Stone conservation in progress at Skara Brae, Orkney. Crown copyright Historic Environment Scotland
Preservation
‘Preservation’ embraces the protection of carved stones, for example by legislation, conservation, active intervention to sustain carved stones, interpretation and presentation to the public. Effective preservation begins with a full understanding of the cultural significance of carved stones so that this knowledge can inform legislation, policies, guidance and practices at both strategic and casework/project levels.
The NCCSS supports and encourages an awareness of the threats to carved stones among those with responsibility for caring for them. The NCCSS aims to identify (and to promote the identification of) stones and classes of stones that are at greatest risk. These should then be brought to the attention of the appropriate agencies for remedial action.
A particular concern of the Committee is loose, ‘portable’ carved stones that are to be found in many places. These are vulnerable in many ways and, by their nature, may fall between designations, and between the roles and responsibilities of curatorial organisations. The NCCSS is committed to encouraging good practice to protect, record, research and promote the value of ex situ carved stones, which as portable artefacts are particularly vulnerable to being lost, damaged or removed from their original context.
Examples of good practice:
Below is a bibliography and links to selected examples of good practice in preserving carved stones from Scotland and beyond.
Select bibliography:
The NCCSS supports and encourages an awareness of the threats to carved stones among those with responsibility for caring for them. The NCCSS aims to identify (and to promote the identification of) stones and classes of stones that are at greatest risk. These should then be brought to the attention of the appropriate agencies for remedial action.
A particular concern of the Committee is loose, ‘portable’ carved stones that are to be found in many places. These are vulnerable in many ways and, by their nature, may fall between designations, and between the roles and responsibilities of curatorial organisations. The NCCSS is committed to encouraging good practice to protect, record, research and promote the value of ex situ carved stones, which as portable artefacts are particularly vulnerable to being lost, damaged or removed from their original context.
Examples of good practice:
Below is a bibliography and links to selected examples of good practice in preserving carved stones from Scotland and beyond.
- Adding a new dimension to Dundee’s medieval carved stones:
An example of how to involve the public in recording and understanding carved stones. - Iona Museum redisplay project:
Historic Scotland’s redisplay of this large, nationally significant collection of carved stones of medieval and later periods. - Nigg Pictish cross-slab conservation, installation and interpretation:
An initiative by a small local trust to conserve, improve the access, presentation and interpretation of a highly significant early medieval monument in their care. - Working together in the CARE of rock art:
A project aiming to produce a user-friendly, non-intrusive Condition Assessment Risk Evaluation (CARE) toolkit for gathering and organising information essential for the long-term safeguarding of open-air rock art. - Aberdeenshire Historic Kirkyards and Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership Graveyards Conservation Strategy: These projects assess the relative built and natural heritage values of a group of graveyards (including their gravestones and other types of carved stones) to prioritise future conservation and management.
Select bibliography:
- BARNETT, T. and SHARPE, K., eds, 2010. Carving a Future for British Rock Art. New Directions for Research, Management and Presentation. Oxford and Oakville: Oxbow Books.
- DAKIN, A. (ed), 2002. Conservation of Historic Graveyards. Edinburgh: Historic Scotland.
- DARVILL, T. and FERNANDES, A.P.B., eds, 2014. Open-air Rock-art Conservation and Management. State of the Art and Future Perspectives. New York and London: Routledge.
- BUCKHAM, S., 2013. Edinburgh Graveyards Project. World Monuments Fund
- FOSTER, S.M., 2002. Planning for early medieval sculpture. The recovery and recognition of sense, place and setting. In: L.M. GREEN and P.T. BIDWELL, eds, Heritage of the North Sea Region. Conservation and Interpretation. Donhead St Mary: Donhead, pp. 151-171.
- FOSTER, S.M., 2005. Know your properties, recognise the possibilities: Historic Scotland's strategy for the interpretation of early medieval sculpture in its care. In: S.M. FOSTER and M. CROSS, eds, Able Minds and Practised Hands: Scotland's Early Medieval Sculpture in the Twenty-first Century. Leeds: Society for Medieval Archaeology/Maney, pp. 315-323.
- FOSTER, S.M., 2011. The curatorial consequences of being moved, moveable or portable: the case of carved stones. Scottish Archaeological Journal, 32(1), pp. 15-28.
- JONES, S., 2004. Early Medieval Sculpture and the Production of Meaning, Value and Place. Edinburgh: Historic Scotland.
- MAXWELL, I., NANDA, R., Dennis URQUHART, D., 2001. Guide for Practitioners 2 - Conservation of Historic Graveyards. Historic Scotland.
- O’BRIEN, C. 2011. Guidance for the Care, Conservation and Recording of Historic Graveyards. The Heritage Council of Ireland
- ODGERS, D., 2011. Caring for Historic Graveyard and Cemetery Monuments. English Heritage
- ODGERS, D., 2014., Advice on Maintenance of War Memorials. English Heritage
- TEUTONICO, J. and FILDER, J., eds, 2001. Monuments and the Millennium. Proceedings of a Joint Conference Organised by English Heritage and the United Kingdom Institute for Conservation. London: James & James (Science Publishers) Ltd for English Heritage.
- WALDERHAUG SAETERSDAL, E.M., 2000. Ethics, politics and practices in rock art conservation. Public Archaeology, 1, pp. 163-180.
