maintained) online resources, and from the creation of images and textual information about previously inaccessible materials for various display/outreach purposes. By developing the 'finds hub' and taking forwards volunteer opportunities for involvement in the project, both NMS and HES will become recognised across the UK heritage sector as leaders in developing a joined-up and open approach to object-centred research. This will put them in a prime position to advise upon the future enhancement of existing efforts to improve the flow of information in UK archaeology.
4. A range of other potential stakeholders across the UK
In order to ensure that this project has wide impact, we will invite practitioners from across the UK to our end-of-project workshops and create 'best practice' documents relating to volunteering and joined-up finds information. Additionally, in creating a 'finds hub' model - in collaboration with key players in the industry - that can be rolled out much more widely, the project will have potential to impact heritage practice and data creation across the UK in the long-term.
Several groups of people will benefit from the project:
1. Existing and potential volunteers, community groups and members of the public who have an interest in archaeology and would like to 'get involved'
Consultation with our project partner institutions and other interested stakeholders has identified a lack of opportunities for members of the public to undertake voluntary work relating to Scottish archaeological finds. In providing (a) new impetus for both national and regional heritage organisations to encourage volunteering, and (b) a specific set of meaningful and engaging tasks for volunteers to undertake in the first instance (including population of the new 'finds hub', research for our 'grave goods stories' and 3D modelling of finds), BOP will ensure multiple new opportunities for people to get involved. This will not only provide volunteers with personal satisfaction, but potentially also important transferable skills and access to a community of other like-minded people.
2. Historic Environment Record officers (HEROs), local museum curators and other heritage professionals
Heritage professionals - especially those located in our case study areas (Outer Hebrides and Orkney) - will benefit from the project's creation of a diverse range of new volunteering opportunities, both immediately (in relation to this project) and in the future. This will, we hope, lead to new ways of working with local communities in future, enhancing collections/repositories, improving heritage resources (e.g. information available in HERs) more widely and ensuring a sustainable platform on which further volunteering can be undertaken.
3. The National Museum of Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland
Our highly motivated project partners will make important gains from the project. Both organisations will benefit from the expansion and upskilling of existing volunteers, from increased usage of their currently underused (yet meticulously maintained) online resources, and from the creation of images and textual information about previously inaccessible materials for various display/outreach purposes. By developing the 'finds hub' and taking forwards volunteer opportunities for involvement in the project, both NMS and HES will become recognised across the UK heritage sector as leaders in developing a joined-up and open approach to object-centred research. This will put them in a prime position to advise upon the future enhancement of existing efforts to improve the flow of information in UK archaeology.
4. A range of other potential stakeholders across the UK
In order to ensure that this project has wide impact, we will invite practitioners from across the UK to our end-of-project workshops and create 'best practice' documents relating to volunteering and joined-up finds information. Additionally, in creating a 'finds hub' model - in collaboration with key players in the industry - that can be rolled out much more widely, the project will have potential to impact heritage practice and data creation across the UK in the long-term.
Publications
Cooper, A
(2022)
Just how splendid were grave goods in the Stonehenge landscape?
in British Archaeology
Kruse, S.
(2022)
Boundary Objects Project in the Highlands
in Celebrating archaeology in Scotland
| Description | From enigmatic carved stone balls to the patched breeches of an eighteenth-century bog body, archaeological finds from Scotland are, without doubt, fabulous. Through these objects and the practices they embody, we can imagine alternative ways of living and thinking, wonder at past peoples' ingenuity and skill, and revisit significant moments in our own lives. Archaeological finds are also fragile, scattered across diverse locations, and often extremely difficult to access or find out about following their initial discovery. Only very few archaeological objects make it into museum displays where they can be widely enjoyed. In economically and socially challenging times, even these items can be hard to reach. Linking into wider moves to improve access to heritage collections in Scotland and across the UK, the Boundary Objects Project celebrated captivating archaeological objects from Scotland and the diverse sets of people involved in their discovery. Contemporary people power and digital technologies were harnessed in order to improve access to information about c. 150,000 digital records relating to archaeological objects and sites, to raise the prominence of these items in existing community-led heritage initiatives, and to engage a wide set of people in actively enjoying them. Key achievements of the project were: 1. Workshops (x 3) held with heritage professionals: - Connecting Scottish grave goods: information flow, digital connectivity and improved online access - Harnessing the power of Scottish grave goods: engaging volunteers in finds work - Celebrating progress, thinking towards a future for finds https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/grave-goods/events2/ 2. Building the Finds Hub The Finds Hub (https://finds-hub.org/) enables digital information about archaeological finds (in museums) and about their discovery sites (in Canmore and local Historic Environment Records) to be connected. To date, 150,000 Scottish finds and sites have been linked in this way. 3. Ancient Death Cafés Our Ancient Death Cafés allowed people to share stories about death, burial and grave goods in the past. They were held monthly (for 12 months) from September 2021, gathering together an average of 10-15 participants from assorted backgrounds (community groups, students, heritage professionals and museum curators from non-archaeological backgrounds) on each occasion (25 people participated in total). 4. Canmore 'long reads' Building on discussions held within our Ancient Death Cafés, attendees produced a series of stories celebrating intriguing and wonderful grave goods (and related material) from across Scotland. These are being published in an ongoing series via the 'Canmore in Context' webpages: "Explore our in-depth features and stories. Inspiring, insightful and interesting, these illustrated articles are a perfect way to learn a little more about Scotland's places". Ten stories have been published so far, with at least three more due for release in the near future. As of 13.3.23 these have been viewed and used 2,390 times. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/d463b904571f41bfbb98501cd83f1cef 5. 'Finding' wider community-led initiatives Our plans to hold our own travelling exhibition celebrating archaeological finds and the stories told about them had to be altered due to the Covid pandemic. Instead, we initiated collaborations with four different wider projects that were already in existence and happening within our case study regions in order to facilitate and enhance the presence of prehistoric grave goods (and other finds) firmly within ongoing community-led work across Scotland (see Narrative Impact section for details). |
| Exploitation Route | This follow on funding for impact and engagement has already been taken forwards and put to use by others in several ways. Notably, building on the initial AHRC FOFIE funding (for 12 months) to construct and operate the Finds Hub at pilot stage, two additional years' of funding have been secured (first from the Universities of Reading and Manchester, and then from Historic Environment Scotland) to produce a fully operational Finds Hub covering all records across Scotland within Canmore and the National Museum of Scotland, as well as other regional datasets (see below). Records incorporated into the Finds Hub: Data source No. records Record type National Museum Scotland 148,543 Object Canmore 305,382 Monument and Event University of Aberdeen Museums 14,683 Object Hunterian Museum 15,520 Object Highland HER 33,607/3,108 Monument/Event Aberdeenshire HER 1,515 Monument and Event Historic Environment Portal (HES) 8,065 Scheduled Monument Total 669,898 Our Canmore 'long reads' enabled Historic Environment Scotland to pilot both a new method of (community-driven) content creation, and new software (Storymaps). We hope that HES will continue to work with both in future. In addition, other colleagues and community-led initiatives working across our target case study areas - the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Highland region - have also benefitted from the project. Our partners were: Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (museum case information sheets and creation of museum trails at Dunrobin Castle), the Uist Virtual Archaeology Project (digital 3D models of artefacts and professional standard photographs), Historylinks Museum, Dornoch (replicas of two key grave good objects), and the Tombs of the Isles project, Orkney (eight 'tomb in a box' object handling collections for each of the North Isles heritage centres). Further details about this work are provided within the Narrative Impact section. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/grave-goods/boundary-objects-project/ |
| Description | Each of the Boundary Objects Project's original stated aims - and its achievements in relation to them - are outlined below. 1. Use the power of grave goods to engage new audiences with the prehistoric past, in doing so prompting a step-change in volunteering levels and in the diversity of volunteering opportunities associated with the National Museum of Scotland (NMS), Historic Environment Scotland (HES), and regional museums and Historic Environment Records (HERs). The Boundary Objects Project has used grave goods to very good effect in engaging new audiences with the prehistoric past. Volunteers working with us have linked thousands of artefacts to their discovery sites using the 'Finds Hub', discussed grave goods and mortuary archaeology at our 'Ancient Death Cafés', written a series of 'Grave Goods stories' published online by Historic Environment Scotland, created museum trails and case information sheets for Dunrobin Castle Museum, and created 3D photogrammetric models of archaeological finds for use in augmented reality archaeological tours in the Outer Hebrides. Undertaking the project during the Covid pandemic inevitably changed some of its scope and challenged us to be more creative with our methods, moving to a more digital focus and delivery. In order to advertise the Finds Hub (see 2, below, for further details) and to encourage broader public participation in the project, we engaged in social media posts (along with our colleagues in HES and NMS) and gave online talks to local archaeology societies in all of our target areas (Outer Hebrides, Orkney, Highland Region). Although public participation in the Finds Hub nonetheless remained lower than anticipated, a very significant number (2272) of links (3%) in total were made by members of the public (as of 1.12.22). Unfortunately, in the context of the Covid pandemic, our partner organisations were unable to change their traditional volunteering models, which made it more difficult than expected to use them as vehicles for creating a step-change in participation levels there. Alongside the Finds Hub, we also held monthly Ancient Death Cafés designed to allow people to share stories about death, burial and grave goods in the past. These ran for 12 months from September 2021, gathering together an average of 15 participants from assorted backgrounds - community groups, students, heritage professionals and non-archaeological museum curators - on each occasion; 25 people participated in total. This high-quality engagement with a varied audience led to a series of in depth 'grave goods stories', written by participants, being published on the 'Canmore in Context' webpages (see Key Findings for further details). Beyond the project-specific Finds Hub and Ancient Death Cafés, we anticipate that, moving forwards, significant new audiences will be inspired by grave goods through our partnerships with other existing initiatives: with Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands we facilitated the design and implementation of museum case information sheets and creation of museum trails at Dunrobin Castle; with the Uist Virtual Archaeology Project we produced digital 3D models of artefacts and professional standard photographs which will be used in Phase 2 of UVAP (now a multi-award winning digital heritage project); at Historylinks Museum, Dornoch, visitors will benefit from improved displays because of our commissioned replicas of two key grave good objects from the local area; and with the Tombs of the Isles project, Orkney we have ensured ongoing benefits to visitors and the general public at each of the North Isles heritage centres by providing access to eight 'tomb in a box' object handling collections that will be used for years to come. 2. Create a standalone digital 'finds hub' resource that connects up diverse information about archaeological objects currently held in different data silos. The 'finds hub' will facilitate the flow of finds information between heritage resources, resulting in a much more satisfying user-experience for members of the public engaging with museum/heritage digital information (and thus greater usage of these resources) as well as more effective research. The Finds Hub (https://finds-hub.org/) was successfully created, in partnership with Crispin Flower and colleagues at Exegesis/Idox, in order to connect digital information about archaeological finds (in museums) and about their discovery sites (in Canmore and local Historic Environment Records). To date, 669,898 finds/sites have been added to the Finds Hub from multiple partner organisations (see Key Findings for details). 150,000 of these have been connected (as of 13.3.23) - including over 50% of all artefacts within the National Museum Scotland - and work is ongoing. The success of the Finds Hub is indicated by our receipt of two additional years' of funding - to provide ongoing support, technical improvements and ingestion of much larger datasets - from diverse sources, including internal impact funding from both universities and our project partners HES. Once these links from finds records in museums to Canmore/HER site records are added, and vice versa, the digital heritage landscape in Scotland will have been vastly improved and made more efficient, facilitating better engagement and more effective research. 3. Realise widely-held ambitions to expand finds-related volunteer opportunities and to improve the flow of information about archaeological objects by using the 'finds hub' as a ready source of meaningful work for volunteers that will deliver benefits for the wider public and across the heritage sector. As discussed above, an expansion of finds-related volunteer opportunities was achieved, even if take-up the Finds Hub (and associated archival projects on the Micropasts platform) was more limited than anticipated. There can be no doubt that, because of the Finds Hub and the connections it has facilitated between site records and finds records, the flow of information about archaeological objects has been vastly improved. This has ensured benefits across the heritage sector, improving the research process for everyone from national museum curators to individual members of the public. 4. Write and publish 'best practice' guidance documents concerned with (a) the capture and sharing of information about archaeological objects across the heritage sector, and (b) finds-related volunteer work, thus creating a solid and sustainable platform for future explorations of archaeological objects in Scotland and more widely across the UK. The feedback from our project workshops led us to move away from standalone 'best practice' documents which our participants felt would have limited currency and narrow take-up. Instead, we have disseminated best practice through our end of project workshop, and through the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers network, and through a case-study rich paper (currently under review) in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, which will be widely read by all of the relevant stakeholder groups. In addition to the project's original stated aims being met (as set out above), we achieved the following additional (unforeseen) outcomes: 1. 5500 new digital images were created of NMS objects (mainly grave goods). 2. A new set of archaeological terms (mainly relating to grave goods) was added to the industry standard 'FISH' thesaurus, improving nomenclature across the heritage sector. 3. 'Collection-level' museum records were created at NMS and the Hunterian Museum. This means that where multiple finds records exist for multiple finds from a site, a new identifier has now been created which links all of these together, making it much easier in future to connect excavated sites with their object assemblages. 4. 'Stories of Discovery': inspired by the digital methods and objectives of the Boundary Objects project, a small Social Responsibility Grant from the University of Manchester enabled us to work with colleagues from the Peak District National Park and the University of Sheffield to celebrate the 200th anniversary of antiquarian Thomas Bateman and the 75th anniversary of Britain's first national park (see project blog and follow-up report, links below). https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/salc-making-a-difference/2021/08/18/stories-of-discovery-collaborative-engagement-with-the-peak-district-national-park/ https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/salc-making-a-difference/2022/09/16/vestiges-crafting-connections-through-the-heritage-of-the-peak-district/ ). o Our University of Sheffield partner, Prof. Bob Johnston, co-created 'Barrow Biographies' from antiquarian, research project and HER records with his students, collated in a GIS storymap resource o We used these to inspire nine poets to work alongside a commission from artist Rose Ferraby in a creative response (facilitated by an Ancient Death Café style workshop), published as a small monograph called Vestiges (available online and in print form https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/salc-making-a-difference/wp-content/uploads/sites/193/2022/09/Vestiges_highly_compressed.pdf ) o Our resources (GIS Storymap, poetry and artwork) featured as an integral part of the Brought to Light Exhibition curated by Sheffield Weston Park Museum: attracting 58,216 visitors) o We also delivered a sold-out In Conversation evening event (with all of the project partners), a lecture to the Derbyshire Archaeology Day and a public creative art and poetry workshop, as part of the museum's events programme |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services |
| Title | Finds Hub |
| Description | The Finds Hub was designed, built and hosted by Crispin Flower and colleagues at Exegesis, in consultation with the Boundary Objects Project team and partner organisations, using a suite of open source technologies including .NET Core, cloudscribe, OpenLayers, and MapServer. The basic idea was to create an online platform for gathering, in one place, disparate digital records from separate collections relating to archaeological sites (monument records), investigations (event records) and finds (object records). |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Impact | 148,000 digital heritage records linked. |
| URL | https://finds-hub.org/ |
| Description | Academic lecture on Grave Goods, Oslo (MG) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Lecture on 'Grave Goods - objects and death in later prehistoric Britain' at the Institute of Archaeology, Conservation and History, University of Oslo. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Ancient Death Café (August 2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ancient Death Café - monthly public workshops/discussion forum for the Boundary Objects Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Ancient Death Café (Dec 2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ancient Death Café - monthly public workshops/discussion forum for the Boundary Objects Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Ancient Death Café (Feb 2022) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ancient Death Café - monthly public workshops/discussion forum for the Boundary Objects Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Ancient Death Café (Jan 2022) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ancient Death Café - monthly public workshops/discussion forum for the Boundary Objects Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Ancient Death Café (July 2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ancient Death Café - monthly public workshops/discussion forum for the Boundary Objects Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Ancient Death Café (June 2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ancient Death Café - monthly public workshops/discussion forum for the Boundary Objects Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Ancient Death Café (March 2022) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ancient Death Café - monthly public workshops/discussion forum for the Boundary Objects Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Ancient Death Café (May 2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ancient Death Café - monthly public workshops/discussion forum for the Boundary Objects Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Ancient Death Café (Nov 2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ancient Death Café - monthly public workshops/discussion forum for the Boundary Objects Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Ancient Death Café (Oct 2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ancient Death Café - monthly public workshops/discussion forum for the Boundary Objects Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Ancient Death Café (Sept 2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ancient Death Café - monthly public workshops/discussion forum for the Boundary Objects Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Beyond the Galloway Hoard: 'Assembling Hoards' symposium (AC) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk at the Beyond the Galloway Hoard: 'Assembling Hoards' symposium (AC) about 'Can grave goods tell us anything about hoards? Spectrums of collecting and depositing objects in later prehistoric Britain and beyond'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Connecting Scottish grave goods: information flow, digital connectivity and improved online access workshop 1 (AC, DG, MG) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Online workshop for heritage professionals in Scotland |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/grave-goods/events2/ |
| Description | Departmental Research Seminar, Archaeology, University of Exeter (AC) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Departmental Research Seminar, Archaeology, University of Exeter (AC) - Grave matters: harnessing the enduring power of prehistoric grave goods |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Departmental seminar - Grave goods: Objects and death in later prehistoric Britain (Anwen Cooper & Mel Giles) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Departmental seminar, University of the Highlands & Islands |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Departmental seminar - Grave matters: harnessing the enduring power of prehistoric grave goods (Anwen Cooper) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Departmental seminar, University of Reading - Grave matters: harnessing the enduring power of prehistoric grave goods (AC) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Dunrobin Castle celebration event (AC) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Opening event for the local volunteer-led Dunrobin Castle museum trail with Historylinks Young Curators, ARCH volunteers and Dunrobin Castle staff. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Harnessing the power of Scottish grave goods: engaging volunteers in finds work workshop 2 (AC, DG, MG) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Online workshop for heritage professionals, and volunteer coordinators in Scotland - Harnessing the power of Scottish grave goods: engaging volunteers in finds work |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/grave-goods/events2/ |
| Description | Highland Archaeology Festival (online) - talk about the Boundary Objects project: grave goods - stories about the past and present (AC/DG/MG) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk for the Highland Archaeology Festival (online) about the Boundary Objects project: grave goods - stories about the past and present (AC/DG/MG) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/boundary-objects-project-grave-goods-stories-about-the-past-and-resea... |
| Description | Interdisciplinary research lecture to School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, University of Manchester (MG) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Interdisciplinary research lecture to School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, University of Manchester - Grave Goods and Boundary Objects |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Lecture to the Prehistoric Society's Annual Dayschool - The Past in the Past - Visions of Time and Change (MG) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Lecture to the Prehistoric Society's Annual Dayschool - The Past in the Past - Visions of Time and Change |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.prehistoricsociety.org/events/2023-03-04 |
| Description | Online volunteering workshop (UCAG) (AC) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Online workshop introducing Western Isles community group to BOP |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Online workshop introducing Highland volunteers to the Finds Hub as part of BOP (Anwen Cooper) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Online workshop introducing Highland volunteers to the Finds Hub as part of BOP - Harnessing the power of grave goods: the Prehistoric Grave Goods and Boundary Objects projects |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Public evening lecture - Doing death, Manchester 'Being Human' Festival 2022 (MG) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Public evening lecture - Doing death: in conversation event with Prof. Andrew Doig and Prof. Carsten Timmerman; part of the Manchester 'Being Human' Festival 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/doing-death-prof-andrew-doig-and-melanie-giles-being-human-festival-t... |
| Description | Public lecture on Grave Goods in the Iron Age (MG) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Public lecture to the Friends of Castleshaw Roman Fort |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | http://www.castleshawarchaeology.co.uk/events.htm |
| Description | Public lecture to ARCH Highland (Duncan Garrow) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk to ARCH Highland (online) - Grave Goods: objects and death in later prehistory |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Talk to Historic Environment Data Standards Working Group, Wales - the Finds Hub (AC/DG) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk about BoP to Wales-wide group with representatives from all Welsh HERs, the Royal Commission, Cadw, National Trust and the National Parks. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Workshop for BOP: University of the Highlands and Islands, Orkney (Anwen Cooper & Mel Giles) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Workshop for BOP: University of the Highlands and Islands, Orkney |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |