RESCUE – The British Archaeological Trust welcomes the contribution of the Federation of Archaeological Managers and Employers (FAME) to the debate over the future of archaeological archives in the UK.
We have long advocated improvements to the system of archive deposition in local and regional museums and the creation of regional depositories to hold archives from developer-funded and amateur/voluntary excavations in perpetuity. The funding crisis has only deepened the crisis surrounding the long term curation of archaeological archives.
Crisis Facing Our National Treasures
RESCUE, however, argue that, especially in a time of funding crisis, we need to ensure that the research potential of archives is not diminished by attempts to deal with immediate storage problems by selective disposal of archives.
Our press release, for immediate release follows.