Silver, Status and Society - the transition from Late Roman to Early Medieval Europe

Power and prestige in Europe during the first millennium AD is predominately expressed in two portable materials: silver and gold. These precious metals underpinned the emergence of early medieval kingdoms in Europe by providing the raw materials for prestige objects that were used to create, contest and reflect status within and between societies. While parts of Europe favoured gold, in Scotland silver was the most important precious metal for over 600 years (AD400-1000). Silver had been introduced to Scotland by Rome (via subsidies, military pay, diplomacy and loot) and rapidly became a vital means of expressing power and prestige in the lands beyond the frontier, albeit one that carried Imperial 'baggage'. Recent discoveries of Late Roman and Early Medieval silver hoards in Scotland, and re-evaluation of existing hoards, has highlighted the need to connect with those working on comparable material elsewhere in Europe. The network Silver, Status and Society will provide an opportunity to maximise the momentum building from two existing programmes of national research on silver to develop, for the first time, a comparative international and cross-disciplinary study of this powerful and valuable material, during this pivotal period in Europe's history.

Silver provides a key source of evidence for understanding reactions to the political vacuum caused by the disintegration of the Roman Empire and the emergence of the early medieval kingdoms of Europe, but research has been inhibited by national boundaries and divides between academic disciplines. Bringing together academics, museum professionals, early career researchers and doctoral students, will create lasting cross-disciplinary connections between those involved in the discovery, curation, research and public presentation of early medieval silver from across northern Europe. The network will place an emerging field of study in the UK into an international context by providing insights into comparable material, alternative methodologies, and interpretative models. This will provide a platform from which to compare and contrast different strategies towards the supply, circulation and use of silver following the collapse of the Roman Empire and to explore the role of this precious metal in the emergence of the early medieval kingdoms of Europe.

The findings of the Silver, Status and Society network will be disseminated publically through an open day conference in Edinburgh, and via the existing public programmes activity of the Glenmorangie Research Project on Early Medieval Scotland (based at National Museums Scotland www.nms.ac.uk/earlymedieval), including a special exhibition in Edinburgh and publication of a popular book in 2017. Academic dissemination will be through two symposia, one in the UK and one in Denmark, and the publication of a volume of papers drawn from them.

It is anticipated that the main beneficiaries of this research will be the wider public and Third Sector museums and galleries. Additional impact will be generated by showcasing on an international stage a successful UK business-arts collaboration, and for policy makers through consideration of methods of protection and management of a fragile and vulnerable archaeological resource.

The main impact of this Network will be in raising awareness of an important aspect of our shared cultural heritage: the emergence of the early medieval kingdoms of northern Europe and the particular role played by silver in expressing connections to the wider world as well as more local concerns. The network will enrich cultural life of UK and international public visiting UK (and northern Europe participating museums) by effectively communicating results of new approaches to a vital period of Europe's past. In part, this will be achieved by a public day conference following the second symposia, planned for Edinburgh in Autumn/Winter 2017 which will disseminate the network's findings to a popular audience. In addition, National Museums Scotland is committed to incorporate the network's findings into a temporary exhibition and popular publication on silver AD300-800 in 2017, as well as to disseminating widely via volunteer guides and a programme of public lectures and digital content. This will showcase UK collections in their wider context, both valuable and of interest to local (Scottish/UK) and international visitors.

The network will have valuable impact in the Third sector by enabling NMS and other participating museums to foster connections with researchers in 'traditional' academic sector and other IROs, particularly those based outside of the UK. These connections are vital to functioning of museums, with tangible benefits in building collaborations that lead to the development of joint exhibitions, reciprocal loans, and other research funding applications.

The network will also have impact for policy makers through facilitation of discussion of protection and management strategies for precious-metals stray finds. The material culture at the heart of this network includes some very valuable and at-risk archaeological remains and modern discoveries of silver from the first millennium AD have tended to be a result of metal detecting activity. The discovery of over 100 pieces of hacksilver material by the PI during fieldwork investigation of an old find-spot at Gaulcross raises interesting questions for the protection of sites already in the public consciousness but unprotected by legislation. This network presents an opportunity for comparison of methods of protection and management of precious metal stray finds adopted elsewhere in Europe and to reflect on best practice for the various legal systems protecting and governing the treatment of material culture in the UK.

This application is made in the context of a 9-year research project funded by a partnership between National Museums Scotland and The Glenmorangie Company. The innovative nature of the partnership has been recognised by an Arts & Business award and a motion tabled by the Scottish Parliament. The network will provide an additional benefit by promoting this model as a means of supporting sustained programmes of academic research.