Student and Early Careers Conference 2026
Every year, this digital conference aims to platform students, early career archaeologists and heritage professionals, and to give them the opportunity to gain presentation experience.
Who is it for?
SPEAKERS & CHAIRS: The conference is open to anyone studying archaeology or an associated subject such as osteoarchaeology, anthropology, or cultural heritage management, undertaking an apprenticeship or training scheme, or Individuals within 7 years full time equivalent (FTE) from completion of their first archaeology-related degree or apprenticeship, or for those without formal education in archaeology, within 7 years FTE from the start of their first professional archaeological position.
AUDIENCE: We always hope the conference audience will comprise anyone who has an interest in the range of topics that will be discussed and/or those who wish to support early career archaeologists and heritage professionals in a welcoming and friendly environment.
Was there a theme?
There was no set theme. Instead, participants were encouraged to present on any topic of their choice. We were able to identify several strong themes emerging from the abstracts:
- how osteoarchaeology and bioarchaeology can challenge long-held societal assumptions
- votive deposition, from the prehistoric to the modern day.
- how colonial narratives are being challenged across the globe.
- how climate change and heritage protections are impacting coastal archaeology
The aim is always to make as many people as possible feel comfortable contributing, and with this in mind, we offered a range of presentation styles, including short 10-15 minutes presentations and pre-recorded material.
Can I watch the talks from the conference?
The conference talks were recorded and, where permission was granted, are now being edited and uploaded to the CBA's YouTube channel.
Check out the first uploaded talk:
You can find last year's recordings on the Early Careers Conference 2025 playlist and further examples below.