A joint conference between HMS and the British Museum to discuss new approaches to the analysis and conservation of metallurgical remains and metallic objects.
What's Mined is Yours:
Making the most of our Metallurgical Heritage
HMS AGM 2018 (joint with the British Museum)
16th June
British Museum, London
Organised by Loic Boscher and Aude Mongiatti
The study of historical and archaeological metallurgy is arguably at a turning point, having evolved out of the shared interests of industrial metallurgists, geologists, and archaeologists, it has coalesced into a discipline in its own right. Contemporary research is now un ravelling ever more information embedded within metallurgical remains, from the aesthetic significance of objects to the valuable material information contained within degradation and manufacturing waste products holding socio-cultural insights about trade and technologies. Helped along by technological advances, these new interpretative techniques have not been exclusively driven by esoteric academic pursuits but equally so by an increasing public awareness of the value of our metallurgical heritage. This is due to a confluence of social, political, and economic changes happening over the last few decades. Indeed, the normalising of metal detecting in many countries, the rising popularity of archaeology in the mainstream media, and the continued onward march of urban development highlighting the threat to a rapidly disappearing industrial landscape have all played a role in altering political and public perceptions of what constitutes valuable heritage. The challenge now lies in managing the ever expanding mountain of material, landscapes, and data available while simultaneously catalysing this wave of public interest to help preserve our metallurgical past.
The British Museum and the Historical Metallurgy Society recieved submissions for papers and poster presentations on the topic of the archaeology, conservation, analysis, and/or presentation of metallurgical heritage. A broad interpretation of this topic was welcomed, and the event particularly encouraged discussion within the following themes:
New approaches to the analysis and conservation of metallurgical remains and metallic objects
• Metallurgy, metals, and museums
• Metallurgical and industrial landscapes
• Public involvement and engagement