The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) is an educational charity established in 1944 in the UK.[1][2] It works to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and future generations. It achieves this by promoting research, conservation and education, and by widening access to archaeology through effective communication and participation.
The origins of the CBA lie in the Congress of Archaeological Societies, founded in 1898, but it was in 1943, with the tide of war turning, that archaeologists in Britain began to contemplate the magnitude of tasks and opportunities that would confront them at the end of hostilities. In London alone more than 50 acres of the City lay in ruins awaiting redevelopment, while the historic centres of Bristol, Canterbury, Exeter, Southampton, and many other towns had suffered devastation. In response to a resolution from the Oxford Meeting of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, Sir Alfred Clapham, then President of the Society of Antiquaries of London, called a meeting of the Congress of Archaeological Societies "to discuss the requirements of archaeology in the post-war period".[citation needed] As a result, it was agreed to form a Council for British Archaeology to promote, both collectively and through its members, British archaeology in all its aspects.
The new Council defined one of its objectives as the "safeguarding of all kinds of archaeological material and the strengthening of existing measures for the care of ancient and historic buildings, monuments, and antiquities".[citation needed] Following its first meeting in March 1944 under Clapham's Presidency (he was succeeded later that year by Sir Cyril Fox), the Council initiated local excavation committees in a number of war-damaged towns, began to seek information about reconstruction projects, and set its Regional Groups the task of watching sites of all kinds. The Congress of Archaeological Societies was quickly wound up, and one of the tasks that the CBA inherited from it was the drawing up of a Survey and Policy for Field Research, which was seen as fundamental to an integrated approach to the exploration of Britain's heritage. This monumental task was undertaken by Christopher Hawkes and Stuart Piggott (both subsequently CBA Presidents) and the first volume appeared in 1948. The CBA also recognised the need for adequate bibliographical backup for British archaeology, and the first volume of its regular Archaeological Bulletin, later renamed the Archaeological Bibliography, and now the online British and Irish Archaeological Bibliography first appeared in 1949.
Within five years the CBA had established the direction of its programme and key roles. It provides a forum and acts as a facilitator for opinion, ideas and policy development in British archaeology, connecting government, the media, and the public. It champions archaeology at all levels in education. It promotes and supports research, in the professional and voluntary sectors alike, with the essential services of its bibliographic information, digital resources, and publications. Today British archaeology is served by scores of specialist and thematic societies and groups. This busy scene did not exist in the early 1950s, when the Council set up six period-based Research Committees, spanning the whole of Britain's past from the Palaeolithic to the post-medieval period which, along with the Natural Sciences Panel (set up as early as 1945) had the remit of coordinating earlier initiatives, providing guidance where required, and establishing new projects on a national basis. In 1959 the CBA set up the first Industrial Archaeology Committee in the world. In 1965, the CBA's response to the Buchanan report Traffic in Towns introduced the concept of historic urban areas, as opposed to individual buildings or sites. Further CBA specialist Committees were established throughout the 1960s to 1980s. One of these led to the creation of the organisation which became the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists.
Today the CBA's work is focused on three strategic areas: participation, discovery and advocacy which bring together its wide-ranging activities in education, research, publication, and information provision. More recently the CBA has adopted "archaeology for all" as its focus,[citation needed] concentrating on increasing opportunities for participation and learning through archaeology and the care of the historic environment. They work in partnership with many other heritage and environmental bodies and with educational and research institutions across the UK.
As one of the National Amenity Societies, the council is a statutory consultee on alterations to listed buildings, and by law must be notified of any applications in England and Wales to demolish in whole or part any listed building.[3]
Membership
Until 1993, membership of the CBA was limited to societies and organisations. Today there are over 600 institutional members, which range from village archaeological groups to museums, county societies, universities, commercial archaeological units and national bodies. Individual membership has climbed steadily since its introduction in 1993, and now exceeds 6,000. Through the eleven English Regional Groups, CBA Wales/Cymru and the Council for Scottish Archaeology (all of which have individual membership), the CBA provides a unique forum for the British archaeological community, and the public beyond.
Members of the CBA help to ensure they have the resources to develop their work in education, conservation and providing information, and strengthen the profile of archaeology in the minds of decision-makers. Members receive:
Six issues of the CBA's flagship magazine British Archaeology, including CBA Briefing, with lists of projects and events
Three issues a year of the CBA Newsletter, with news of the latest CBA projects and initiatives
Membership of a CBA English regional group with access to local meetings, newsletters, activities and publications; or membership of national groups in Scotland or Wales for a small additional fee
From its earliest years, the CBA has invested in research support services for the UK archaeological community through its publication programme and latterly through a range of web-based resources and services. In addition to its role in facilitating, convening and disseminating the research of others, it has maintained its own programme of research.
The CBA's track record is principally in applied research to support its programmes in education, public participation and environmental protection. The CBA has also led research in key areas such as the impact of metal detecting on archaeology, television archaeology and the media, education outside the classroom, and assessment of information and data management needs for archaeology. The Mick Aston Archaeology Fund and the Marsh Award for Community Archaeology aim to foster and celebrate voluntary research in the historic environment.
Research themes relate to the CBA's central aim to increase opportunities for participation and learning through archaeology. Priority areas for research in partnership with major heritage organisations and other bodies in the sector are:
1) Archaeology in the classroom and beyond: developing local and national identities 2) Social outcomes and impacts of community archaeology and conservation projects 3) Adapting archaeology: mediating climate change histories 4) Innovation in managing digital media and serving up archaeological information to a wide audience
The CBA provides research support services through the CBA website, the TORC (Training Online Resource Centre) website, with its online guide to educational and research opportunities, and the extensive programme of publication and electronic dissemination outlined below.
Information provision and publishing
The CBA provides electronic access to archaeological materials, information, interpretations and discussion.
It has published almost 200 books since 1945. Today, these publications take two main forms: the Research Report series publishes monographs of research into the archaeology of Britain, largely deriving from excavation, buildings and landscape surveys. The Practical Handbooks series is methodological, and aims to present straightforward summaries of topics for those new to a particular specialism.
It also publishes British Archaeology, a bi-monthly news magazine aimed at both the general reader and the academic. Since 1997, it has published the e-journal Internet Archaeology. Since 1949, it has overseen the compilation of a comprehensive archaeological bibliography, now available free-of-charge online as the British and Irish Archaeological Bibliography. A programme of digitisation has enabled free, electronic access to much of the CBA's back catalogue of publications, including British Archaeology and many books and occasional papers.
Events
The flagship CBA event each year is The Festival of Archaeology, held in July.[4] This two-week event brings together around 500 excavation open days, guided tours, exhibitions, lectures and ancient art and craft workshopse. Over a hundred thousand people take part.
In September, the Weekend Event brings together CBA members and specialists to examine the archaeology of a particular region of the UK. The weekend also includes the annual Beatrice de Cardi lecture, in honour of the CBA's first permanent secretary, and the CBA AGM. Each year, the CBA hosts its Winter General Meeting at the British Academy, featuring a series of lectures on a theme linking archaeology with a related discipline.
In addition, the twelve CBA English Regional Groups, CBA Wales/Cymru and Archaeology Scotland (formerly the Council for Scottish Archaeology), along with Branches of the Young Archaeologists' Club, hold over a thousand events each year throughout the UK.
Publications
British Archaeology magazine, bimonthly, access restricted to CBA members and subscribing institutions[5]
Related Research Articles
English Heritage is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts, and country houses.
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland.
The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a registered charity. It is based at Burlington House in Piccadilly, a building owned by the UK government.
The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) is the UK's chartered professional body for mathematicians and one of the UK's learned societies for mathematics.
The Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) was established in Great Britain in 1973 to promote the study of industrial archaeology and to encourage improved standards of recording, research, conservation and publication. It aims to support individuals and groups involved in those objectives and to represent the interests of industrial archaeology at a national level. It is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.
The Multiple Sclerosis Society is the UK's largest charity for people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Based in London, it has offices and local groups in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It gained charitable company status in 2010.
The Institute of Conservation(Icon) is the professional charitable body, representing and supporting the practice and profession of conservation. It has around 2500 members worldwide, including professional conservators, scientists and teachers involved with the care of heritage objects and buildings.
Wessex Archaeology is a British company that provides archaeological and heritage services, as well as being an educational charity. Apart from advice and consultancy, it also does fieldwork and publishes research on the sites it surveys. The company has had a long association with the archaeological television programme Time Team.
The Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) is a charity registered in England and Wales and in Scotland and is a company limited by guarantee.
The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) is a British engineering institution with activities including promotion of the development of materials science.
Archaeology Scotland, formerly known as the Council for Scottish Archaeology (CSA), is a membership organisation which seeks to promote the understanding of archaeology in Scotland. This group works with lay people and academia to help care for the great history of Scotland's archaeological heritage. Their charitable and philanthropic work serves to enrich the story and deep history of Scotland. The organization is responsible for coordinating a number of archaeology related events, such as Scottish Archaeology Month and Adopt-a-Monument.
The British Youth Council, known informally as BYC, was a UK charity that worked to empower young people and promote their interests. The national charity, run by young people, exists to represent the views of young people to government and decision-makers at a local, national, European and international level; and to promote the increased participation of young people in society and public life. It was partly funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and UK Parliament.
The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) is a global organisation for conservation and restoration professionals with over two thousand members in over fifty countries. IIC seeks to promote the knowledge, methods and working standards needed to protect and preserve historic and artistic works throughout the world.
The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust was an archaeological organisation established in 1975, until its dissolution in 2024, as part of the merger of the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts, into Heneb.
The Archaeology Data Service (ADS) is an open access digital archive for archaeological research outputs. It is located in The King's Manor, at the University of York. Originally intended to curate digital outputs from archaeological researchers based in the UK's Higher Education sector, the ADS also holds archive material created under the auspices of national and local government as well as in the commercial archaeology sector. The ADS carries out research, most of which focuses on resource discovery, cross-searching and interoperability with other relevant archives in the UK, Europe and the United States of America.
Hendon and District Archaeological Society (HADAS) is an amateur archaeological society based in the London Borough of Barnet, England, and is registered as a charity with the UK Charity Commission.
The Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) is a registered Scottish charity which represents the independent school sector in Scotland. Its membership includes mainstream fee-paying independent schools and a range of schools for young people with complex additional support needs.
Marsh Charitable Trust, also known as Marsh Christian Trust, is a national charity in the United Kingdom, based in London. It is a registered charity under English law, and was established in 1981 by Brian Marsh, the current Chairman. Marsh was appointed an OBE for services to business and charity in the 2005 New Year Honours.
The archaeology of Wales is the study of human occupation within the country of Wales which has been occupied by modern humans since 225,000 BCE, with continuous occupation from 9,000 BCE. Analysis of the sites, artefacts and other archaeological data within Wales details its complex social landscape and evolution from Prehistoric times to the Industrial period. This study is undertaken by academic institutions, consultancies, charities as well as government organisations.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
