New home for Roman treasures

Published on Friday 11 November 2005 11:53

A NEW museum to showcase the rich Roman heritage of the Lothians is to be built under new plans to give the public greater access to historic artefacts.

The new museum in East Lothian forms part of sweeping proposals aimed at sparking new interest in the area's historic roots and boosting tourism.

It will include the upgrading of existing buildings and the re-opening of former museums to allow precious relics to be brought out of cold storage.

A site at Traprain Law, near Haddington, recently yielded a series of fascinating Roman artefacts, including silver.

More Roman material has been found on the East Lothian site than any other site in Scotland, and historians believe the material was used by the Romans to trade for hunting dogs or precious metals, or given as bribes to keep local leaders quiet.

Council chiefs hope that opening up exhibitions featuring such precious and significant finds from Roman times along with other treasures dating as far back as the Bronze and Stone Ages will act as a major pick-me-up for the tourist trade.

Many of the treasures uncovered at Traprain Law have been loaned to the National Museums of Scotland because there is nowhere to exhibit them locally.

It is hoped that by creating a new museum in what would become the Haddington Cultural Centre, the area can reclaim back important historic treasures.

Under a major review commissioned by East Lothian Council, the deteriorating North Berwick Museum would also be redeveloped and re-opened and improved exhibition space created in Prestoungrange Museum.

East Lothian museums officer Peter Gray said: "The museum service in East Lothian has only been running since 1990, but we do store a lot of artefacts relating to the early history of the area.

"The problem is we have nowhere to exhibit them, so most things like the Roman artefacts have gone to the National Museums of Scotland.

"We would be able to discuss taking them back on loan, though, if an exhibition space became available, and that is what this review will be looking at identifying."

The Haddington Cultural Centre, the most likely destination for the Roman relics, is expected to be up and running by 2007.

And a major exhibition space at Prestoungrange Museum would feature the area's industrial past, from the days of pottery and glass through to the mining industry.

A miners' banner dating back to the 1820s and believed to be one of the earliest trade union banners, is one of the items likely to be put on display.

Tom Shearer, Head of Community Wellbeing at East Lothian Council, said the review would give the authority a clear idea of what needs to be done in the area. He said: "Museum space in East Lothian has traditionally been community space that has evolved into an exhibition area. There is not really any dedicated area for displaying the wealth of artefacts and material we have.

"Certainly we want to do more to attract tourism and so that is certainly an area we will look at, and if we do create a museum space in the new centre in Haddington it could be used to display artefacts we have, as well as items which we have given to the National Museum of Scotland and the National Archive."