National Heritage Protection Plan; Mooring at York, UNESCO Convention anniversary.

National Heritage Protection Plan

English Heritage is piloting using the Communities of Practice website to share information and ideas and to receive input on the National Heritage Protection Plan.

One element of the NHPP Activities for the Pleistocene and Early Holocene is the development of a new research framework for the Mesolithic period. As the first step in this process there will be an online discussion to share thoughts and ideas about researching, protecting and presenting our Mesolithic heritage. The forum will take place on the Communities of Practice site from 2-5 pm on Tuesday 18 October 2011.

Mooring at York

The opportunity has arisen to lease a mooring within the historic city of York on the River Ouse. The Council wishes to encourage use of the River within the City and diversify the range of attractions for visitors and residents. To this end the City of York Council are making available a mooring at Kings Staith for an historic vessel to be open to the public as an attraction. It is intended that the vessel will remain at the mooring and will not be used for passenger trips along the river. Contact valerie.inwood@york.gov.uk for more info.

UNESCO Convention anniversary

This year is the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention on Underwater Cultural Heritage. In order to celebrate this anniversary, an international scientific colloquium on Factors Impacting Underwater Cultural Heritage will be held in Brussels on 13 and 14 December 2011. The colloquium is organised by UNESCO in close collaboration with the Universities of Leuven and Ghent and the Flemisch Heritage Institute. Further details about the colloquium (including a preliminary programme) can be found here.

Deadline for registration is 1 November 2011.

Palaeolithic finds dredged from the North Sea, SHEP Consultation, CHAT 2008, MESH Mapping

Palaeolithic finds dredged from the North Sea

A major discovery of 28 flint hand-axes, dated to around 100,000 years-old, has been made by a Dutch amateur archaeologist, Jan Meulmeesterin, in gravel from a licensed marine aggregate dredging area 13km off Great Yarmouth. English Heritage are currently co-operating with their Dutch counterparts, the National Service for Archaeology, Cultural Landscape and Built Heritage to learn more about the finds.

See more on this story at:

Wessex Archaeology’s Website

BBC

The Independent

SHEP Consultation

Historic Scotland is launching a public consultation in the Scottish Historic Environment Policy series as follows:

SHEP on the Marine Historic Environment [Con 988] The publication is available to download.

If you wish to participate in the consultation see the SHEP consultation letter. Please note that the consultation closes on 30 May 2008.

CHAT 2008 Conference- “Heritage CHAT”

November 14-16, 2008 University College London (Hosted by Atkins Heritage, English Heritage and UCL Centre for Museums, Heritage and Material Culture).

Archaeologists are now taking an active and enthusiastic interest in the modern period. CHAT (Contemporary and Historical Archaeology in Theory) is a dynamic forum for innovative critical discussion that seeks to challenge and push the limits of archaeological thinking. This year’s CHAT conference will explore connections between theoretical perspectives and ideals and the more traditional concerns of heritage management practice.

How much of heritage management practice holds relevance to CHAT? Should the heritage sector retain its focus on that which is ‘old’ and ‘special’, or should we feel comfortable with a broader remit, accepting that what we have today is part of the longer-term process of change with which we, as archaeologists, are closely familiar? CHAT presents particular challenges for heritage practitioners and agencies: Value judgements for that which is new and unfamiliar, amongst culturally diverse communities, and the attendant issues of migrant heritage; traditional conceptions and practices for recording buildings versus the aesthetic and the evocative; the archaeology of the ephemeral, the intangible and the un-built, all things that are harder to trace in earlier periods; and how inter- or cross-disciplinary should we be? CHAT invites short abstracts (450 words) from those interested. Full details on how to submit an abstract and more information on CHAT 2008 are available on the CHAT 2008 flyer.

MESH Mapping

Maps and images of seabed habitat, geology and biological data in the seas around North West Europe can now be viewed online. This huge resource has been created by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in a five nation project called, The Development of a Framework for Mapping European Seabed Habitats, or MESH.

Other News

Sandra Dick of The Scotsman has written a short piece on the proposed Scottish Marine Bill. The Scotsman welcomes comments!

Also, details of the candidates for the MAG committee will distributed as a special MAG Update tomorrow.

Be sure to make your voice heard at the MAG AGM on the 18th March!

MAG AGM 2008, HSE Diving Industry Committee Notes, Conservator Position Maryland USA, Submarines and Goats

MAG AGM

Our AGM will be held on Tuesday 18th of March prior to the Maritime Session at the IFA conference in Swansea.

The AGM will include a review of the Group’s work for the past year in addition to the election of positions for the committee. This year the following positions are up for election: Chair, Ordinary Committee member x 2.

We hope to see you at the Maritime Session!

Summary Notes from the HSE Diving Industry Committee

1. The List of Approved Qualifications is to be reviewed and updated in 2008

2. Differential Pressure Hazards and Helmet Protection Noise research projects proposals submitted

3. Diving Information Sheets now available on-line. The revised draft diving information sheet no 9 “Divers’ Breathing Air Standard and the Frequency of Examination and Tests is attached. If you have comments on this revision please send them to Mark Dunkley at Mark.Dunkley@english-heritage.org.uk before 30 April 2008.

4. The ADC had received a complaint of a diving contractor utilising the Scientific and Archaeological Diving Projects ACOP within a wind farm during construction. ADC offered to draft guidance for ADC members and their clients. This will be cleared with HSE before publication.

Conservator Position, Maryland USA
The Maryland Department of Planning, Division of Historical and Cultural Programs. Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum is seeking a Head Conservator of archaeological materials. The closing date for applications is the 18th April, 2008. More details are available here.

Other News

SS ROBIN
The SS Robin Trust has applied for a £2 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to save the Victorian steamship SS Robin, one of only three vessels in London’s Core collection, along with Cutty Sark and HMS Belfast

(from Evening Standard, 13 February, p.24)

Chichester Harbour
New sections added to the Chichester Harbour Conservancy’s website enables users to see what sediments have been deposited in the harbour over the last 10,000 years an thus learn about the changing harbour landscape

Submarine Stories

There has been a small (U?) bout of submarine stories in the media of late. If you were unaware of the link between goats and subs, you might find at least one of these stories enlightening:

The UK Navy and goats

Lost U boat fleet found in the Black Sea

U 534 to be moved