Archaeological Achievement Awards

Announcing the winners of the 2023 Archaeological Achievement Awards

2023 Archaeological Achievement Award Trophies, made by Lasers for Us. Photo: Adam Shaw

We're delighted to announce the winners of the Archaeological Achievement Awards 2023! The ceremony was held at the prestigious De Grey Rooms in York, led by the CBA President, public archaeologist and broadcaster, Raksha Dave. We were also pleased to welcome our wonderful guest speakers, Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central and Member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Archaeology, Barney Sloane from Historic England and Peter Hinton from Cifa who spoke about the future of archaeology, and Dr Jim Leary, who gave an entertaining talk about the history of travel, based on his recent book, Footmarks: A Journey into our Restless Past. 

The 2023 awards were presented to:

Outstanding Achievement Award  (sponsored by AOC Archaeology Group)

Winner: Roots In Time

Judges' Comments: 

Roots In Time was an excellent example of the role archaeology can play in environmental issues and opportunities for linking archaeology to arts funding.

Outstanding Achievement Award Winners: Roots in Time, with Rachael Maskell MP. Photo: Adam Shaw. 

Public Dissemination or Presentation (sponsored by Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland)

Winners and Highly Commended

Winner: Uncovering Roman Carlisle 

Project overview:

​​Uncovering Roman Carlisle (URC) is an ongoing programme of community archaeological investigations, engagement, and exhibitions, exploring the internationally significant Carlisle Roman Bathhouse on Hadrian’s Wall: World Heritage Site. 

​URC seeks to enhance participants' wellbeing, create community, and provide opportunities to participate in heritage to benefit Cumberland’s residents and visitors.

Judges' comments:

Uncovering Roman Carlisle excelled in sharing archaeology with diverse audiences using a wide range of outputs throughout the project. The extent and reach of dissemination activities was exceptional. Site visits, guided tours, talks, touring and static exhibitions, a learning programme, drop-in sessions, publications, videos, a book, media articles, television documentaries and 3d scans of the artefacts freely available online all had a part to play in putting Roman and indeed modern Carlisle on the map. The co-production with volunteers and use of volunteer content in exhibitions was particularly distinctive, giving voice to participants in the project.

Uncovering Roman Carlisle and WallCAP: Winners and Highly Commended in the Public Dissemination or Presentation Award. Photo: Adam Shaw

Highly commended: WallCAP – Hadrian’s Wall Community Archaeology Project

Project overview:

​​​WallCAP was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to promote the value of heritage – specifically of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site – to local communities and provide opportunities for volunteers to engage with the archaeology and conservation of the Wall to better ensure the future of the monument. ​

Judges' comments:

WallCap, the Hadrian’s Wall Community Archaeology project targeted local communities, heritage managers, educational and academic stakeholders and the wider public with its dissemination activities. Each had a specific dissemination strategy tailored to maximise engagement with and understanding of the archaeology and conservation of Hadrian’s wall, and to promote a sense of place at a local level. Activities included informational and results sessions, social media, press releases, media coverage, newsletters, a volunteer portal, reports, conference papers, scholarly publications, online lecture series, site tours, exhibitions at 3 locations and a book. Care was taken to match timing and locations of dissemination activities to the identified groups.

Shortlisted Candidates: 

A14: The evolution of a landscape through time – Geoarchaeology and Environmental Archaeology in Action: The Story of the A14 Landscape and Vegetation from the Bronze Age to the Anglo-Saxon 

​​This novel online, interactive, vegetation StoryMap brings to life, and to a wide digital audience, past natural environments and their human modification over time. Interpretation is based on the detailed analysis of environmental, geology and LiDAR evidence, presenting an accessible changing land use history of the Cambridgeshire A14 scheme.   

Abingdon Online Archaeology Map 

​​The project makes information about the archaeology of Abingdon (‘England’s oldest town’) available to the public through an interactive online map, created by Abingdon’s archaeological society. The map, which is hosted on the Town Council website, also has links to information about Abingdon’s historic buildings. ​ 

The Online Publication of Hollis Croft: a comic tale 

​​Inspired by the public interest during excavations, an imagined human story draws on and combines the actual historical and archaeological context of the industrial archaeology found at Hollis Croft, Sheffield into a comic. The online interactive comic was published (open access) alongside the excavation report and ADS digital archive.​ 

​​The Forgotten Cemetery: Excavations at Ranelagh, Co. Roscommon​ 

​​The culmination of seven years of activity, the thirteenth entry in TII’s Heritage Series of monographs—The Forgotten Cemetery: Excavations at Ranelagh, Co. Roscommon—and its companion StoryMap, use traditional and innovative analysis techniques to present perhaps the most vivid picture yet possible of Irish early medieval and medieval life.​ 

Engagement and Participation (sponsored by University Archaeology UK)

Winners and Highly Commended

Winner: CAER Heritage: ‘The Hidden Hillfort Project’ 

Project overview:

​​CAER is a collaboration between Action in Caerau and Ely, Cardiff University, local schools, residents and many others. The project focuses upon the co-produced research of Caerau Hillfort, a nationally important site that’s nestled in the Cardiff suburbs of Caerau and Ely, two of the most deprived wards in Wales.​

Judges' comments:

The EDI impacts of this project were phenomenal. The project involved working collaboratively with a broad range of local partners and stakeholders, as well as visitors/tourists. Reviving the community was a huge part of this project, with archaeology bringing people together, helping to create a sense of belonging and togetherness that was previously missing, but sorely needed. There were a lot of different activities offered, enabling people to engage with the project in a way that was most accessible to their individual needs, and/or most accessible to them.

CAER Heritage: Winners of the Engagement and Participation Award. Photo: Adam Shaw

Highly commended: Hands-on Heritage volunteers at Avalon Archaeology​

Project overview:

​​​The Hands-on Heritage volunteer project has created an exciting new archaeological open air museum on the Somerset Levels. The dedicated band of volunteers has spent a decade creating a range of vibrant archaeological reconstructions that are now open to the public and visiting groups to experience and enjoy.​​

Judges' comments:

These were two amazing projects, each with different aims, objectives, audiences (and budgets) that scored very highly. The judges felt that these projects could be easily replicated across the country and are great examples of what can be achieved through archaeology to benefit communities (and the wider public). (Joint response for Hands-on Heritage and Archaeology on Prescription)

Highly commended: Archaeology on Prescription

Project overview:

Archaeology on Prescription is York Archaeology's pioneering project that uses archaeology as a social prescribing tool. Participants join the project with mental health conditions, disabilities, and other barriers that have excluded them from archaeology previously. Through archaeology, they improve their health and well-being, plus learn new skills in archaeology.

Judges' comments:

These were two amazing projects, each with different aims, objectives, audiences (and budgets) that scored very highly. The judges felt that these projects could be easily replicated across the country and are great examples of what can be achieved through archaeology to benefit communities (and the wider public). 

Shortlisted Candidates

South Blockhouse Project, Kingston upon Hull 

​​​The South Blockhouse Archaeology Project is a community engagement and research project designed to inform, and provide interpretive details for, a new open air visitor attraction on the site of the former South Blockhouse, built under the orders of Henry VIII between 1541-43. The South Blockhouse is a scheduled monument.​ 

The Irchester Field School 

The Irchester Field School is an innovative collaboration between North Northants Council and the University of Leicester, inspiring and empowering people of all ages to engage in life-enhancing opportunities focused on the small Roman town of Irchester within the Estate, and the rich archaeology and heritage of the Nene Valley. 

Early Career Archaeologist (sponsored by the Royal Archaeological Institute)

Winner and Highly Commended

Winner: Sakshi Surana

Overview:

Sakshi is a recent graduate from the University of London’s Institute of Archaeology. She passionately advocates for increased access to archaeological careers, and has been a vital part of the CIfA Early Careers committee since 2022. She was recently awarded the Norah Molony prize for fieldwork and the Hellyar Prize for Outstanding Contributions to the Life and Work of the Institute of Archaeology. 

Judges' comments:

Exceptional early career archaeologist who is demonstrating a tangible passion for archaeology through a commitment to their own professional development and the advancement of the discipline. Their enthusiasm has been energising for the entire panel!

Early Career Archaeologist winner, Sakshi Surana. Photo: Adam Shaw

Highly commended: Tabitha Gulliver Lawrence

Overview

Tabitha is a 2020 graduate from Bournemouth University with a strong enthusiasm for archaeology, public outreach, and local communities. She currently works for Colchester Archaeological Trust, alongside volunteering for the CIfA Early Career Special Interest Group, CIfA Diggers Forum, the Young Archaeologist Club, and the Lithics Studies Society. 

Judges' comments:

Inspiring early career archaeologist embarking on an impactful career. We look forward to seeing everything they will accomplish in the years to come!

Shortlisted Candidates

Marie-Therese Barrett 

​​Marie-Therese holds a BA and MPhil from UCC, and an MSc from QUB. Marie-Therese has extensive experience in archaeological fieldwork. Her doctoral research focused on the dating and chronology of Drumclay crannog using tree-ring analysis, and is currently working on the post-excavation of Drumclay with IAC Archaeology.  

Learning, Training, and Skills (sponsored by Archaeological Management Solutions)

Winner

Winner: Uncovering Roman Carlisle 

Project overview:

​​Uncovering Roman Carlisle (URC) is an ongoing programme of community archaeological investigations, engagement, and exhibitions, exploring the internationally significant Carlisle Roman Bathhouse on Hadrian’s Wall: World Heritage Site. 

​URC seeks to enhance participants' wellbeing, create community, and provide opportunities to participate in heritage to benefit Cumberland’s residents and visitors.

Judges' comments:

Uncovering Roman Carlisle is a fantastic project that has sought to involve the local community in not only the discovery, but interpretation, of a site of international importance when it comes to our understanding of Roman Britain. The engagement across the spectrum of the Carlisle community by the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project is what made this approach so significant to those who took part and left a lasting impression on those who visited.  

Roman Carlisle, Winners of the Learning, Training and Skills Award. Photo: Adam Shaw

Shortlisted Candidates

Discover Maritime Archaeology eLearning Courses 

The Discover Maritime Archaeology eLearning courses provide an engaging training programme to introduce people to the world of maritime, underwater and coastal archaeology. In conjunction with the optional in-person practical courses, this will create a broader range of upskilled citizen scientists to protect and monitor our precious maritime heritage. 

The Irchester Field School 

An innovative collaboration between North Northants Council (at the Chester House Estate) and the University of Leicester, inspiring and empowering people of all ages to engage in life-enhancing opportunities focused on the small Roman town of Irchester, and the rich archaeology and heritage of the Nene Valley. 

Archaeology and Sustainability Award (sponsored by National Highways)

Winner and Highly Commended

Winner: Roots In Time

Project overview:

​​Roots in Time is an archaeology and art project at a new public green space and woodland. A community excavation of Romano-British/prehistoric archaeology was followed by onsite interpretation co-created with local communities. Part of Worcestershire County Council’s net-zero strategy, additional biodiverse habitats were created through designing with the archaeology.​ 

Judges' comments:

An excellent and lovely project, bringing together a wide range of different communities to protect and enhance the natural and historic environment. The project showed clear leadership and engagement at all levels and demonstrated how to develop long-term sustainable futures for Worcestershire’s environment. We feel that this project will be replicable and is a model for other similar schemes. 

Roots in Time, Winners of the Archaeology and Sustainability Award. Photo: Adam Shaw

Highly commended: Diggit: Paperless recording for all archaeology

Project overview:

​​Diggit is a paperless recording system that brings sustainable, accessible digital recording practices to all archaeologists.​ 

Diggit has now been used to record on over 350 sites, and we’ve spoken to archaeologists from over 25 countries to inform the development of its upcoming international version.

Judges' comments:

This IT solution to Archaeology’s carbon footprint and drive to net zero, has the potential to be adopted across the sector. Diggit have clearly demonstrated an innovative approach to create an accessible, cost effective and climate aware digit recording system. Putting environmental issues at the heart of every stage of its development and system implementation.

Therefore, we highly recommend it.

Shortlisted Candidates

Tuatha 

Tuatha is a membership community that connects people across the country to the monuments, landscapes, and stories of Ireland, and to each other. Tuatha delivers reliable, in-depth knowledge to its members through articles, courses, tours and more, led by our team of award-winning archaeologists, and through collaboration with internationally renowned experts.  

 

We'd like to say a huge congratulations to all of our shortlistees, highly commended entries and winners of the Archaeological Achievement Awards. We'd also like to say a huge thank you to all our judges, who did a fantastic job reviewing the nominations and shortlisting the amazing candidates, as well as our funders and sponsors, without whom the awards simply wouldn't have been possible.