Early Prehistory collections encompass Europe north of the Alps
and span at least 50,000 years, ranging from the Palaeolithic to
the end of the Bronze Age. Most of the items are from Scotland and
date to between the eighth and the first millennium BC; they
include objects of stone, pottery, bone, antler and wood.
Iron Age, Roman and Early Historic collections cover the period
from c.800BC – AD1100, the formative centuries of Scotland as a
nation.
The wide-ranging material in our Scottish history collections
includees military, numismatics, social history and applied arts,
as well as an extensive collection of dress and textiles. It is the
largest collection of its kind anywhere and aims to be a
comprehensive record of the life, times and achievements of the
people of Scotland at home and abroad.
Scottish History and Archaeology department
George Dalgleish: Interim Keeper/Principal Curator, Scottish
History
Specific responsibility: Overall responsibility
for the departmental collections and general policy.
Research interests/expertise: Scottish decorative
arts, specifically Scottish silver, ceramics and pewter; Jacobite
collections.
David Forsyth: Senior Curator
Specific responsibility: Scottish social and
cultural collections from the early modern period up to c.1900 with
particular focus on the material culture and study of the Scottish
Diaspora.
Research interests/expertise: Scottish
emigration.
John Burnett: Principal Curator, Scottish Modern History
Specific responsibility: Collections relating
to Scottish History since 1914.
Research interests/expertise: The development of
material culture in Scotland since 1914, particularly in the period
1920-40, and particularly in Glasgow and the surrounding
region.
Dorothy Kidd: Senior Curator
Specific responsibility: Social and domestic
history and Scottish Life Archive.
Research interests/expertise: Contemporary
collecting and documentation, oral history.
Elaine M Edwards: Senior Curator
Specific responsibilities: Curation of the
country life collections including farming techniques and country
and domestic social life.
Research interests/expertise: Social history from
the Early Modern Period to the mid 20th century; women's history;
World War One, World War Two.
Dr Stuart Allan: Senior Curator, Military History (based at
National War Museum, Edinburgh Castle)
Specific responsibility: Overall responsibility
for collections of orders and medals, military weapons, uniform,
fine art, photographs and documents, c.1600 onwards.
Research interests/expertise: Scots and the
Spanish Empire; irregular warfare 1939-45; mountain warfare.
Dr Alison Sheridan: Principal Curator, Archaeology and Early
Prehistory
Specific responsibility: Neolithic
collections.
Research interests/expertise: Mesolithic-Neolithic
transition, Neolithic and Bronze Age ceramics (including their
Continental background); stone axeheads; jewellery of jet and
jet-like materials, amber and faience; radiocarbon dating; human
remains.
Trevor Cowie: Senior Curator
Specific responsibility: Bronze Age
collections.
Research interests/expertise: Bronze Age
metalwork; Neolithic and Bronze Age ceramics; Antiquarian
collections; Western Isles; Borders.
Alan Saville: Senior Curator
Specific responsibility: Palaeolithic and
Mesolithic collections.
Research interests/expertise: Palaeolithic and
Mesolithic studies; portable antiquities' issues.
Dr Fraser Hunter: Principal Curator Archaeology, Iron Age,
Roman and Early History
Specific responsibility: Iron Age and Roman
collections.
Research interests/expertise: Iron Age and Roman
small finds - especially metal and 'jet'; Celtic art in north
Britain; carnyces; Roman/native interaction. North-East Scotland,
particularly Moray; Borders; Galloway.
Dr Martin Goldberg: Curator
Responsible for: Early Historic and Viking
collections.
Research interests: Northern Britain from Later
Prehistory to the Early Historic period; material culture
approaches to the holistic study of ancient religion and ritual
practice; hoards and votive deposition; Roman/native interaction;
Post-Roman legacy including silver, Early Historic sculpture and
the advent of Christianity.
Dawn McLaren: Post-Excavation Officer
Specific responsibility: Organising and
conducting identification, analysis and production of reports on
artefact assemblages from archaeological excavations.
Research interests/expertise: Later prehistoric
coarse stone tools; ferrous metalworking; Bronze Age children’s
burials in Britain.
Alice Blackwell: Glenmorangie Research Officer
Specific responsibility: Glenmorangie Research
Project on Early Historic Scotland.
Research interests/expertise: Early Historic small
finds – especially Anglo-Saxon material, metalwork and glass beads;
interaction within Early Historic Britain.
Jim Wilson: Assistant Curator
Responsible for: Co-ordinating and supervising
access to the department collections by visiting scholars, students
and TV crews; management of our collections storage at four sites;
maintenance of our displays in National Museum of Scotland; support
to all curators from Early Prehistory and Later Prehistory sections
whenever object movement is required.
Stuart Campbell: Manager, Treasure Trove Unit
Specific responsibility: Overall responsibility
for the Treasure Trove Unit.
Research interests/expertise: Material culture
1200-1800, archaeology of illegal or immoral behaviors, rural
settlement archaeology.
Natasha Ferguson: Treasure Trove Unit
Officer/Administrator
Responsible for: Daily running of the unit and
Treasure Trove objects and assemblages.
Current projects: Finishing stages of a PhD
looking at the impact and contribution of metal detecting to
battlefield archaeology; archaeology of the Battle of
Philiphaugh.
Research interests: Material culture of mid - 16th
– 19th century conflict; landscapes of conflict; education and
outreach in archaeology.
Kerry Allan: Departmental Administrator
Can be contacted on 0131 247 4217 k.allan@nms.ac.uk