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8. THE ROLE OF THE FINDER: EXCAVATION ASSEMBLAGES FROM ORGANIZED ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELDWORK
8.1 For the purposes of the Treasure Trove system the finder of portable antiquities from an excavation or other fieldwork project is: a) the project director; or b) the organization which employs the director; or c) in certain cases Historic Scotland as the sponsoring body. Finders in this category are never eligible for any ex gratia payment and there is no valuation process for assemblages from organized archaeological fieldwork. The procedures listed below replace those previously used by Historic Scotland's Finds Disposal Panel, which was disestablished in April 2005.
8.2 The finder is responsible for the security and stable conservation of the assemblage throughout the time which elapses between the field phase of a project, the post-excavation analyses, and the reporting and deposition. Assemblages held in this way are unallocated Treasure Trove and belong to the Crown. Finders are not authorized to lend or otherwise hand over excavated finds directly to a museum.
8.3 The finder may not remove from Scotland any of the portable antiquities originally found in Scotland, unless the appropriate loan form (obtainable from the TTU; see Appendix I) is authorized by the QLTR. The finder remains responsible for the security and integrity of the assemblage throughout the loan and must ensure the assemblage is returned to Scotland at the due date at her/his own expense.
8.4 Once the post-excavation process has reached the point at which an assemblage is museum ready or within a maximum of five years of the completion of fieldwork the finder must report it for claim by the Crown. This applies to all organized archaeological fieldwork commenced after the date at which this Code was first introduced (i.e. after [31 December] 2008), or started previously but still ongoing thereafter. In the case of organized archaeological fieldwork which was completed before the date at which this Code was first introduced, the finder must report it for claim within five years of that date (i.e. after [31 December] 2008)
8.5 If the assemblage derives from a project with which Historic Scotland has no involvement, it must be reported to the TTU using the standard form for this purpose available from the TT website (see Appendix J). In this case the finder retains the actual assemblage in safe keeping until the QLTR's decision on allocation is announced.
8.6 If the assemblage derives from a project sponsored by Historic Scotland then it must be reported to Historic Scotland and the assemblage itself will be deposited with Historic Scotland. Historic Scotland will then report the assemblage to the TTU using the standard reporting form.
8.7 Finders must provide the TTU with two hard copies of the Data Structure Report or equivalent, including a finds listing, at the time the assemblage is reported. It is envisaged that electronic rather than hard copies will in due course become the norm; the TTU can advise finders on this matter.
8.8 Finders will be informed by letter from the QLTR that their assemblage has been claimed and to which museum it has been allocated.
8.9 Following receipt of the QLTR's letter indicating allocation, finders are responsible for arranging delivery of the assemblage to the allocated museum.
8.10 In the event that no museum wishes to acquire a particular fieldwork assemblage, it will be disclaimed by the QLTR, who will communicate with the finder to that effect.
TT.100/6 Late Bronze Age razor from Ardnave on Islay. Allocated to Museum of Islay Life.
This is one of only a dozen Late Bronze Age double-edged 'bifid' razors from Scotland dating to 1,000-800 BC. The function of these razors is uncertain but clearly they could have served a number of purposes from shaving to cleaning skins.
TT.11/07 Bronze Age flint knife from Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Argyll & Bute. Allocated to Bute Museum
Flint tools also continued to be made in the Bronze Age and TT.11/07 is an interesting example of how flint, which is scarce in Scotland, was recycled from a Neolithic axehead of an earlier period to make this knife.
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