York's archaeological expertise boosted by new agreement
Posted on 25 June 1999
The Memorandum, to be signed by University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ron Cooke, and Chairman of the Trustees, Mr Gerald Dean OBE, will outline ways in which the two organisations can collaborate for mutual benefit, and to the benefit of the city.
Future developments will include placements for University students in the Conservation and Finds sections of the Trust, and staff and student access to Trust archives. It will also include joint research and the joint purchase of equipment. Conferences and other events are also likely and will enhance York's reputation for archaeological expertise and innovation. The two organisations also hope to organise joint staff training and the sharing of equipment and facilities.
"Both the University and the Trust have international reputations for their work in archaeology," said Dr Harold Mytum, head of the University's Archaeology Department. "It is highly appropriate that we work together, sharing both intellectual and physical resources. This is also a further boost to the Heritage and Arts part of Science City York".
Welcoming the agreement, Dr Peter Addyman, Director of the York Archaeological Trust said, "This will be an important step forward for York archaeology. The University has a great fund of expertise which will be enormously helpful to us in the never-ending search for York's past. We can look forward to the city's historic heritage being greatly enriched by the results of this co-operation."
Notes to editors:
- The department of Archaeology at the University of York specialises in medieval and modern archaeology. Staff there have excavated many famous and award-winning sites, including Sutton Hoo in East Anglia and Castell Henllys in Wales.
- The department is also renowned for its innovation and use of technology. It hosts the national Archaeological Data Service, which contains data about sites all over the UK and is accessed by scholars and archaeologists worldwide. It also hosts Internet Archaeology, an online journal for archaeologists.
- Science City York encourages the development and promotion of three inter-related 'clusters': Bioscience and Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology, and Heritage and Arts Technology. The potential for York to be a major centre of excellence in these areas was confirmed by Ernst & Young in 1997.
- Science City York is managed by a partnership executive of the City of York Council and the University of York. Funding support also comes from York Inward Investment Board, York Business Development Ltd and North Yorkshire TEC, together with additional financial assistance from the European Union.