Museum director Sharon is honoured by the Queen
A DIRECTOR at Kilmartin Museum was honoured by the Queen at a formal ceremony at Holyrood Palace.
Dr Sharon Webb was awarded an MBE for services to heritage and archaeology at an investiture ceremony.
She said: ‘I was delighted to accept the honour from the Queen and think it is fantastic that Argyll’s heritage and archaeology is recognised as being so important to Scotland.’
The staff and trustees at Kilmartin Museum said they were all very proud of this achievement.
Chairman of the trustees Gordon Gray Stephens said: ‘Since she joined the Kilmartin Museum team 13 years ago Sharon has been making a real difference, winning the respect and support of the many different people and organisations who are associated with the running of the museum. At the moment this is most evident in her leadership of our redevelopment programme. But this is just one of the many things that warrant Sharon’s award, which recognises the achievements of extraordinary people.’
Kilmartin Museum’s website says it believes it is the only museum in Scotland that can both excavate and displays the artefacts that it finds.
The website says: ‘ We continue to carry out archaeological surveys and excavations as there is more to be found and uncovered and more to learn about the people who were here before us.
‘Kilmartin Glen is home to more than 800 internationally significant prehistoric and early historic sites and monuments dating back over 5,000 years, making it mainland Scotland’s most important archaeological landscape. Visitors are able to enjoy and learn about these artefacts in the museum gallery and step outside into the landscape to discover the sites and monuments where they were uncovered.’
Sir Tony Robinson, who presents Time Team on television, praised Kilmartin after he visited the museum. He said: ‘How many museums can you go to where you can examine a Bronze Age pot and look out of the window and see the burial mound where it came from?’
Many of the artefacts found in Kilmartin Glen and surrounding areas, and displayed in the museum, are of international significance, including rare jet necklaces and some of the earliest beaker pots in Britain.
The museum continues to carry out archaeological surveys and its excavations are uncovering new artefacts.