Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology

The SPMA is looking forward to welcoming all registered participants in Reading this weekend!

Forgot to register? Ended up in Reading during the event and want to attend at the last minute? Worry not! We offer last-minute registration for a reduced range of activities only.

Last-minute registration includes access to:
- Opening lecture by the Director of the Museum of English Rural Life (15 May 18:30-19:30)
- In-person scientific programme (May 16-17)
- Daily coffee and tea breaks (May 16-17)
- Guided Tour of the Post Medival History of Whiteknights campus (16 May, 17:45-19:00)

NB! Opening Reception & Friday tours are not available for last-minute registration. See Eventbrite for more details: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/post-medieval-archaeology-congress-2026-tickets-1980866145966.

Ps. Join the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology to benefit from significantly discounted ticket prices in the future, plus all the benefits of membership!

Last chance to register for ! Registration via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/post-medieval-archaeology-congress-2026-tickets-1980866145966?aff=oddtdtcreator

See you in Reading, May 15-17!

Our PhD Group will meet online next Thursday, 9 April to discuss domestic and household

This time we are joined by three specialists:
- Tânia Manuel Casimiro, Ph.D, a Research Fellow at the University of Stirling, Centre For The Sciences of Place & Memory
- Dr Göran Tagesson, a researcher at Uppsala University, Department of History
- Dr Leila Papoli-Yazdi, an archaeologist of the contemporary past, Garbologist (Garbonomix.com)

Full schedule for this season & how to join the group: https://spma.org.uk/phd-student-group

Early Bird Registration for is ending soon! Register via Eventbrite now to save up to £25 on fees!

Full prices apply from April 1.

Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/post-medieval-archaeology-congress-2026-tickets-1980866145966?aff=oddtdtcreator

Still planning your itinerary for Reading? You can enjoy a Curator’s Tour of Reading Museum on 15th May (14:30 – 15:30). The tour will start with a brief introduction to Reading’s history and to the Museum’s fascinating collections, delivered by the museum’s enthusiastic team.

You will follow your tour guide to explore the galleries, discovering the long history of Reading from the Ice Age to the Modern times. Highlights include the British replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, sewn in the 19th century, and learn about Calleva Atrebatum, the Roman town once standing at Silchester.

£15, register for the Post-Medieval Archaeology Congress 2026 and add-ons via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/post-medieval-archaeology-congress-2026-tickets-1980866145966?aff=oddtdtcreator

Did you know that the Post-Medieval Archaeology Congress 2026 programme includes a tour of Silchester Roman Town lead by Professor Mike Fulford?

Silchester, originally Calleva Atrebatum, is a rare Roman town in Britain where its full scale can still be clearly appreciated. Unlike other towns of the period, it did not develop into a major medieval town and remains a green field site.

Early excavations during the Victorian period revealed much of its layout without heavily disturbing the site, allowing later work by the University of Reading to uncover detailed evidence of its development from the late Iron Age to the early medieval period.

The tour takes us around the well-preserved late 3rd century town wall, the parish church of St Mary the Virgin and the amphitheatre.

NB! The footpaths are uneven and, after wet weather, muddy and slippery. Register via Eventbrite, £35 (includes transport to site).

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/post-medieval-archaeology-congress-2026-tickets-1980866145966?aff=oddtdtcreator

Our PhD Group will meet online next Tuesday to discuss & .

This time we are joined by three specialists:

- Dr Jeffry Oliver, a historical archaeologist whose research focuses on the intersection of landscape, society, and culture. Dr Oliver is a reader at the Department of Archaeology, School of Geoscience, University of Aberdeen

- Dr Eugene Costello, a historian and archaeologist who focuses on farming practices and environmental change. Dr Costello is a lecturer at the School of History, University College Cork

- Dr Edward Stewart, an archaeologists who works to manage heritage in the Clyde Region of Scotland. Dr Stewart is an archaeologist at Clyde Valley Archaeological Research Framework, Archaeology Scotland.

Full schedule for this season & how to join the group: https://spma.org.uk/phd-student-group

Studies by our members: ‘Building for the Atomic Age: An industrial archaeology of the United Kingdom’s nuclear industry’ by Wayne Cocroft.

This new book by Historic England presents a heavily illustrated overview of the United Kingdom’s nuclear industry. It describes wartime aspirations to build an atomic bomb and subsequent endeavours to achieve this goal. It also explores the country’s world-class atomic research centres and the architecture and landscapes of the civil nuclear power programmes.

Copies may be ordered from Liverpool University Press https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10.3828/9781836245773

Read more here: https://liverpooluniversitypress.blog/2026/02/27/building-for-the-atomic-age-70-years-since-the-calder-hall-reactors-began-generating-electricity/

SPMA members: if you’d like to have your work featured, please see our newsletter or website for details.

After reading many interesting nominations, the judges of the Society have suggested that the SPMA Undergraduate Dissertation Award should go to Edwin Lam from the University of York . Edwin's dissertation, 'Feminism, Fabrics and Legislation: Material Culture Study of Female S*x Workers in Victorian England', offers a deep and rich discussion of women's social and political identities in Victorian England, examining how cultural perceptions can be influenced by specific, strategic representation strategies.

Edwin used a mixed-methods approach to conduct his research. The research not only focuses on the past, but also discusses how insights from the study can inform our understanding of the world today and help deconstruct challenging and potentially toxic gender norms. Congratulations to Edwin and the University of York on this inspiring work!

See more about the UG award here: https://spma.org.uk/pg-and-ug-dissertation-prizes. The deadline to apply is September 1st (every year).

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Prizes - Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology The Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology offers prizes for undergraduate and post-graduate dissertations about post-mediveal archaeology topics each year.

Here are more events in the UK for in London this weekend & in the rest of the UK in the coming days:

Saturday, 21st February:
British Museum - Desire, love, identity – an LGBTQ+ tour of the British Museum (Free; advance booking essential - Desire, love, identity – an LGBTQ+ tour of the British Museum (Free; advance booking essential)

London Museum - Walking London’s q***r history (from £17)

Bristol Museums Brighton Museum & Art Gallery - LGBTQIAP+ tour of Bristol Museum (£15/£10)

Glasgow - An LGBT History Month Tour of Glasgow for Trans and Nonbinary People (Sold out)

Sunday, 22nd February:
Brighton Museums Brighton Museum & Art Gallery - Where are all the le****ns? Researching the museums' collection for representation (Free, sign up)

Tuesday, 24th February:
Sheffield Museums - Walking tour of Sheffield’s q***r history from the late 1800s (Free via Eventbrite)

Join the SPMA PhD Group for our next onlinesession, 'Academic Writing and Publishing' on Thursday 26 Feb between 16:00-18:00 BST.

Our speakers have extensive experience and offer a range of perspectives. Come, listen, and ask as many questions as you can think of during this informative session!

Our Speakers:
Dr Helen Loney (School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester – Co-Editor of 'Post-Medieval Archaeology')

Professor Kathryn Sampeck (British Academy Global Professor of Historical Archaeology at University of Reading; Professor of Anthropology at Illinois State University – Co-editor of 'Contributions to Global Historical Archaeology' book series for Springer. Previous editor for 'Historical Archaeology')

Emma Lockwood (Senior Journals Publisher at Taylor & Francis Group)

Have a look at the programme for this year: spma.org.uk/phd-student-group

There are some interesting sessions coming up - join the SPMA PhD Group today and come along!