Mortons Cutlers False Archaeology

[S8Danny 10]

Whilst searching through the many pages of Sheffield History I decided to look through the old Mortons Cutlery site. What I found was actually quite amusing. Archeologists that were on the old site before the regeneration of the old building claimed that they had found some tuning forks that were a century old.

 

Well my dad owns Mortons Cutlers currently and knows that the tuning forks are only around 16 years old, and were thrown out by the previous owners son because no one bought them.

 

I just think it's really funny in the way they've gone to the fuss of taking these tuning forks around to local history exhibitions and even at the side of the old building there are tuning fork monumnets

 

The thing that gets me is that the archeologists just presume everything they say is right and never bother asking the people that might know anything about it.

[cgksheff 44]

Can you give a link to this site?

Can we see these claims?

 

 

I notice that on your new site, you are selling knives.

Can you comment on how you reconcile selling knives online to unknown buyers, with the UK age restrictions on the sale of these items?

[metalman 21]

The tuning fork bollards are quite nice though.

[duckweed 10]

Archeologists are just as fallible as anyone else. I remember a museum in Dumfries having a supposably ancient coin on display for several years till a young schoolboy told them it was in fact a free medallion given away by a well known drinks manufacturer. If you have evidence to the contrary why don't you tell them? Of course it may be that the story you have isn't true either. It wouldn't be the first time someone has made up such a story. But at least there are scientific tests the archeoligists could do on the forks to prove or disprove the story.

[cgksheff 44]

Mortons, West Street, Sheffield

The run-down premises of Morton’s the Cutlers were for many years a familiar landmark on West Street in Sheffield.

 

In 2004 the site was purchased for redevelopment by Declan Reddy Associates. ARCUS were appointed as archaeological consultants, and created a comprehensive record of the fabric of these historic buildings.

Excavations ahead of construction work recovered 12th to 15th century pottery, which pre-dates the laying out of West Street by several hundred years. The remains of workshop activity by Victorian Little Mesters were also found.

These included hundreds of part finished knife and scissors blades and fragments of African elephant tusk, which were used for ivory handles and inlays.

 

The site has now been developed into luxury flats which retain a reconstructed part of the old building alongside the new build.

 

U-Inspire

 

Wot! No tuning forks?