141 

 A YEAR'S WORK AT THE SCUNTHORPE MUSEUM. 



HAROLD E. DUDLEY, Hon. Curator. 



At a recent meeting of the Scunthorpe Museum Committee, the following 

 Report on the work during the year 1917 was submitted : — 



The number of persons visiting the Museum has greatly increased, 

 and the Hon. Curator has received many expressions of appreciation and 

 encouragement from Councillors and the public generally. The Museum 

 is visited by considerable numbers of young people, who appear to examine 

 the specimens with much intelligent interest. The information thus 

 gained by the local scholars will be helpful to them in the lessons on 

 Nature Study and kindred subjects which are given them at the Schools. 

 The Museum is thus vindicating its existence as an educational asset to 

 the district. 



A great handicap under which the Museum is suffering is the lack of 

 room. Many specimens have had to be stored away, particularly in the 

 Geological section, and it is to be hoped that it may be possible ere long 

 to provide more space for properly displaying them. The large wall-cases, 

 which were built to contain books, are in many ways unsuitable for Museum 

 purposes. An attempt was made some time ago to render them more 

 dust-proof, but with only partial success, as the specimens and labels 

 become covered with dust in a few months, necessitating a ' Spring ' 

 cleaning at least twice a year. With the provision of proper accommo- 

 dation and cases, this unnecessary work will disappear. The whole of the 

 collections have recently been rearranged. 



Much kindly and valuable help has been received from the Advisory 

 Curator, Mr. T. Sheppard, M.Sc, F.G.S., etc., of the Hull Museums, who, 

 in spite of the numberless calls upon his time, is always ready to give 

 advice and assistance. 



The additions during the year, although not very numerous in some 

 sections, have nevertheless been satisfactory, in view of the fact that 

 people generally are so busily engaged in connection with the War. 



Stone Implements. — The additions under this head, which are few, 

 include half a stone hammer, of fine grained sandstone, found on Risby 

 Warren, by Mr. G. Dent, also several hammer stones from the same 

 locality. 



Bronze Implements. — An addition of considerable value and interest 

 has been made, in the shape of two bronze axe-heads, part of a hoard 

 found at Winteringham. These were obtained from the Hull Municipal 

 Museum in exchange for a bronze socketted dagger* found and presented 

 by Mr. F. C. Bradley. The axe heads in question, which are good speci- 

 mens of Bronze Age implements, are being figured in a publication on 

 Bronze Implements by the British Association. Through the kindness of 

 Mr. T. Sheppard. a cast of the dagger referred to has been placed in the 

 Museum. 



Roman Remains. — Many visits have been made by the Curator to a 

 site of Roman occupation in the neighbourhood, with the result that 

 considerable numbers of objects of Roman origin have been added to the 

 Museum. The chief of these is a large earthenware jar of barrel shape, 

 18 in. high by about 18 in. in diameter at its largest circumference. It 

 was found in situ about 3 feet 6 inches from the surface, the mouth and 

 shoulders having fallen inside the jar. The base is missing, which fact 

 leads to the supposition that it was used for child burial. 



Several portions of stone querns (hand mills used for grinding corn) 

 have been secured from the same site. One of the specimens now in the 

 Museum comprises half of an upper stone neatly and symmetrically made. 



Large numbers of fragments of Roman pottery have been obtained, 



* See The Naturalist, 191 7, p. 2S1. 

 1918 April 1. 



