Post by wearwolf on Aug 26, 2015 19:02:17 GMT
A project has been launched to reclaim the long history of the North Pennines and the treasures it has produced.
Historical gems from the area are distributed throughout the world, but now they are being brought together by a joint venture between the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership and The Weardale Museum. in Ireshopeburn.
The North Pennines Virtual Museum has been set up to showcase objects relating to the area’s history and archaeology, from prehistory, through Roman and medieval times until the present day.
These objects are unlikely ever to be seen together in the “real world.”
Many are on display or in storage at museums outside the area, others are in private hands, or, in some cases, lost. Some are very recent finds, demonstrating the ongoing archaeological research in the North Pennines.
The virtual museum has been developed by local volunteers as part of the Altogether Archaeology project, created and run by the North Pennines AONB Partnership and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund in association with the Weardale Museum.
The Virtual Museum is encouraging people to submit suggestion for more objects.
The North Pennines has been the site of many discoveries over the years, with internationally significant finds such as the Heatheryburn Hoard.
This Bronze Age collection of items was uncovered near Stanhope by quarrying, and included parts of the axles of wheels - thought to be the first evidence of the use of wheeled transport in Britain.
Other finds have included the Frosterley Madonna, a stone head from the 12th Century.
Other more modern items worthy of inclusion in the museum were made in the area, such as the anchor for Titanic, which was partially produced in Wolsingham.
Paul Frodsham, historic environment officer at the AONB Partnership, said that because of the importance of the objects from the North Pennines, many have been donated to museums across the country from the Great North Museum in Newcastle to the British Museum in London, while others are in private hands or missing.
Paul said:
“Most people don’t appreciate the richness of the archaeology we have here, but there have been some incredibly significant finds over the years, all of which have their own fascinating stories to tell.
“We wanted a way to showcase such objects, and that’s why the virtual museum was born.”
Paul, who runs the AONB Partnership’s Altogether Archaeology project, was joined at the Weardale Museum by two sets of brothers to launch the virtual museum website www.npvm.org.uk
Schoolboys Joseph and Aiden Bell, and Sebastian and Luca Alderson, from Alston, were responsible for finding one of the museum’s most important treasures in a dig at Kirkhaugh in the South Tyne Valley.
As part of an Altogether Archaeology dig last year, the boys found a gold hair-tress ring dating to 2,300 BC, one of the earliest metal objects found in Britain.
It turned out to be the matching tress-ring from a 1930s dig at the site which, astonishingly, was found by Sebastian and Luca’s great-great grandfather.
The original plan was that the Virtual Museum would feature 100 objects, but Paul said: “We said 100 at first but I’m sure we can get up to 200 or even 300. This is where we want the public to play their part. There must be lots of things out there that we don’t know about so we’d like people to get in touch to suggest items for display.
“The beauty of our museum is that we can include many items that would be unavailable to a “real” museum.
“For example, Titanic’s anchor is rather inaccessible, and the spiral staircase we uncovered at Westgate Castle is now reburied in the ground. In some cases, we have included old photographs or ancient documents as representative of historic sites or events. With the North Pennines Virtual Museum all such items can be included.”
David Hetherington, from the Weardale Museum, said:
“The museum is the smallest museum in the North East but one of the most frequent comments from visitors is that it’s much bigger than they expected from the outside, like Dr Who’s Tardis.
“They often leave saying there is so much to that they’ll have to come back. Nevertheless it is very challenging in such a small space to include all that we would want or to bring about the changes that are necessary to attract repeat visits.
“We’re always looking for innovative ways to grow and this online museum provides the perfect opportunity for us to expand the collection bringing to our visitors some of the most exciting objects from the North Pennines.”
Source - Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 26 Aug 2015
Historical gems from the area are distributed throughout the world, but now they are being brought together by a joint venture between the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership and The Weardale Museum. in Ireshopeburn.
The North Pennines Virtual Museum has been set up to showcase objects relating to the area’s history and archaeology, from prehistory, through Roman and medieval times until the present day.
These objects are unlikely ever to be seen together in the “real world.”
Many are on display or in storage at museums outside the area, others are in private hands, or, in some cases, lost. Some are very recent finds, demonstrating the ongoing archaeological research in the North Pennines.
The virtual museum has been developed by local volunteers as part of the Altogether Archaeology project, created and run by the North Pennines AONB Partnership and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund in association with the Weardale Museum.
The Virtual Museum is encouraging people to submit suggestion for more objects.
The North Pennines has been the site of many discoveries over the years, with internationally significant finds such as the Heatheryburn Hoard.
This Bronze Age collection of items was uncovered near Stanhope by quarrying, and included parts of the axles of wheels - thought to be the first evidence of the use of wheeled transport in Britain.
Other finds have included the Frosterley Madonna, a stone head from the 12th Century.
Other more modern items worthy of inclusion in the museum were made in the area, such as the anchor for Titanic, which was partially produced in Wolsingham.
Paul Frodsham, historic environment officer at the AONB Partnership, said that because of the importance of the objects from the North Pennines, many have been donated to museums across the country from the Great North Museum in Newcastle to the British Museum in London, while others are in private hands or missing.
Paul said:
“Most people don’t appreciate the richness of the archaeology we have here, but there have been some incredibly significant finds over the years, all of which have their own fascinating stories to tell.
“We wanted a way to showcase such objects, and that’s why the virtual museum was born.”
Paul, who runs the AONB Partnership’s Altogether Archaeology project, was joined at the Weardale Museum by two sets of brothers to launch the virtual museum website www.npvm.org.uk
Schoolboys Joseph and Aiden Bell, and Sebastian and Luca Alderson, from Alston, were responsible for finding one of the museum’s most important treasures in a dig at Kirkhaugh in the South Tyne Valley.
As part of an Altogether Archaeology dig last year, the boys found a gold hair-tress ring dating to 2,300 BC, one of the earliest metal objects found in Britain.
It turned out to be the matching tress-ring from a 1930s dig at the site which, astonishingly, was found by Sebastian and Luca’s great-great grandfather.
The original plan was that the Virtual Museum would feature 100 objects, but Paul said: “We said 100 at first but I’m sure we can get up to 200 or even 300. This is where we want the public to play their part. There must be lots of things out there that we don’t know about so we’d like people to get in touch to suggest items for display.
“The beauty of our museum is that we can include many items that would be unavailable to a “real” museum.
“For example, Titanic’s anchor is rather inaccessible, and the spiral staircase we uncovered at Westgate Castle is now reburied in the ground. In some cases, we have included old photographs or ancient documents as representative of historic sites or events. With the North Pennines Virtual Museum all such items can be included.”
David Hetherington, from the Weardale Museum, said:
“The museum is the smallest museum in the North East but one of the most frequent comments from visitors is that it’s much bigger than they expected from the outside, like Dr Who’s Tardis.
“They often leave saying there is so much to that they’ll have to come back. Nevertheless it is very challenging in such a small space to include all that we would want or to bring about the changes that are necessary to attract repeat visits.
“We’re always looking for innovative ways to grow and this online museum provides the perfect opportunity for us to expand the collection bringing to our visitors some of the most exciting objects from the North Pennines.”
Source - Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 26 Aug 2015