Advice for Collection Donors, Identifications, and Researchers

This document sets out the policies and procedures by which the Kent Archaeological Society (KAS) will accept donations of artefacts for into its’ permanent collection, as well as requests for identifications and research. When enquiries are received covering any of these topics this document should be provided to the enquirer for their information and agreement.

Artefacts

Donation

We are grateful to be offered material, but are strict about what we accept. Generally, we only accept objects that say something unique and specific about the historic county of Kent including Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham, and the Medway Districts, its environment and its people, and items that do not duplicate those already in the society’s collections and which come with rich supporting information.

The Society will consider accepting objects collected historically through either fieldwalking, purchase, or other collections processes in line with its active collections policy. However, these objects will only be considered for acquisition where legal title can be secured and provenance is well documented or can be reasonably established.

With our collection containing c. c. 10,000 artefacts, we have a process of deciding on suitable donations every quarter where management discusses items which are offered and identify any gaps for future acquisitions. Items deemed suitable will be subject to an final decision from the board of trustees.

If you would like to donate an item to the society, please contact the curator with details and images of the item(s) (curator@kentarchaeology.org), and they will be considered for the collection. Unfortunately we cannot accept all items offered, and will not accept items bought in without prior arrangement.

Identification

The Kent Archaeological Society can only help with the identification of objects associated with Kent, or similar to items held in its collections. We cannot undertake drop-in identifications without prior notice. Please email the curator to make an appointment if you would like to bring in an object for identification (curator@kentarchaeology.org).  It may be possible to carry out an identification of your artifact from a good quality digital photograph. When sending in images please include a suitable scale and views of the front and back of the item (especially important for Flint and Coins).

Please provide as much background information as possible about the object, such as where and when you acquired it, the material (if known), good quality digital image etc. Please allow 4 weeks for identifications to be processed, unfortunately it is not always possible to get an appointment immediately.

Identification information provided is the opinion of the identifier only; we are unable to provide an authentication or valuation service. We cannot advice or assistance in the disposal of private property, nor can we express opinions regarding the merits of business firms.

It is the responsibility of the depositor to collect any items given to the society for identification within 4 weeks of deposit. If item(s) are not collected within this period, The Board reserves the right to dispose of the item(s) as it thinks fit after 4 months have passed from deposition.

All archaeological finds should be reported to your local Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) under the Portable Antiquities Scheme (http://finds.org.uk/database/search/results/q/kent). Details for the Kent and Medway FLO are: Isabelle Diggle, Finds Liaison Officer, Heritage Conservation Kent County Council, and Invicta HouseMaidstoneKentME14 1XX. Phone (work): 03000 410053. Email address: FLO@kent.gov.uk

Researchers

Kent Archaeological Society encourages the study and use of the collections by researchers. An appointment must be arranged before your visit. Appointments have to be booked at least 4 weeks in advance and the Society reserves the right to temporarily close access to collections if staff are not available or there are practical reasons for restricting access.

Please note: The Curator will judge requests to examine objects on a case-by-case basis and may sometimes refuse access. They will base their decision on the nature of the research, the condition of the object(s), the availability of the object(s), and any appropriate legal, ethical or health and safety concerns.  Some collections can also be temporarily unavailable for a number of reasons, when contacting us please be specific about your interests and the items you wish to view. It is not always possible to browse through a large number of items, in most cases, a maximum of 10 artefacts per enquiry. Non-academic artefact viewing appointments may be limited to 30 minutes based on staff availability to facilitate.

To make an appointment, please contact the Curator (curator@kentarchaeology.org), giving a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice. Appointments are available Wednesday and Fridays 9am – 4pm. All visits must be facilitated by a member of KAS Staff and in some cases researchers may be requested to provide references.  If you subsequently have to cancel an appointment, please let us know with at least 1 week notice.

The research visit

On arrival, research visitors will be asked to sign the Visitors’ Book with their name, address/institution and reason for visit.

Visitors must abide by any conditions relating to handling outlined by the supervising member of staff. All visitors handling objects will be expected to wear gloves. These will be provided by the Society. Researchers must use pencils for note taking. Pens, biros, felt tips, solvent based fixing sprays, and wet painting materials etc. are not permitted.

Museum staff reserve the right to search visitors bags and vehicles.  Smoking is not permitted in any part of the building. Eating and drinking is only permitted in areas dedicated to that purpose. No onsite visitor parking is available.

Kent Archaeological Society will endeavour to make the information about the collections accessible to researchers. Access will be restricted to sensitive collections information including valuation, location and some donor information. Any information supplied is only an opinion and not an authentication.

All researchers are requested to provide copies of their research (whether published or unpublished) pertaining to items in the collections, to add to the catalogue information.

Please be aware that it may not be possible to reproduce certain collections because of copyright legislation, handling restrictions or other reasons. Reproductions must also not be published, including on the internet.

Commercial reproduction requests should be submitted deputy manager for consideration.

Identification requirements

On your first visit you must bring two forms of identification, proof of your name with signature/photo and proof of address. Please note that documents need to be originals, copies are not acceptable. The Society will not make copies of these documents.