Castles and Coprolites

Museums in the 1990s and earlier were often characterised by a formal, academic, and object-focused approach to display and interpretation. Displays often followed a taxonomic or chronological focus, with artefacts arranged in neat rows and accompanied by detailed, often technical, labels. These displays reflected a curatorial emphasis on classification, provenance, and academic authority. Many museums had a quiet, almost reverential atmosphere, with dim lighting and hushed tones. An interesting article by Kate Hill on the history of museum display cases describes that “ The ideal case contained a complete series systematically arranged, was dustproof, and contained clear scientific labels .” To me, this was bliss. As a child, I adored visiting museums. The Great North Museum (then The Hancock Museum), was a regular weekend destination, a place where I felt at home. I have a distinct memory of a school trip to the Natural History Museum in London , where I discovered the geology ga...

I’m excited to share some great work that is happening at Durham University, using X-ray computed tomography (XR-CT) to investigate the remarkable Melsonby hoard , which was discovered in North Yorkshire in 2021. The hoard includes a collection ironwork and copper alloy items, most of which are associated with horse harnesses and Iron Age vehicle parts. The hoard was sent to the University of Southampton’s μ-VIS X-Ray Imaging Centre for XR-CT analysis due to the exceptional size of one of the soil blocks recovered during excavation. Weighing approximately 250 kg, the block contained a dense concentration of artefacts including iron tyres and harness fittings, cemented in compacted soil. This posed a significant challenge for conventional scanning systems, and is rather beyond the scale of what we can scan in our NEMCAS XR-CT facility! Southampton’s μ-VIS centre operates the largest high-energy micro-focus CT scanner of any UK university, capable of imaging very large, dense materials....

Have you come across the term Research Culture? This refers to the values, behaviours, and working practices that shape how research is done and experienced. It includes things like collaboration, fairness, recognition, support for career development, and how inclusive and respectful the research environment is. A positive research culture helps everyone involved in research to thrive and do their best work. I’m delighted to be joining the Research Culture Committee at Durham University, as representative of the Faculty of Social Sciences. I genuinely believe that a positive research culture improves the quality of our research, but also the wellbeing, recognition, and development of everyone involved in the research process. Durham’s Flourish@Durham initiative, is leading the way in creating a research environment that is fair, transparent, and inclusive. This means valuing the how as much as the what, ensuring that Durham's research strategy is delivered with care for the people...