Collection: Kilmartin Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Kilmartin House Trust (changed to Kilmartin Museum Trust in 2013, and as of 2016, Kilmartin Museum Company Ltd) was founded by Mrs Rachel Clough (now Butter) under a Deed of Declaration of Trust in 1994. The Museum had a small founding collection of archaeological artefacts including flint and stone artefacts from Argyll donated by Marion Campbell of Kilberry. Since 2003, under the Directorship of Director and Curator Dr Sharon Webb, the Museum has collected all the archaeological artefacts which have been available through the Treasure Trove system in Mid Argyll and Lorne. From 2022, Dr Sharon Webb became Head of Collections and Engagement and has responsibility for collections development.

  In 2019, the Prehistoric Collections were ‘Recognised’ as Nationally Significant by Museums, Galleries Scotland on behalf of Scottish Government.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Kilmartin Museum’s Prehistoric Collection comprises over 11,600 artefacts including internationally significant archaeological objects discovered across Argyll and is an essential resource for anyone wishing to explore the early story of Scotland.

  Archaeology

  The core of Kilmartin Museum’s collections is its archaeological material. Some of the more significant items include:

  • Assemblage from excavations at Upper Largie Quarry, conducted between 1982 and 2005 in advance of quarrying activity at Upper Largie Farm, Kilmartin Glen. The excavations revealed abundant evidence of prehistoric ritual activity dating from the Mesolithic to Middle Bronze Age periods on a gravel terrace overlooking the northern end of the Glen. Monuments found at the site included a post-defined cursus, a post row and Scotland’s largest Timber Circle. Artefacts from the site include the internationally important Prehistoric Upper Largie Assemblage, which includes three of the earliest Beaker Pots ever found in Britain, and a Bronze Age footed food vessel which is unique to Scotland. As well as other Bronze Age pottery and flint artefacts, the assemblage also includes human remains.
  • Excavation material from the Bruach an Druimein settlement site, Kilmartin.
  • Excavation material from Brainport Bay, Minard, and surface finds from surrounding area.
  • Prehistoric material from Argyll including Kilmartin, North and South Knapdale parishes, and the islands of Tiree and Jura, acquired as part of the Marion Campbell of Kilberry Bequest, and via Treasure Trove allocations.
  • Various prehistoric stone tools found by chance and by excavation from the Mid Argyll region.
  • Quern stones.
  • 9th century Christian cross fragments.
  • Metal work, including Viking ‘ring money’ from Dunbeg, Oban.
  • Assemblage of material from a cave site near Oban, including human remains.
  • Bronze Age cremation assemblage from Glennan, Ford, Mid Argyll, including prehistoric pottery and human remains.
  • Medieval and later metalwork finds from Dunbeg, Oban.
  • The excavation archive from the rock art site at Torbhlaren, six miles from Kilmartin. This assemblage is important because it constitutes one of the very few collections of material from a rock art site in Britain. The Torbhlaren excavations, directed by Dr Andrew Jones of Southampton University in the early 2000s, also revealed some of the earliest evidence of farming in Scotland. This material was excavated as part of the Animate Landscape Project directed by Dr Andrew Jones of Southampton University, conducted in the early 2000’s. Finds include 45 hammer stones radiocarbon dated to 2920-2760 BC, suggesting they were used to make rock art, as well as worked flint and pitchstone (sourced in Prehistory from the Isle of Arran).
  • The Isle of Coll Hoard – 13 fragments of later Bronze Age metal objects deposited in a bog on the Isle of Coll including fragments of swords, and complete spearheads.
  • Bronze axes from Dunollie Castle and Inveraray.
  • An early Bronze Age copper axe from Taynuilt.
  • Excavation assemblage from the Ormaig Rock Art site, which includes flint tools, utilised pebbles and hammer stones that may relate to the creation of the rock art. The excavation was undertaken by Kilmartin Museum as part of the Dalriada Project.
  • A small excavation assemblage from a previously unrecorded dun known as Barnagad, found by Kilmartin Museum and excavated as part of the Dalriada Project.
  • Possible medieval and post medieval material from Robber’s Den, Loch Lusgun, Lagan Craiglass discovered during excavations carried out by Kilmartin Museum as part of the Dalriada Project.
  • Material from other Kilmartin Museum excavations including Taynish Mill (undertaken on behalf of Scottish Natural Heritage).
  • An excavation assemblage from a former tacksman’s house at Glennan undertaken by Dr Heather James (formerly of Guard Archaeology, Glasgow University).
  • An important 10th century AD Norse burial including grave goods and human skeletal material from Cnoc nan Gall, Colonsay.
  • A hoard of Bronze Age axeheads found at Ardkinglass.
  • A fragment of a Bronze Age axehead found at Dunamuck, Kilmartin.

  Geology

  The current collection consists of material collected as samples of raw materials used by peoples in prehistory.

  Paper Archive and Photography

  The collection consists of material relating to archaeological survey and research in Argyll including papers, letters, maps, drawings, plans and photographs. Some of the more significant items include:

  • material relating to Miss Marion Campbell of Kilberry and Mary Sandeman’s archaeological survey of Argyll, which took place in the 1950s,
  • material relating to Miss Marion Campbell of Kilberry’s novels and other publications, 1950s- 2000s,
  • photographs of archaeological monuments and the landscape taken by various photographers including David Lyons during the construction of the Museum gallery and audio visual show between 1994 and 1997,
  • photographs, maps, plans and drawings relating to Stan Beckensall’s research on the rock art of Kilmartin,
  • photographs, maps, plans and archaeological reports relating to archaeological research conducted by Roderick Regan, Sharon Webb and others, for Kilmartin Museum Trust (formerly Kilmartin House Trust) from 2004 onwards.
  • photographs taken by Dr Aaron Watson of some of the major Kilmartin monuments and artefacts in the Collections.

  Library Collections

  The publications in the Library mostly belong to the Marion Campbell Collection, bequeathed to Kilmartin Museum in 2001. The Library also houses books and journals belonging to the Natural History and Archaeological Society of Mid Argyll (NHASMA).

  The library collection contains books and research papers on local, Scottish, British, European and world history and archaeology, nature (subdivided into animals, birds, plants, etc.), geography, geology, crafts, fiction (mostly, though not all, books written by Marion Campbell), and a small number of books written in languages other than English, guidebooks, maps, journals relating to the Museum sector, and journals relating to archaeology and natural history. There are also a variety of pamphlets, and reports and publications produced by Kilmartin Museum. There are card indexes listing all the publications held in the library.

  Commissioned Replicas

  The collection consists of a number of commissioned replicas of prehistoric objects for educational use.

  Fine Art

  The small collection consists of a number of works illustrating the area’s archaeology and natural history, and all dating to the 1990’s, 2000’s and work commissioned in 2022 to commemorate the opening of the newly Redeveloped Museum.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC