UCL Institute of Archaeology

We are hiring: Lecturer (Teaching) in Museum Studies 🏛️

We are seeking to appoint a full-time Lecturer (Teaching) in Museum Studies to contribute to the teaching of core modules on the MA Museum Studies, develop new optional modules, support with dissertation supervision, and to work with the teaching team to develop teaching and learning opportunities in museum studies at PG and UG level.

Full time | Hybrid | Permanent | Deadline: 1 July 2026

Find out more and apply: tinyurl.com/59ka25f3

UCL

"Neanderthal people have a great deal to teach us about modern life. Contributing to this special event gave us the opportunity to build on Professor Spikins' work in helping bring this often-misunderstood population closer into the human story."

Matt Pope, Associate Professor in Palaeolithic Archaeology at UCL Institute of Archaeology, recently delivered a lecture on Neanderthal cooperation at Europa, the Prehistoric Society's annual conference celebrating excellence in prehistoric research.

Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/y8xbhdkk



Image credit: Steven Parkes

⏳1 week to go⏳ Navigating East Asian Studies in Europe: Theory, Method and Research Trajectories

Join us for this upcoming roundtable, followed by an informal reception at the UCL Institute of Archaeology.

Drawing on the expertise of our invited speaker and contributors, the roundtable will explore a range of perspectives from anthropology, museum studies, heritage studies, political economy, and environmental social science.

📅 23 June 2026
⏲️ Roundtable: 13:00-17:00; informal reception: 17:00-19:00
📍 Institute of Archaeology, Bloomsbury, London/online

Find out more and register: https://tinyurl.com/3auuk43r

Another bumper day from the IoA! Next up we have 40 and 41 for our UCL200 series featuring:

Two (40 and 41) Rhodian aryballos in the form of  helmeted warrior’s heads, 600-550 BC (UCL 873 and 872) from Ancient Greece.

An aryballos is a small perfume flask. These are moulded in the shape of soldier helmeted heads, and they come from the island of Rhodes. The mouth of the flask is at the top, rising from the helmet crest. Vessels of this kind were made from moulds, one for the front and one for the back, which were joined and smoothed over before being painted in the black-figure technique. Rhodes was well known for its production of these small perfume containers, which were especially popular between 600 and 570 BCE and were probably aimed at the luxury market.

Huge congratulations to Judy Medrington, who has been awarded the Amazing Support Staff award as part of 's 2026 Education Awards!

Having worked at the Institute of Archaeology for more than 50 years before her recent retirement, Judy has supported generations of students and colleagues throughout her time.

This latest recognition adds to a long list of awards celebrating her exceptional contribution over the years.

Congratulations, Judy – a truly well-deserved honour!

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/3968zezw



Image credit: Charlotte Frearson

⌛ Online tickets still available: Unravelling the Palaeolithic

Join us for this year's Unravelling the Palaeolithic, an ECR and student-led conference with a history of showcasing excellence in research in Palaeolithic archaeology, early human origins and related fields.

📅 19-20 June 2026

📍 Institute of Archaeology, UCL, Bloomsbury, London

ℹ️ In-person places are sold out, but online options are still available

🔗 Preliminary conference programme: https://tinyurl.com/wh46x6f9

🔗Booking: https://tinyurl.com/4t3ykesa

UCL

39 of 200 - special double Wednesday edition of 🎉

🪙 Silver tetradrachm from Athens. Decorated on the reverse with an owl, with an olive branch to one side, and the letters ‘ATHE’ in greek script on the other, within an incuse square. The obverse is decorated with the head of Athena.
 
The Athenian tetradrachm is an iconic ancient Greek silver coin minted from around 454–404 BC. It features the helmeted head of Athena (the patron goddess of Athens) on the obverse, and her sacred owl on the reverse.

🏛️ Ancient Greece, Athens, 454-404 BC

38 of 200

Rectangular marble funerary plaque. Flat back with slightly oblique tool marks across the back, more smoothly finished across the upper edge but otherwise rough, and broken on the lower right edge.

The upper surface is decorated and consists of a recessed rectangular panel, bearing an inscription cut into the surface and filled with red pigment. This reads:

“D[is] M[anibus] CLODIUS ONESIMUS CLAU/ DIE POLYNICE CONIUGI / BENE MERENTI/ FECIT, ‘To the spirits of the departed. Clodius Onesimus made [this] for Claudia Polynice, his well-deserving wife’. “

On either side of this recessed area are carved floral motifs with a short line below. 
 
🏛️Roman 2 century AD

Navigating East Asian Studies in Europe: Theory, Method and Research Trajectories

Join us for this upcoming roundtable, followed by an informal reception at the UCL Institute of Archaeology.

Drawing on the expertise of our invited speaker and contributors, the roundtable will explore a range of perspectives from anthropology, museum studies, heritage studies, political economy, and environmental social science.

📅 23 June 2026
⏲️ Roundtable: 13:00-17:00; informal reception: 17:00-19:00
📍 Institute of Archaeology, Bloomsbury, London/online

Find out more and register: https://tinyurl.com/3auuk43r

Wishing the best of luck to everyone nominated for the 2026 UCL Technical Professional of the Year Awards next month!

The teams from the UCL Institute of Archaeology and Archaeology South-East are out in full force!

Congratulations to all nominees on this well-deserved recognition.