Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society

The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society was founded in 1849. The Society bought Taunton Castle in 1874,[1] and leases it to Somerset County Council to house the Museum of Somerset.[2] A substantial proportion of the items held by the Museum were originally collected by the Society.[3] Since it opened in 2010, the Society's office and library have been located at the Somerset Heritage Centre, alongside the County Council's Heritage Service.[4]

The Society has published an annual journal, the Proceedings, since 1851 which contains scholarly papers on research into the history, archaeology and ecology of Somerset.[5] It also occasionally publishes books,[6] most recently a transcription of Edmund Rack's Survey of Somerset, a comprehensive survey of the county carried out in the late eighteenth century.[7][8]

Professor Mick Aston, well-known due to his involvement with the Time Team archaeology programmes on Channel 4, was a member and Past President of the Society,[9] and regularly contributed papers to the Proceedings.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "History of the Society". Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  2. ↑ "Taunton Castle". Somerset County Council. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  3. ↑ "Collection". Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  4. ↑ "Library". Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Proceedings". Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. Retrieved 28 August 2011. "Proceedings Index". Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  6. ↑ "Publications". Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  7. ↑ "Edmund Rack's Survey of Somerset". Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  8. ↑ McDermott, Mark; Berry, Sue (2011). Edmund Rack's Survey of Somerset. Taunton: Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. ISBN 978-0-902152-22-9.
  9. ↑ "Governing Body". Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. Retrieved 28 August 2011.