Description

The first ever Code of Practice for Treasure Trove in Scotland is designed to ensure everyone involved with found objects of archaeological, historical or cultural significance understands the procedures which enable them to be claimed on behalf of the public.

Since ancient times, the 'regalia minora' common law of Scotland has been that Treasure Trove and other property which is lost or abandoned, or has no obvious owner, belongs to the Crown.

These objects are held by the Crown on behalf of the people of Scotland. They do not belong to the owner of the land where they were found, or to the finder, but are allocated to public museums for research or public exhibition.

The Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer (QLTR) accepts these objects on the Crown's behalf, and arranges for them to be housed in public museums around the country, acting on the advice of the Scottish Archaeological Finds Advisory Panel (SAFAP).

The QLTR recognises the contribution of members of the public who make chance finds and will, in most cases, make an ex-gratia payment to the finder.

The new Treasure Trove Code of Practice sets out the chain of responsibility for the various bodies involved and clarifies the process of determining the appropriate award for a particular object.

The code was officially unveiled at the Royal Society of Edinburgh at an event attended by QLTR Norman McFadyen CBE, Chair of the Scottish Archaeological Finds Advisory Panel, and Professor Ian Ralston, of the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh.