This Undergraduate Research Internship (formerly UROPs) involved cataloguing, photographing and researching small finds (mainly metal objects) from the archaeological excavations at Faccombe Netherton, a Medieval manorial site in Hampshire excavated by the City of London Archaeological Society from 1966 to 1979 which has been the British Museum’s collection since 1985. The project has substantially enhanced the research value of this important medieval archive, with the addition of 903 new photographs and contextual information/comparative examples. The work will contribute to the registration, and rehouse programmes at BM_ARC as well as the Museum’s ‘Collection Online’ records, ultimately making the collection more accessible to researchers.
Our student (Mark Griffiths) received training in object handling and recording alongside experience in collection management and curatorial procedures. The work has the potential to contribute to ongoing and future collaborations around medieval social archaeology, including the theme of medieval lived religion.
Skills gained include
Research skills in a museum setting: an appreciation of documentation history when selecting parts of museum assemblages for study.
Research environment in a National Museum: An understanding of how research works across a national Museum.
Accuracy and database hygiene for analysis of large archaeological assemblages.
Supervisory skills: team working and leading on specific tasks in a museum setting.
This project was undertaken by Mark Griffiths from June to July 2024.