Discovery of a walrus skull on the North East Yorkshire coast: a call for clearer guidelines

Abstract

In March 2018 the Collections Team at Scarborough Museums Trust was approached about a potentially exciting find; a possible walrus skull found by a member of the public in situ in the cliff face between Speeton and Reighton in East Yorkshire. After a preliminary investigation of the site and discussions with colleagues on the Continent the specimen was found to be of particular significance. On communication of its significance to the finder he requested the return of the specimen for sale despite the legal ownership being in question. The legal and ethical issues surrounding the discovery of such a specimen in situ by an amateur enthusiast and its subsequent removal without permission of the landowner need to be addressed. Also in need of acknowledgement are the difficulties faced by any museum professionals confronted with the potential donation of such specimens, or more complicated still, the refusal of the finder to accept lack of ownership and demand the return of material. Clear guidelines for museum professionals are essential to offer support and protection from negative publicity when the usual legal and ethical procedures are followed in such cases. No such guidelines currently exist, which we have found to our cost. The public also need to be better informed about legal ownership of material removed from our coastlines. We recommend that a dialogue should be instigated around the need for a regulatory system for geological and palaeontological material discovered by the public along the lines of the Portable Antiquities Scheme to better protect our scientific assets.