Yac Cba

📢New on the YAC blog - we catch up with Cornwall YAC!

From test-pitting in prehistoric landscapes to reconstructing historic buildings on Minecraft, Cornwall's young archaeologists have been taking part in a very exciting programme of events since launching last year. Find out more about their recent activities and their plans for this year's Festival of Archaeology! 🤩

👉https://www.yac-uk.org/blog/catching-up-with-cornwall-yac/

It's always great to hear about YAC branches getting involved in local excavations! 🤩

Read about Bexley YAC's amazing day digging at Lesnes Abbey in southeast London with DigVentures on the YAC blog 👉 https://www.yac-uk.org/blog/bexley-yac-dig-lesnes-abbey/

📣We're pleased to share another of this year's Dig It! competitions!

Three lucky YAC members will be heading to Cookham, near Maidenhead, East Berkshire on Friday 31st July. Winners will be hosted by Archaeology at the University of Reading and will be exploring the site of a fascinating Anglo-Saxon monastery. 🤩

Find out more and enter the competition 👉https://www.yac-uk.org/whats-new/competitions/yac-dig-it-competition-2026/dig-it-at-cookham-2026/

🎉We're delighted to share that three of our YAC branches have been awarded grants from Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society!

To celebrate the BGAS's 150th anniversary, these generous grants are a way to recognise the outstanding work YAC leaders and volunteers do to inspire young people, introduce them to real archaeology, and help them understand the importance of the historic environment across Bristol and Gloucestershire.

Find out more on the YAC blog 👉 https://www.yac-uk.org/blog/three-yacs-receive-grants-from-the-bristol-gloucestershire-archaeological-society/

🪏New on the YAC blog: read all about how Inverness YAC organised their own archaeological dig at the Heights of Docharty near Dingwall!

👉https://www.yac-uk.org/blog/excavation-updates-from-inverness-yac/

📣Announcing our first Dig It! competition of 2026!

Three lucky winners will be heading to Ballynahatty, County Down, Northern Ireland on Saturday 20th June 2026. Winners will be hosted by the team at QUB - Archaeology at Queen's and will be exploring an incredible prehistoric henge site dating to the Neolithic and Bronze Age! 😍

Find out more and enter the competition 👉https://www.yac-uk.org/whats-new/competitions/yac-dig-it-competition-2026/dig-it-at-ballynahatty-county-down-2026/

🎉Dig It! is back for 2026 and you could work alongside archaeologists at some amazing sites right across the UK!

We will soon be launching the first of this year's Dig It! competitions with more to follow over the coming weeks.

Three winners aged between 8 and 16 will be chosen for each site and each winner will have access to a bursary made possible by the Marsh Charitable Trust to help cover the costs of travel, accommodation and/or subsistence (your lunch!). And that’s not all! Each winner will also receive a satchel of archaeological tools from our friends at Past Horizons, including your very own trowel to dig with on the day.

Our upcoming competitions will be advertised on our website and via the YAC newsletter 👉https://www.yac-uk.org/whats-new/competitions/yac-dig-it-competition-2026/

📣Today is the start of the Council for British Archaeology’s Out and About Archaeology events programme for 2026!

Out and About Archaeology is all about helping everyone explore the archaeology all around us in our towns and villages, forests and rivers, open spaces and terraced streets. We have an exciting programme of guided events, digital tours, resources and much more!

👉https://www.yac-uk.org/blog/yac-celebrates-out-and-about-archaeology/

🎉Happy 10th birthday to Mick Aston's Young Archaeologists (MAYA YAC)!

In our latest blog, branch leader Liz shares some highlights from the club’s first 10 years and tells us about their celebratory trip to Avalon Archaeology, featuring prehistoric crafts and a very impressive cake... 🎂

👉https://www.yac-uk.org/blog/maya-yac-celebrates-10-years/

📣 This year's Student and Early Careers Conference will be on 30th July 2026!

If you are interested in participating, either by delivering a talk, presenting a poster or chairing a session, the deadline to submit your abstract is 8th June 2026.

Find out more 👉https://www.archaeologyuk.org/youth-engagement/festival-of-archaeology-early-careers-conference.html

🎤 Are you studying archaeology or starting out in heritage, and keen to share your work? We have a friendly audience waiting to hear from you!

The Student & Early Careers Conference, hosted by the CBA and the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Early Careers Special Interest Group, is seeking contributions.

Whether you’re a student, apprentice, volunteer, or early career professional, this is a chance to share your work, build confidence, and gain presentation experience in a supportive environment.

You can contribute through:
• Short talks
• Pre-recorded presentations
• Posters
• Chairing a session

There’s no set theme, so presentations can explore any area of archaeology or heritage. We also offer mentoring sessions, presentation support, and a buddy system on the day.

For more info and for guidance on abstracts, posters, and chairing a session, visit this link 👉 https://tinyurl.com/4w7bu6cb