Archaeology and Wellbeing Theme Day 2025

The Council for British Archaeology Festival Team present a bonanza of community engagement in the Theme Day.

Learn a new skill

We will be releasing a suite of resources to help you learn a new skill that you can use individually or with a group.

Wellbeing and You

We have a Mindefulness Museum of You practice by Chris Jeavons of the University of Leicester as well as ideas for looking after your body prior to archaeological experiences.

Get creative with collecting

🪙✨ What’s Not to Treasure?

Not all treasures glitter, or are made of gold! From coins to sea glass, railway tickets to shells, pin badges to pressed flowers, collections come in all shapes, sizes, and stories. Whether they started as a childhood hobby, a mindful escape, or a lifelong passion, they matter.

Collecting can be calming, creative, and deeply personal. It gives us time to slow down, to notice the world around us, and to find joy in the little things. That’s why, as part of the Festival of Archaeology 2025, we’re building an online gallery to celebrate collecting and its link to wellbeing.

We want to know:

💬 What do you collect and why?

📸 How do you display them?

🌟 Do you have something totally unexpected? We'd love to discover collections we’ve never even imagined!

We’re looking for 10 - 12 people to take part. Share a photo, tell us your story, or let us know if you'd be up for a short email or video interview. 

📩 Interested? Get in touch by 6th July at [email protected] 

Because the things we treasure can help us feel grounded, connected, and sometimes even a little more ourselves.

Marsh Community Archaeology Awards

We will be announcing the winners of the Marsh Community Archaeology Award for Community Archaeologist of the Year and Community Archaeology Project of the Year during the day via the CBA social media channels.