The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and the Archaeology Data Service
are pleased to announce the launch, on 2 October 2003, of the digital
publications archive of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland:
http://www.socantscot.org/Publications.html

The project to scan the entire back run of the Proceedings of the
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (volumes 1-128), Archaeologia Scotica
and the Society's out-of-print monographs has been funded by Historic
Scotland, the ArchWay project and the Russell Trust. The scanned
documents have been linked by the Archaeology Data Service to the
existing ArchWay Project lists of contents.

The archive comprises over 3000 articles and book chapters on Scottish
archaeology, architecture, history and material culture published over
two centuries - from 1792 to 1998. Access to this unique resource is
free of charge, offered as a service to scholars and other interested
readers worldwide.   The publications are archived and made accessible
by the ADS.

(Users should note that, owing to restrictions in the scope of the
ArchWay database, more ephemeral parts of volumes, such as Society
business papers and lists of gifts to the Museum, are not consistently
available. These will, however, be available on the CD version due for
launch later this year. For more details contact the Society.)

Please address any queries to Gordon Barclay at
[log in to unmask] Phone 07767 343248 Technical queries
should be addressed to the Archaeology Data Service at
[log in to unmask]

About the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
(http://www.socantscot.org/)

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland was founded in 1780 and it was
incorporated by Royal Charter in 1783.  It is the second oldest
antiquarian society in Britain. The purpose of the Society is set out in
the first of its Laws: ".... the Study of the Antiquities and History of
Scotland, more especially by means of archaeological research"; the
Society today is concerned with every aspect of the human past in
Scotland.

Members have, from the beginning, been known as Fellows of the Society,
and there are now some 3600 Fellows around the world, as well as 25
Honorary Fellows elected for their outstanding scholarship.  Membership
is by election, held annually on St Andrews Day, 30th November and it is
open to all with an interest in the history and archaeology of Scotland.

The Society organises an annual Programme of Meetings; this includes
monthly lectures in Edinburgh from October to June, a conference, and
various seminars and excursions.  There is a flourishing North-East
Section based in Aberdeen which organises its own excursions, in
addition to regular lectures.  All Fellows receive annually the
Proceedings of the Society, an up-to-date and wide-ranging record of
research in Scotland.  Fellows are also entitled to purchase other
Society publications, such as the Monograph Series, at reduced prices.

A major part of the Society's programme is the sponsorship of research,
and there are various grants and awards to assist different kinds of
work, from survey and excavation to finds analysis and archival
research.

In 1780 the Society started to collect antiquities, manuscripts and
books, and these formed the nucleus from which the National Museum of
Antiquities of Scotland was founded.  Today this collection is part of
the National Museums of Scotland with which the Society maintains close
links.  The offices of the Society are housed in the museum, and Society
meetings make use of museum facilities.  The Library in the museum
contains a unique collection of books dating back to the foundation of
the Society, and it continues to receive periodicals from around the
world, in exchange for the Proceedings.  Fellows enjoy the privilege of
consultation and borrowing books from the Library, which is open on
weekdays.

As the senior antiquarian body in Scotland the Society has an important
role in the cultural life and heritage of Scotland.  It draws on a wide
range of experience through the Fellowship, and provides an impartial
voice independent of the opinions of Government, University, or Agency.
The Society is often consulted on different matters relating to the
heritage, and it is represented on many committees and councils
including the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland.  Membership of the
Society enables Fellows to play a part in safeguarding the Scottish
past.

About the ADS
(http://ads.ahds.ac.uk)

The Archaeology Data Service (ADS) supports research, learning and
teaching with high quality and dependable digital resources. It does
this by preserving digital data in the long term, and by promoting and
disseminating a broad range of data in archaeology. The ADS promotes
good practice in the use of digital data in archaeology, it provides
technical advice to the research community, and supports the deployment
of digital technologies. The ADS hosts AHDS Archaeology.

The publications of the society are also linked from the ADS's growing
digital library, which includes the full text of Research Reports and
Occasional Papers from the CBA and a newly launched E-Theses section.
http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/library/index.cfm



Gordon Barclay
Editor
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
[log in to unmask]
07767 343248

William Kilbride
User Services Manager
Archaeology Data Service
[log in to unmask]