Papers by Duncan H Brown
Introduction The lack of storage space in museums and associated repositories now seems to become... more Introduction The lack of storage space in museums and associated repositories now seems to become a universal problem and the large amount of archaeological material being generated is often cited as one reason for this situation. A commonly proposed solution to the storage crisis is a more critical approach to the collection of archaeological material , where a project archive is subject to selection before transfer to a museum or similar repository. This paper examines how that situation has developed in England by looking at some of the reasons for the pressure on our stores, considers a few solutions and also sets out a case study for managing an archive selection process. This is of course an international issue, but the broader context is not included here, in what is presented as a case study within one particular state, nonetheless it is hoped that it will be of interest and value to a wide audience. In the first instance, therefore, it is probably worth explaining how archa...
Plural: History, Culture, Society, 2017
This paper examines the issues around selecting for archaeological archives, including the reason... more This paper examines the issues around selecting for archaeological archives, including the reasons for doing so, how selection fit into a project and the methodological framework. The context is 'Making Choices', a project of the Europae Archaeologiae Consilium that is looking at how all choices are made across archaeological practice, while the foundations are provided by existing standards for archiving and for selection.
The Middle Ages Revisited: Studies in the Archaeology and History of Medieval Southern England Presented to Professor David A. Hinton, 2018
Archaeologies of Rules and Regulation
In England haben ublicherweise die Regionalmuseen die Aufgabe ubernommen, Unterlagen und Funde au... more In England haben ublicherweise die Regionalmuseen die Aufgabe ubernommen, Unterlagen und Funde aus archaologischen Untersuchungen zu archivieren. Aus Platznot entscheiden sich nun immer mehr Museen, kein Material von verursacher-finanzierten Masnahmen mehr anzunehmen. Die Hintergrunde dieser Lage, namlich eine Zunahme an archaologischen Aktivitaten in den letzten 20 Jahren, sowie ein zunehmend wettbewerbsintensiver Markt an archaologischen Grabungsfirmen, werden in diesem Vortrag dargelegt. Es folgt eine Diskussion moglicher Losungen fur diese Magazinkrise in unseren Museen, oder zumindest in unseren archaologischen Sammlungen. Eine mogliche Losung ware es, in der Auswahl der aufzubewahrenden Grabungsfunde selektiver zu sein. Die Prinzipien zur Auswahl und Magazinierung eines archaologischen Archives werden hier vorgestellt; zusammen mit einem Fallbeispiel, welches zeigt, wie ein Auswahlprozess zur Rationalisierung des Museumsbestandes die Platznot lindern kann.
PLURAL. History, Culture, Society
This paper examines the issues around selecting for archaeological archives, including the reason... more This paper examines the issues around selecting for archaeological archives, including the reasons for doing so, how selection fit into a project and the methodological framework. The context is ‘Making Choices’, a project of the Europae Archaeologiae Consilium that is looking at how all choices are made across archaeological practice, while the foundations are provided by existing standards for archiving and for selection.
Archaeological Journal, 2015
readings of Romanesque sculpture, hierarchies of man and nature, and medieval notions of what mig... more readings of Romanesque sculpture, hierarchies of man and nature, and medieval notions of what might be deemed beautiful. Ambrose also asks why these sculptures were created, who would have determined the subjects for such images, and how the viewers were meant to perceive them. The title is somewhat misleading. Readers may anticipate the work to reference Romanesque imagery throughout Western Europe when, in fact, the studies actually represent only a series of churches in Eastern France and others related to pilgrimage to Compostela (Spain). Most of these churches are also monastic, usually with Cluniac associations. Only the cathedral at Jaca (Spain) is representative of a significant non-monastic site; this is discussed along with the stylistically-linked monastic church at Fromista (Spain). Had the book focused specifically on monastic churches, or on monastic churches versus non-monastic churches, it would have had greater impact and felt more cohesive. Instead, the author draws little distinction between viewers of the sculpture (pilgrims, lay brothers, locals, etc.) and monks who had exceptional access to parts of the church. At times, too, Ambrose shows a lack of awareness of Romanesque imagery beyond his selected sites. One example is his discussion of ‘Male Nudes’ (Chapter 2). Ambrose states that there is ‘no obvious male equivalent to luxuria figures’ (p. 55); but this is not strictly so. It is true that male equivalents may not have been displayed in male monasteries, but two voussoirs from an arch which probably formerly decorated the west front of the cathedral at Compostela (now in the Cathedral Museum), show a naked male figure whose genitalia is under attack from monstrous creatures, contrasted by a female figure of luxuria, who is also under attack. The majority of the illustrations in the book are of interest and show clearly the curious elements discussed by the author. Three, however, are less useful. In figures 12 and 37, the quality of the photographs is so poor that significant features cannot be determined. More importantly, figure 30 fails to show what is actually described in the text. Other weaknesses include an over-use of arcane language, limiting ease of understanding, and frequent specific references to the writings of modern scholars, frequently using the words ‘argues/argued’ or even ‘persuasively argued’ without further justification (e.g. pp. 52, 54, 87, and 127). Both of these habits are unhelpful. Despite flaws, there remains much to admire. As well as an excellent and comprehensive bibliography, the book contains valuable discussions, along with profound and provocative questions about how viewers during the Romanesque period were expected to understand imagery. Numerous references to medieval and earlier scholars, whose writings were available at the time, shed valuable light on interpretation of the sculptures examined. Ambrose rightly points out that poetry, reading, and contemplation were considered admirable activities, and that there was at the time a firm belief that artworks facilitated contemplation of the divine (Chapter 4). The author further highlights that medieval sculpture might be understood on different levels, and that the pre-knowledge of the viewer was paramount for appreciating higher levels of understanding. Obscure images could force the viewer to seek out philosophical abstractions, and beauty could sometimes be found in the monstrous. As Ambrose eloquently concludes: ‘Romanesque monsters resist containment within modern interpretive categories and offer testimony to the density and nuance of the medieval imagination’ (p. 146).
There are many places where archaeology and computer graphics meet, but perhaps it is time we ide... more There are many places where archaeology and computer graphics meet, but perhaps it is time we identified where they really fit together. It may also be useful to follow this up with a consideration of how, since the application of computer graphics, our understanding of the practice of archaeology has benefited and how our understanding of the past has developed.
International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 2004
... dated examples using recently-published material, in particular the latest research on Italia... more ... dated examples using recently-published material, in particular the latest research on Italian maiolica from ... The ceramic assemblage comprises 147 fragments of pottery and 33 pieces of brick or tile. ... vessel count of 118 (sherds from the same vessel count as one pot and sherds ...
Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology, 2014
The aim of the Standard and Guide to Best Practice in Archaeological Archiving in Europe (hereaft... more The aim of the Standard and Guide to Best Practice in Archaeological Archiving in Europe (hereafter called ‘the Guide’) is to make archaeological data, information and knowledge available, stable, consistent and accessible for present and future generations. Archaeological archives contain material objects (finds), records and data about our past which are irreplaceable and vulnerable to damage and loss. The Guide consists of a Standard accompanied by best practice Guidance for archaeological archiving, both of which will enable archaeologists to archive properly the material and documentary results of their work. It sets out how to care for and curate that archive both before and after it is placed in permanent storage. The aim of the Guide is to make archaeological archive practice throughout Europe consistent, in order to facilitate access to and the preservation of the archaeological record. This is achieved by producing standards and best practice for the creation, compilation,...
After two years hard work from the all the team the pottery standards document is out for people ... more After two years hard work from the all the team the pottery standards document is out for people to put into practice and advise all types of archaeological project, including those run by community groups, professional contractors and research institutions. We are hoping people will adopt this as the national standard and beyond, so please forward this to anyone. This Standard, produced with funding from Historic England, was compiled by the Prehistoric Ceramics Research Group, the Study Group for Roman Pottery and the Medieval Pottery Research Group, with the aim of creating the first comprehensive, inclusive standard for working with pottery.
Articles & Book Sections by Duncan H Brown
Paynter, S., Brown, D.H., Mays, S., Baker, P., Schuster, J. and Middleton, A., The London Wreck: A Kaleidoscope of Specialists, Materials and Artefacts [online article] Historic England Research 16, 2020
This article provides a glimpse at the fascinating array of objects found in the wreck of the sec... more This article provides a glimpse at the fascinating array of objects found in the wreck of the second-rate ship "London" which exploded in the Thames off Southend-on-Sea on 7th March 1665.
The results of the investigations over the last decade will be published in a Cotswold Archaeology Monograph envisaged for 2022.
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Papers by Duncan H Brown
Articles & Book Sections by Duncan H Brown
The results of the investigations over the last decade will be published in a Cotswold Archaeology Monograph envisaged for 2022.
The results of the investigations over the last decade will be published in a Cotswold Archaeology Monograph envisaged for 2022.