The Council for British Archaeology is pleased to announce the FESTIVAL OF BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY, the new name for National Archaeology Week.
Due to the continued success of the ever expanding and popular National Archaeology Week, from 2009 it will be extended to a fortnight long festival of archaeologically inspired events.
The Festival of British Archaeology 2009 will run from Sat 18th July – Sun 2nd August. It will retain the general format of National Archaeology Week but with even more opportunity to participate in a wide range of archaeology related activities across the UK.
We do hope that your organisation will be able to join us in celebrating 'archaeology for all' and help to make the Festival of British Archaeology the biggest and best archaeological event the UK has ever seen and ensure that it reaches as many people as possible.
Please do pass this information on to your colleagues and friends, so that we can ensure that everyone knows about the Festival of British Archaeology 2009!
Thank you to every one who took part in National Archaeology Week 2008. The event was once again a tremendous success. More events than ever were held across the country as hundreds of organisations, from museums and archaeology units to local archaeological societies and national park authorities, helped to bring archaeology into the spotlight and encouraged people to see archaeology in action and to take part in activities on-site.
Thousands of people turned up over the 9 day extravaganza, to enjoy excavation open days, guided walks, specialist talks, hands-on activities, family fun days, finds identification days and much much more. From exploring what archaeology is and learning how to excavate, to learning about the archaeological secrets of their local area, discovering more about excavations that have taken place across the UK and finding out how people lived in ancient times, there was something for everyone, no matter what their age or period of interest. And next year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever!
If you'd like to take part in the Festival of British Archaeology in 2009, for a fortnight full of interesting and exciting events, make a note in your diary of the dates Sat 18 July – Sun 2 August. Event listings will be live on this website from Spring 2009 - so keep checking back!
Fill in a National Archaeology Week survey and WIN a Bonekickers DVD!
Bonekickers is available on ITV DVD from 18th August 2008
Please click on the links below to read about events that took place during National Archaeology Week 2008.
• South Shropshire: guided tour by churchyard conservation charity 'Caring for God's Acre'. Right click and 'Save Target As...' or 'Save Link As...' to download press release [DOC, c300KB]
• Hertfordshire: Broxbourne Council and Enfield Archaeology Society dig in Cedars Park. Right click and 'Save Target As...' or 'Save Link As...' to download press release [DOC, c200KB]
• Click this link to view a film of excavations in progress at Cedars Park! www.lowewood.com/news/dig_at_cedars_park_movie.asp
• Somerset: Glastonbury Abbey invited Julian Richards, the BBC's primary TV archaeologist, to open its new Frederick Bligh Bond exhibition, which was open throughout National Archaeology Week and until Sunday 31st August.
Choose a county from the list to find out what is happening near you!
National Archaeology Week is your unique chance to discover and explore the archaeological heritage of the United Kingdom. During this NINE DAY event, which will run from 12th–20th July, you can take part in excavation open days, hands-on activities, family fun days, guided tours, exhibitions, lectures, ancient art and craft workshops and much, much more.
The aim of this annual event is to encourage everyone, and especially young people and their families to visit sites of archaeological/historical interest or museums, heritage and resource centres, to see archaeology in action and to take part in activities on-site.
Events are taking place all over England and Wales. there are also a few events in Northern Ireland and one in Scotland.
To find out what events are taking place during NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY WEEK 2008 choose an area from the dropdown box.
'National Archaeology Week is the CBA's flagship event, a national festival of archaeology with numerous events ... which showcase the best of British archaeology and allow everyone to see archaeology in action'. Mike Heyworth, Director, CBA
NB We suggest that you confirm date, time and place of events with individual organizers before attending the event. Booking is necessary for some events – see event listings for details and contacts.
National Archaeology Week is coordinated by the Council for British Archaeology, an educational charity working throughout the UK to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and future generations. The CBA brings together those for whom archaeology is an interest, an active pastime or a career. The CBA would like to thank all event organizers, sponsors and volunteers without whose considerable efforts National Archaeology Week could not take place.
National Archaeology Week is supported by English Heritage and Towergate Risk Solutions.
For more information about the Council for British Archaeology, including details of how to become a member and to receive the highly acclaimed magazine British Archaeology please visit www.britarch.ac.uk. For more information about how young people can get involved in archaeology visit the Young Archaeologists' Club webpages at www.britach.ac.uk/yac.
NAW 2007 was a great success with over 430 events taking place all over the UK, a far cry from the 10 events that were held as part of the first National Archaeology Day, back in 1990!
Everyone had the opportunity to delve into all periods of British archaeology and to gain archaeological skills, learn about artefacts, investigate local buildings and landscapes and witness interpretations of the past.
There was a huge variety of events taking place at museums, archaeological and heritage sites, countryside parks, universities and many more places across the country, with events ranging from assisting in excavations, family fun days, guided tours of landscapes and buildings, hands-on archaeological activity days, finds identification and storytelling, to talks, exhibitions and much much more.
Margaret Hodge, Minister for Culture attended the Museum of London for the launch of NAW and commented "I hope National Archaeology Week prompts thousands of people to explore this hidden heritage on their doorsteps, and learn more about our neighbours from the past."
Thousands of people enjoyed events which ranged from guided tours of protected historic wrecks via a robot camera off the Isles of Scilly, to experiencing the development of prehistoric technology at Creswell Crags in Nottinghamshire at their biggest ever event, and a guided walk to see prehistoric footprints on the beach at Formby, Merseyside.
There was a huge amount of media interest in NAW 2007, with a special report by Dan Snow on the Roman Sewers in York on The One Show, BBC 1, articles in national papers such as The Times and The Guardian, coverage on local TV and radio stations and hundreds of articles appearing in the local press all over the UK. This helped NAW reach its largest audience yet and helped to truly make it an event for everyone.
NAW 2008 promises to be even bigger and better! Keep an eye on this website to find out what will be happening in your local area as part of NAW 2008. A huge thanks to all the organisers and volunteers who gave up their time to make National Archaeology Week 2007 such an enjoyable and informative event for so many people.
Organiser Feedback Questionnaire - NEW!
Right-click and 'Save Target As...' or 'Save Link As...' to download Word DOC file (76KB).
• Please fill in the attached questionnaire and return to naw[AT]britarch.ac.uk
Photos at National Archaeology Week events - Photographic permission form
The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and Young Archaeologists' Club (YAC) are always looking for new images of National Archaeology Week (NAW) events for use in promotional materials such as NAW posters, booklets and the website. We greatly appreciate receiving photos of NAW events from NAW event organizers and it is great to see the variety of events taking place across the country!
If you plan to send the CBA/YAC photos of your event which involve children, you must to use a photographic permission form, to gain parental/guardian consent for use of the image(s) by your organisation and by the CBA and YAC, in print and on the websites. You can then keep the form as a record which can be referred back to at a later date, if you do have any enquiries about use of the images.
You can either use your organisation's specific permission form, or download the form below, which has been tailored for use specifically at National Archaeology Week events. Please right click on the following links to the files and 'Save Target As...' or 'Save Link As...'.
• Download Photo Permission Form (<50KB)
If you have any questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact the CBA.
NB. By sending images of your National Archaeology Week event(s) to the CBA, you are consenting to their use in CBA and NAW printed material and on the website, for use in the promotion of National Archaeology Week. Responsibility for obtaining permission to use images of children lies with the event organizer, and by sending the CBA images of children, the event organizer is consenting to the use of these images by the CBA and its Young Archaeologists' Club and thereby confirming that the necessary permission for use of the images has been gained. Photos used in CBA and NAW promotional material will be duly acknowledged and the necessary copyrights quoted.
Marketing Pack - NEW!
Ideas and help for promoting your event!
We have produced this marketing support pack to help you make the most of your NAW event(s). It will take you through the basics of marketing your event, covering leaflets, posters, press releases and other ideas. Please right click on the following links to the files and 'Save Target As...' or 'Save Link As...'.
• Marketing pack for event organisers (PDF 940KB)
Please do download it, for ideas, suggestions and examples. Use the appropriate leaflet and poster templates below for simple but effective promotion of your event!
• Sample leaflet template (DOC 70KB)
• Sample poster template (DOC 91KB)
Remember, to attract as large and wide an audience possible, promotion of your event in your locality is essential!
CBA Logo
As a National Archaeology Week event organiser registered with the CBA, please include this downloadable CBA logo on any promotional material for NAW 2008. Please use these high resolution versions of our NEW logo. Download what you need below. Our Useage Guidelines can also be found below - please right click the links to the files and 'Save Target As...' or 'Save Link As...'.. Only after reading the Guidelines, for further advice on using the CBA logo contact info[AT]britarch.ac.uk.
1. Black writing for use with normal white backgrounds (c1MB JPG)
2. White writing for use with black backgrounds (c1.1MB JPG)
3. Black writing on transparent surface for use with coloured backgrounds (c240KB PNG)
4. White writing on transparent surface for use with black or other dark backgrounds (c160KB PNG)
• CBA Logo Guidelines (c210KB PDF)
Downloadable Poster Templates - NEW!
Below are poster templates for National Archaeology Week for you to download. They are available in A4 and A3 and there are also A4 and A3 Welsh bilingual posters. You can also print the A4 version as an A5 flyer by choosing 'A5' in your printing options. Please right click on the following links to the PDFs and 'Save Target As...' or 'Save Link As...'.
• A4 English Poster (c560KB)
• A3 English Poster (c905KB)
• A4 Welsh Poster (c560KB)
• A3 Welsh Poster (c905KB)
You can add your own event details in the whitespace, and can even copy & paste them directly from a Word or other document. You can change the text size, font and style through the Adobe Reader menu. Highlight the text and choose 'View > Toolbars > Properties'. You can then print your event poster.
If you would like more information about NAW 2008 please right click on the following links and 'Save Target As...' or 'Save Link As...'.
• Background Information as a Word DOC (63.5KB) or PDF (27.2KB)
• Event ideas & guidelines as a Word DOC (29.5KB) or PDF (14.6KB) - Updated for January 2008
• Insurance Information as a Word DOC (57.5KB) or PDF (38.6KB) - Updated for January 2008
• Registration Form as a Word DOC (197KB) or PDF (41KB) - new for January 2008.
Please register your event for NAW 2008 as soon as possible to ensure that your event gets listed on the website. Entries are now too late to be included in the National Events Booklet.
For more information, and to ensure you are on the distribution list for NAW information, please contact:
Sophie Cringle
Marketing and Events Officer
Council for British Archaeology
St Mary's House
66 Bootham
York YO30 7BZ
Tel: 01904 671417
Email: naw[AT]britarch.ac.uk
CBA, St Mary's House, 66 Bootham, York YO30 7BZ
tel: +(44) (0)1904 647417 fax: +(44) (0)1904 641384
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Last updated 24 July 2008 by Seren Langley, Assistant Information Officer
