News archive

7 October 2008: Under the volcano: Sir William Hamilton and Mt Vesuvius

This paper in the interdisciplinary Burlington House lecture series, bringing together Fellows from all the learned societies based at Burlington House, will be given by Dr Chris Kilburn, Fellow of the Geological Society, and our own Dr Jill Cook at the Geological Society of London. Tea is at 5.30pm, the lecture at 6pm, and a reception, with wine from the slopes of Mt Vesuvius, follows from 7pm to 8.30pm. Entry is free to all, but by ticket only: to reserve a place please email <admin @ sal.org.uk>.

This lecture will explore the legacy of Sir William Hamilton, FSA, FRS (1730–1803, British Envoy Extraordinary to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies 1764–1800), who observed and described several eruptions of Mt Vesuvius, and became one of the earliest volcanologists. As well as bringing volcanic phenomena to the attention of the scientific world, his excavations in Pompeii and Herculaneum, his work guiding Grand Tour visitors around the sites, and his collection of exquisite vases, brought Roman life and art to the attention of a rapidly industrialising Britain.

10 October 2008: John Hopkins FSA 1918–2008: a celebration of his life and work

On 10 October 2008 the Society will hold a meeting to celebrate our late former Librarian, John Hopkins. Beginning with tea in the Council Room at 4pm, our President, Geoff Wainwright, will welcome everyone at 5pm, and we will listen to a recording of the speech that John gave on his election as a Fellow of the Society in 1983. John’s library assistants – Andrew Pike, FSA, John Kenyon, FSA, Peter Hingley and Adrian James – will each say a few words, and Jonathan Coad, FSA, will talk about John’s work for the Royal Archaeological Institute, before Fellows of the Society share their memories of John, led by Nicola Coldstream, FSA. The meeting will end at 6pm with the unveiling of the bust of John that David Neal, FSA, has sculpted, and this will be followed by a wine reception. To book a place, please call the administration office or email: <admin @ sal.org.uk>. If you would like to make a contribution to the cost of casting the bust, please send cheques to the Administration Office, made payable to the Society of Antiquaries.

The Bill and Beyond: implementing the new heritage protection system

The Archaeology Forum is holding a seminar called ‘The Bill and Beyond’ on Tuesday 7 October 2008, from 11am to 4.30pm, hosted by the Society of Antiquaries of London at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London. The seminar will provide an update on progress with the current heritage protection reforms - both the Heritage Protection Bill itself and much more that is happening alongside it - and an opportunity for discussion of the practicalities of beginning to implement the changes.

The full programme for the day is given below. To book places, please contact the Society of Antiquaries of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE (tel: 020 7479 7080, fax: 020 7287 6967 or email admin@sal.org.uk). There is a charge of £15 per head to cover refreshments and lunch. Payment should be made in advance by cheque or by telephone / email with credit card details (Mastercard or Visa).

THE BILL AND BEYOND

The Draft Heritage Protection Bill was published in April 2008 for pre-legislative scrutiny. The Department for Culture Media and Sport has consulted widely on it and the CMS Select Committee considered evidence on the Draft Bill in July 2008. The Bill is expected to be included in the Queen’s Speech in November 2008.

The focus is now on preparation for the introduction of the Bill in the next Parliamentary Session and implementation of the measures that it proposes to introduce. The Bill only forms one part of the reforms, however, with a related programme of secondary legislation, supporting guidance documents and a new Planning Policy Statement. Work in all these areas has been advancing over the summer.

This seminar aims to bring practitioners and heritage organisations up to speed with the planned changes in the heritage protection system and to give an opportunity for discussion and questions about how they will be introduced over the next two years.

11.00 Coffee

11.30 Welcome: Dr David Gaimster, General Secretary, Society of Antiquaries of London

IMPLEMENTING THE NEW HERITAGE PROTECTION SYSTEM

Introduction: Dr Mike Heyworth, Director, Council for British Archaeology

The way ahead – implementing the Heritage Protection Bill: Harry Reeves, Department for Culture Media and Sport

Preparing for working with the new heritage protection system: Paul Jeffery, English Heritage

12.30 – 1.15 Questions and discussion

1.15 – 2.00 Lunch

OPPORTUNITES AND CHALLENGES: VIEWS FROM THE SECTOR

A view from local authority archaeological officers: Dr Stewart Bryant, Chair, Association of Local Government Officers, England

A view from local authority conservation officers: Dr Seán O’Reilly, Director, and John Preston, Education Officer, Institute of Historic Building Conservation

A view from practising archaeologists: Peter Hinton, Chief Executive, Institute of Field Archaeologists

A view from the national amenity societies: Dr Ian Dungavell, Director, Victorian Society and Secretary, Joint Committee of National Amenity Societies

Speakers Panel: questions and discussion

4.20 Closing remarks and thanks

Newly elected Fellows: 19 June 2008

The Society is pleased to welcome the following as Fellows, all of whom were elected in the ballot held on 19 June 2008.

Nadia Durrani, MA, PhD, Editor of Current World Archaeology, specialist in the archaeology of pre-Islamic Yemen and the archaeology of the First World War.
Koji Mizoguchi, BA, MA, PhD, Associate Professor of Archaeology, Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, specialist in Japan’s Yayoi period.
Joanna Story, BA, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Early Medieval History, The School of Historical Studies, University of Leicester, specialist in the political and cultural history of Carolingian Europe.
Richard Luther Caradoc Jones, BA, DPhil, Lecturer in Medieval History, The School of Historical Studies, University of Leicester, Director of Clay Hill excavations, Sussex, and castellologist.
Michael Batt, BA, Archaeologist, French Ministry of Culture, specialist in rescue archaeology and field archaeology in Brittany.
Conor Newman, BA, MA, Lecturer in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, National University of Ireland, Galway, former director of the Discovery Programme’s survey of the Hill of Tara.
Susan Elizabeth Kelly, BA, MA, PhD, researcher, expert on Anglo-Saxon history, has edited major ecclesiastical archives for the British Academy Anglo-Saxon Charter series.
Tom Richard Grenville Wilson, BSc, MA, Archaeologist, Network Archaeology Ltd, former Senior Archaeologist for the Museum of London, has excavated prehistoric to post-medieval sites.
Tyler-Jo Smith, MA, DPhil, Assistant Professor of Classical Archaeology, Department of Art, University of Virginia, authority on Greek vase-painting, has excavated in Turkey, Greece and Sicily.
Alan Charles Lovell, MA, Chartered Accountant, Chairman of the Appeal Committee of the Mary Rose Trust.
Peter Hughes, BA, Art Historian, former Head Curator of the Wallace Collection, leading scholar of decorative arts, especially furniture and eighteenth century France.
David Howard Heslop, BA, County Archaeologist, Tyne and Wear, has directed numerous excavation projects and published on Thorpe Thewles and Guisborough Priory.
Naomi Jane Sykes, BA, MSc, PhD, Lecturer in Zooarchaeology, Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham, expert on Roman and medieval animal bones.
Robert Edward Liddiard, BA, MA, PhD, Lecturer in Medieval History and Landscape Archaeology, School of History, University of East Anglia, with major contributions to the fields of landscape and castle studies.
Paul Barry Pettitt, BA, MA, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, specialist in European Palaeolithic technology, rock art and excavations at Creswell Crags.
Brendan Francis Cassidy, MA, PhD, Reader in the History of Art, St Andrews University, former director of the ‘Index of Christian Art’, Princeton University, authority on thirteenth-century Italian art.
Francis Owen Grew, BA, MPhil, Senior Curator in Museum Management, Museum of London, publications on Roman London.
Kirsty Ann Rodwell, BA, Buildings Archaeologist, Chair of the Wiltshire Buildings Record, publications on archaeology and architectural history.
Oliver Urquhart Irvine, BA, MA, Cultural Property Manager, British Library, publications on the history of art, cartography and international legislation.
Christopher Hartop, BA, author and consultant, silver specialist, former Chairman and Trustee of the Silver Society, publications on English silver.
Derek Long, MA, DPhil, scientist and collector, former Co-Director NATO Advanced Studies, authority on Raman spectroscopy.
Craig Peter Barclay, MA, MLitt, Curator, University of Durham Museums, former Keeper of Archaeology at The Hull and East Riding Museum; interests include Civil War coinage.
James Adam Fraser Wilkinson, MA, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage, former Secretary of SAVE Britain’s Heritage; has played a crucial role in saving Tyntesfield and Dumfries House for the nation.
Harry Rodger Allen, BA, PhD, Associate Professor in Archaeology, Department of Anthropology, University of Auckland, New Zealand, expert in the archaeology of South-east Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Peter Dixon Hiscock, BA, PhD, Reader in Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, specialist in Palaeolithic technology and Australian archaeology.

Newly elected Fellows: 22 May 2008

The Society is pleased to welcome the following as Fellows, all of whom were elected in the ballot held on 22 May 2008.

Scott Howard Mandelbrote, Director of Studies in History, Tutor for Undergraduate Admissions, Perne Librarian, Peterhouse, Cambridge, specialising in modern intellectual history).
James Russell Raven, Professor of Modern History, Department of History, University of Essex, specialising in the history of printing, publishing, bookselling and libraries.
Robert Tittler, Professor Emeritus of History, Concordia University, Montreal, specialising in on the history of English towns and social context of urban life from the later Middle Ages to the early seventeenth century.
Thomas Felix Marlborough Pryor, manuscript and archive consultant, assessor of manuscripts for the Reviewing Committee on the Export Works of Art.
Helen Walker, Archaeologist, Essex County Council Field Archaeology Unit, specialising in medieval and post medieval pottery.
James Robinson, Curator of Medieval Art and Archaeology, Department of Prehistory and Europe, British Museum, specialising in medieval ceramics.
Stephen Giles Hudson Freeth, former Keeper of Manuscripts, Guildhall Library, specialising in monumental brasses and funeral monuments.
Thomas E Russo, Professor of the History of Art, Department of Art and Art History, Drury University, Springfield, Missouri, USA, specialising in classical and medieval art.
Gillian Swanton, Trustee of Wessex Archaeology, directed of excavations in Wiltshire.
Preston Miracle, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, specialising in Palaeolithic and Mesolithic archaeology, director of the Pupicina Cave excavations, Croatia.
Robert Tear, internationally acclaimed operatic and concert tenor, conductor and writer on musical, archaeological and topographical subjects.
Charles Peter Kendall, Team Leader for Kent and East Sussex, English Heritage and Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Medway, an authority on Westenhanger Castle and Shurland Hall.
Judith Alfrey, Historic Buildings and Landscapes Inspector, CADW, and authority on rural buildings in Wales.
David Clark, Oxford University Department for Continuing Education, Oxford director of courses in vernacular architecture, specialising in medieval shops.
George Cunningham, Senior Lecturer, Department of History, University of Limerick, conservationist and winner of Ireland’s National Trust award for a lifetime contribution to heritage).
David John Adshead, Head Curator and Architectural Historian, National Trust.
Holley Martlew, archaeologist specialising in Bronze Age Cretan coarseware.
Paul Pattison, Senior Properties Historian, English Heritage, specialising in landscape archaeology and post-medieval fortifications, especially the Western Heights at Dover.
Christopher Brandon, architect and maritime archaeologist, specialising in Roman hydraulic concrete.
P Maureen Carroll, Reader in Roman Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, specialising in Roman Europe.
Gordon Leslie Higgott, architectural historian, English Heritage, specialising in British classical architecture, Inigo Jones and Sir Christopher Wren.
Penelope Jane Ellis Davies, Associate Professor, Department of Art and Art History, University of Texas, Austin, specialising in the art and architecture of the Roman republic.
Gerard A A March Phillipps De Lisle, writer specialising in the history and antiquities of Leicestershire.
Jeanne-Nora Andrikopoulou-Strack, Director, Prospektion, Rheinisches Amt für Bodendenkmalpflege, director of excavations on Roman military and civil sites.
Neil Martin Faulkner, Features Editor, Current Archaeology, Director, Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project and co-director of the Great War Archaeology Group, specialising in late Roman Britain.

Presidential address 2008

In his Presidential address given on the occasion of the Society's Anniversary Meeting on 23 April 2008, Geoffrey Wainwright argued that it was right for the Society to be involved in the great debates of the day about public policy towards the heritage and said that we could do so from a position of independence. 'We are independent of government both intellectually and financially', he said; 'we are not beholden to vested interest groups, we are not party political and we are independent of mind. This has always enabled us to challenge the status quo and be intellectually stimulating. It has allowed us to offer platforms to controversial speakers and provided opportunities for their views to be challenged. We must ensure that this precious independence is maintained over the years to come enabling us to tackle ever more controversial issues and provide innovative solutions.' He particularly lamented the lack of progress on a road and visitor centre improvement scheme for the landscape around Stonehenge.

He also awarded the Society’s Medal (given annually by Council to those who have provided outstanding service to the Society or the aims of the Society) to Bernard Nurse in recognition of all that he has contributed to the Society as our Librarian for twenty years.

To mark the Tercentenary, the Society also awarded its Gold Medal, the highest accolade that this Society can bestow, to our Honorary Vice-President Rosemary Cramp, Emeritus Professor at the University of Durham, who was our President from 2001 to 2004. In presenting the medal, Professor Wainwright said that 'Rosemary is viewed with respect as well as affection by those with whom she has worked during her illustrious career at the University of Durham where she built up a modern archaeology department and trained three generations of students. She combines the skills of archaeologist, historian, art historian and Old English expert and her report on the excavations at the Wearmouth and Jarrow monastic sites appeared in 2005 and 2006. The successive volumes of the Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Sculpture have appeared regularly, in which she – as creator, author and editor – and the Corpus Team have produced a work of reference that will inform scholarship for decades to come.'

The full text of the President's address and the medal citations can be read here (Word file 57KB)

Women in the Heritage Day: 4 April 2008

HERitage Day HIStory made way for HERitage on 4 April 2008 when the Society of Antiquaries brought together over one-hundred archaeologists, curators, archivists and art and architectural historians to celebrate the contribution of women, past and present, to our knowledge and appreciation of heritage. Women representing all aspects of the sector took part including the granddaughter of archaeologist Tessa Verney Wheeler, one of the first women to be elected as a Fellow of the Society in 1921, and Beatrice di Cardi, aged 93 and still active in archaeology in the United Arab Emirates.

Also attending was Rt Hon Margaret Hodge, MBE, MP, the Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism, who said 'I am delighted that the Society of Antiquaries is drawing attention to the achievements of women through this event. Women have often struggled to get the recognition they deserve for the work they have done in enhancing society's knowledge and appreciation of heritage.'

Professor Rosemary Cramp, CBE, FSA, chairing the day-long seminar, said: 'Many of these women formed a supportive network as friends, and seized the opportunity to enter the "new" field of archaeology which had not already been exclusively claimed by men.'

Women were first admitted as Honorary Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries in 1920, and in 1921 the first women were elected as Fellows by ballot. Joan Evans, the first woman President of the Society, described these historic events in her History of the Society of Antiquaries, published in 1956:

‘On 19 February [1920] the President "reminded" the meeting that, under the Act [the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act], the Fellowship was now open to women and that it was therefore competent for Fellows to nominate women as candidates for election into the Society. At the Council of 25 February six ladies were chosen for nomination honoris causa: Mrs Eugenie Strong, Mrs Ella Armitage, Miss Gertrude Lowthian Bell, Miss Nina Frances Layard, Miss Rose Graham, and Miss Maud Sellers. Mrs Armitage and Miss Sellers refused the nomination: the others accepted. Mrs Strong and Miss Graham were put up for election honoris causa and elected on 3 June 1920: Miss Bell on 13 January and Miss Layard on 3 March 1921. The first women elected in the ordinary way were Mrs Reginald Lane Poole and Mrs Mortimer Wheeler.’

Society of Antiquaries celebrates Heritage Lottery Fund success

The Society of Antiquaries has been awarded almost £300,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to take material from its collections on tour to four major regional museums. The touring exhibition will build upon the much-praised 'Making History' exhibition, mounted at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2007 to celebrate the Society's Tercentenary. It will be hosted by the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, the Potteries Museum in Stoke-On-Trent, the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum and The Collection: Art and Archaeology in Lincolnshire.

The Society’s President, Geoff Wainwright, said, 'Following the success of our Tercentenary Exhibition at the Royal Academy this generous Heritage Lottery Fund grant will enable us to share the beauty and interest of our collections with others across the country and demonstrate to a wider audience the richness of our common heritage.'

The touring exhibition will, for the first time, enable public access outside London to one of the country’s most important historical collections of paintings, drawings, prints and artefacts. The project will involve local history and archaeology groups and underlines the Society’s commitment to creating learning opportunities and increasing public access to its rich collections and resources. A virtual exhibition will be hosted on the Society’s website and a series of publications will include a fully illustrated children’s timeline and guidebook.

Antiquaries in Europe: the role of national antiquarian societies today: 16 May 2008

Supported by English Heritage, this international colloquium to celebrate the Society's Tercentenary will take place on Friday 16 May 2008, from 9.30am to 5.30pm. It aims to provide an overview of the intersecting interests and future challenges for independent national heritage bodies (NGOs) in Europe today. By meeting together, we aim to initiate a more formal network of national independent heritage bodies with an eye to future international collaboration and joint initiatives.

The Colloquium will explore the current role of independent national Learned Societies working in the cultural heritage across Europe. Each participant will profile the history, governance, objectives and the work of their respective institution and its membership and will examine the current role of that institution in the national cultural heritage of that country and indeed on the international stage. Contributors include representatives of the The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, the Finnish Antiquarian Society, the Royal Academy of Archaeology of Belgium, the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, the Royal Archaeological Society of Tarragona, Spain, The Archaeological Society of Athens, and the Präsidium der Verbände für Altertumswissenschaften, Germany.

A presentation on the Society’s history and current role will take place on the previous evening, Thursday 15 May, followed by a wine reception. The full programme for both days can be downloaded here (Word file 73KB).

Tickets, including wine and refreshments, cost £15 (Fellows) / £25 (public) and are available from the Society (admin @ sal.org.uk).

Westminster Abbey Chapter House: its history, architecture and context: 4 and 5 July 2008

Booking has now closed: all places have been booked

Over the past decade, much research on the Chapter House and Pyx Chamber has been carried out, leading to some remarkable revelations, including the dating of a door in the vestibule to the reign of Edward the Confessor. This Society of Antiquaries Tercentenary Research Symposium will bring together the scholars involved to present the results of unpublished recent research and to assess our current knowledge of what the chronicler Matthew Paris described as ‘a chapter house beyond compare’, ranking as one of the spectacular achievements in Gothic architecture. Anglo Saxon Door

Co-hosted by the Society of Antiquaries and the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, with the support of English Heritage, the symposium will be held at the Society of Antiquaries and will be followed by visits to the Chapter House, Undercroft and Pyx Chamber before the event concludes with a reception in the Abbey Museum. If you would like to take part in the seminar, the conference fee is £40 for both days, £20 for a single day and the number of places is limited to 100. The full programme for both days can be downloaded here (Word file 41KB) and a booking form can be downloaded here (PDF file 102KB) for printing and posting back to the Society.

Newly elected Fellows: 28 February 2008

The Society is pleased to welcome the following as Fellows, all of whom were elected in the ballot held on 28 February 2008.

Richard Ovenden: Keeper of Special Collections and Associate Director of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, with research interests in English and Scottish antiquaries and book collectors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
Gerald Morgan: writer, formerly head teacher and lecturer, specialist in the history of Wales and Celtic Studies
Edward Sargent: Conservation Officer for Medway Council, Kent, with extensive experience in the conservation of historic buildings and the history and development of London Docks
Alan George Walmsley: Associate Professor in Islamic Archaeology and Art, Institute of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen, expert in the archaeology and history of the Early Islamic Near East
Emma Loosley: Lecturer in Art History, School of Arts, Histories and Cultures, The University of Manchester, specialist in Christian art, the archaeology of the Near and Middle East and monastic sites in Syria
Dieter Planck: Chairman of the German Limeskommission (formerly the Director of the State Archaeology Museum and the State Monuments Service of Baden-Württemberg), expert in the Roman period in Germany
Christopher James Rowe: Head of the Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Durham, a distinguished classicist who has made a substantial contribution to Hellenic studies
Michael Jeffrey Silverman: researcher and writer, editor of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association’s Handbook, whose research interests include the dating of Anglo-Saxon poetry
Geoffrey Bond: Master of the Guild of Art Scholars, Dealers and Collectors, Board Member of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
Simon Richard Houfe: historian and art historian, formerly editor of the Antique Collector, specialising in Victorian painters and illustrators
Jane Rowan McIntosh: Senior Research Associate, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Cambridge, researching the development of trade in the regions from Mesopotamia to the Indus basin in the fourth and third millennia BC
Trevor Foulds: Documentary Historian, Nottingham City Council, whose publications have made a substantial contribution to the study of the city and county of Nottingham
Rainer Wolfgang Grun: Professor of Earth Environment, Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, distinguished in the dating of archaeological sites and application of new dating techniques
Frederick Wilkinson: Arms and Armour Consultant who has published on firearms collections in the Royal Armouries and the Imperial War Museum
Timothy James Clayton: author and historian, specialist in eighteenth-century cultural and naval history and in engraved imagery and history of print trade; former Associate Editor for the Oxford DNB
Richard Silyn Kelly: Head of Sustainable Landscapes Section, Countryside Council for Wales, an archaeologist who has made a substantial contribution in raising awareness of the historic environment within Wales
Casper Johnson: County Archaeologist for East Sussex and an experienced field archaeologist who has led projects across southern England
David Anthony Stoker: writer, formerly Senior Lecturer at the University of Wales, who has made an important contribution to the study of the English provincial book trade in the eighteenth century
Peter Topping: Head of Archaeological Survey and Investigation, English Heritage, expert in field archaeology and landscape studies with publications on prehistoric landscapes in northern England
Peter Nicholas Poole-Wilson: Managing Director, Bernard Quaritch Ltd, who has played an important role internationally in advancing bibliographical studies and research
Gerallt David Nash: Senior Curator, St Fagans National History Museum, Cardiff, and an authority on traditional historic building practices and public structures in Wales
Matthew Reeve: Assistant Professor in Art and Architectural History, Department of Art History, Carleton University, Canada, a specialist in English medieval art and post-medieval antiquarianism
Anthony Charles Peers: Architectural Historian, Rodney Melville & Partners, Warwickshire, specialist in building conservation philosophy and repair techniques
Thomas Hugh Moore: Lecturer in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, specialist in the Iron Age archaeology of Britain and western Europe
Stephen David Church: Senior Lecturer in Medieval History, University of East Anglia, specialist in kingship and the exercise and perception of royal power.

Newly elected Fellows: 24 January 2008

The Society is pleased to welcome the following, all of whom were elected as Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries in the ballot held on 24 January 2008.

Kate Heard: Print Room Supervisor, Ashmolean Museum, Deputy Editor of the Journal of the History of Collections, and Honorary Conference Secretary of the British Archaeological Association.
Rosemary Hill: Writer and historian (author of God’s Architect: Pugin and the building of romantic Britain), Trustee of the London Library and of the Victorian Society.
Sally Stradling: Heritage consultant and occasional lecturer at Oxford and Warwick universities.
Martin Joseph Postle: Assistant Director, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, London, expert on Sir Joshua Reynolds.
Teresita Majewski: Associate Research Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, USA and Chief Operating Officer of Statistical Research, Inc.
Anthony Gerard Meehan Sinclair: Prehistorian and Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool.
David Parham: Senior Lecturer in Marine Archaeology, School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University with specialist interests in prehistoric seafaring and ship construction.
Neil Robert Thomas Bingham: Architectural Drawings Curator, Royal Academy of Arts.
Steven James Ashley: Archaeologist and armorist, Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers.
Robin Fleming: Professor of History, Boston College, Massachusetts, USA, specialising in the political history of Viking and Anglo-Norman England).
Simon Hancock: Historian and Curator of Haverfordwest Museum, Pembrokeshire, Chairman of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.
Robert Scourfield: Building Conservation Officer, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.
Simon Michael Dougal Gilmour: Director, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Vice-President of the Council for Scottish Archaeology, specialist in the Scottish Iron Age.
George Haggarty: Research Fellow, National Museum of Scotland, specialising in medieval pottery.
Jurgen Kunow: Director of the Rheinisches Amt für Bodendenkmalpflege, responsible for the State Heritage Agency of the Rhineland, President of the Association of German State Archaeologists.
Ricardo Joseph Elia: Chairman, Department of Archaeology, Boston University, Massachusetts, USA, specialist in archaeological heritage management.
Philip Abramson: Historic Advisor, Ministry of Defence, who has managed numerous excavations including Castleford Roman fort.
Keith Falconer: Head of Industrial Archaeology, English Heritage and Head of the RCHME Regional Office in Salisbury.
David Thomson: Archdeacon of Carlisle and Residentiary Canon of Carlisle Cathedral, adviser on the preservation and presentation of historic churches.
Jennifer Iris Rachel Montagu: art historian, Honorary Fellow of the Warburg Institute, Trustee of the British Museum, Officier des Arts et Lettres and Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.
Fiona Jane Seeley: Finds and Conservation Manager, awarded the John Gillam Prize for her contribution to Roman pottery studies.
Alastair McCapra: Chief Executive of The Institute of Conservation, specialist in early Islamic and early British imperial history.
Lisa Reilly: Professor of Architectural History, School of Architecture, University of Virginia, USA, expert on Romanesque buildings in England and Norman architecture in Sicily.
Dan Hicks: Lecturer and Curator, School of Archaeology, Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, specialising in historical archaeology, especially sugar estates in the eastern Caribbean.
John Gater: member of the ‘Time Team’, Archaeological Geophysicist with Geophysical Surveys of Bradford, known for his major contribution to the development of geophysical survey in archaeology.

Frankfurt Colloquium: 20 February 2008

As part of our Tercentenary celebrations, the Römisch-Germanischen Kommission and the Society of Antiquaries are hosting a joint one-day colloquium in Frankfurt am Main on Archaeology in central and north-west Europe in the twenty-first century: perspectives and challenges for international co-operation. The colloquium will take place at the Cafe im alten Literaturhaus, Bockenheimer Landstraße 102, Frankfurt am Main, from 9am to 6pm.

9am	Opening address: Geoffrey Wainwright (SAL) and Friedrich Lüth (RGK)
9.15am to 11.45am	Early Monumental Graves: Tim Darvill, Friedrich Lüth Iron Age Oppida: Colin Haselgrove
10.45am to 11.15am	Tea and coffee
11.15am to 12.45am	Iron Age Oppida: Vincent Guichard, Susanne Sievers, Natalie Venclová
12.45am to 1.30pm	Lunch
1.30pm to 3.30pm	Roman Frontiers: David Breeze, Siegmar von Schnurbein Early Medieval: David Gaimster
3.30pm to 4pm	Break
4pm to 6pm	Panel discussion Chair: Geoffrey Wainwright Panel: Herwig Friesinger (A), Hermann Parzinger (D), Willem Willems (NL), Stefanie Martin‐Kilcher (CH), Jean Bourgeois (B), Michel Reddé (F), Kristian Kristiansen (DK/S), Barry Raftery (IRL), Romuald Schild (PL)

The colloquium will be rounded off by a public lecture at 8pm, at the Senckenberg‐Museum, Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main given by Professor Lord Renfrew, FSA, on 'The dimensions of prehistory', followed by a reception at the Römisch‐Germanischen Kommission.

Fellows attending the event are invited to a celebratory Tercentenary dinner the evening before the colloquium, on February
19th, to be held in the Römerkeller in Frankfurt.

Fellows who have not received an invitation to the event and who would like to attend should send contact details to <info@sal300.de>.

The Stonehenge decision in full

A303 Stonehenge Improvement Scheme: the following statement was issued by Tom Harris, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Transport, on Thursday 6 December 2007.

'Making best use of taxpayers' money is essential in the allocation of funding to transport schemes. With that in mind the Government announced in 2005 that it planned to commission a review of options for the A303 Stonehenge improvement after a substantial increase in the estimated cost of the proposed 2.1km bored tunnel scheme. The approved budget for the scheme when it was taken to Public Inquiry in 2004 was £223m. The latest reported cost estimate is £540m which reflects a number of factors including unexpectedly poor ground conditions, more stringent requirements for tunnelling work and rapid inflation in construction costs.
'The review identified a shortlist of possible options, including routes to the north and south of Stonehenge. After careful consideration we have now concluded that due to significant environmental constraints across the whole of the World Heritage Site, there are no acceptable alternatives to the 2.1km bored tunnel scheme. However, when set against our wider objectives and priorities, we have concluded that allocating more than £500m for the implementation of this scheme cannot be justified and would not represent best use of taxpayers' money. I am today placing the final report of the Review on the department's website.
'I am therefore today withdrawing all the draft Orders which were considered at the Public Inquiry and I have instructed the Highways Agency to withdraw route protection for the complete scheme including the proposed bypass of Winterbourne Stoke.
'The Government recognises the importance of the A303 Stonehenge Improvement scheme and that today's announcement will come as a considerable disappointment for the scheme's supporters. The Highways Agency will investigate possible small scale improvements to the A303 as part of their overall stewardship of route. The department also plans to discuss with the South West region the implications of this decision for the wider strategy for improving the A303/A358 corridor to the M5 at Taunton.
'In addition, the department will work with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and English Heritage on their plans to take forward in consultation with other stakeholders a review of the World Heritage Site Management Plan and to consider alternative options for the development of new visitor facilities at Stonehenge in the light of our decision on the A303 improvement. This further work will include examination of the case for closing the junction of the A344 with the A303 as part of the investigation of options for improving the setting of Stonehenge, taking into account the wider heritage and environmental needs, to which the Government remains committed, for this iconic World Heritage site. The decision will be subject to a detailed assessment and public consultation, but we recognise the importance of this issue to the sustainability of the World Heritage Site.
'The Government remains committed to working with stakeholders in investigating options for improving the environment of Stonehenge, including new visitor facilities, and exploring possible small scale measures to improve traffic flows and safety along this section of the A303.'

In response, English Heritage issued the following statement:

'English Heritage is very disappointed that the 2.1km bored tunnel scheme for improvements to the A303 will not go ahead.

'The decision signals the end of the project championed by the DCMS and English Heritage over the last eight years which sought to improve both the landscape setting of Stonehenge and the visitor experience. The project, collectively decided upon by a range of national and regional stakeholders, was the best and most practical means by which the agreed vision for the Stonehenge World Heritage Site could have been achieved.

'However, it is encouraging that the Government recognises that improving the setting of the Stones and the visitor facilities is a priority. English Heritage will work closely with other stakeholders to look into alternative ways to achieve this.'

ICON condemns planned closure of the Textile Conservation Centre

ICON (the Institute for Conservation) has reacted with anger to the news that the Textile Conservation Centre at Southampton University is to close in 2009. ICON’s Chief Executive, Alastair McCapra, described the closure as ‘a serious assault on excellence, and a loss not just for the UK but on an international level, as there are so few centres of excellence in textile conservation anywhere in the world’.

Previously based at Hampton Court, the Textile Conservation Centre merged with the Winchester School of Art at the University of Southampton in 1998, and moved to a new purpose-designed building on the Winchester campus in the summer of 1999. Now Southampton has announced the closure of Winchester School of Art because it is not earning enough to be self-funding and to make a significant contribution to the central running costs of the university.

The Centre itself enjoys an excellent international reputation, attracting many students from outside the UK and sending 97 per cent of its graduates into conservation employment. ICON is supporting the efforts of the Textile Conservation Centre to find an alternative home.

ICON Chair, Simon Cane, said that: ‘The need for textile conservation is clear. At the moment the Victoria and Albert Museum is running a high-profile exhibition called “The Golden Age of Couture, Paris and London 1947–57”. Princess Diana’s gowns have just gone on display at Kensington Palace. The public want access to these fragile and perishable collections and unless they are stored, cared for and conserved properly, there will be nothing to see. If there are no skilled and trained conservators to do the work, public access will suffer.’

New Head of Library and Collections

The Society has appointed Heather Rowland, currently Librarian of the Religious Society of Friends, to succeed Bernard Nurse as our new Head of Library and Collections. Announcing the appointment, our General Secretary, David Gaimster, said: ‘Heather comes to us with a great track record in the management and development of library and archive services, having previously headed the Art and Architecture Library for Westminster (known amongst art historians as the best public library for the field in London) and having worked at the Arts Council of England. Heather will join us on 7 January 2008. Though Bernard retires at the end of 2007, we plan that he will stay with us for a short time in January to provide a handover.’

The Library of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), in Euston Road, London, is just thirty-four years older than our own Society, having been founded in 1673, with the aim of collecting ‘two copies of everything written by Quakers and one copy of everything written against them’. The library now has over 80,000 books and pamphlets, including a unique collection of seventeenth-century Quaker and anti-Quaker material.

William Morris treasures saved from floods

Floods 2 Prompt action by Kelmscott Manor's curatorial staff has ensured that unique works of art made by William Morris have been saved from flood damage at the Oxfordshire home of the arts and crafts movement founder. Tapestries, furniture and paintings were rescued as water lapped at the steps and seeped through the floor of the historic manor house, described in Morris's Utopian novel, News from Nowhere (1890), as 'the only house in England worth inhabiting'.

While the village of Kelmscott was rendered inaccessible by three feet of water, the Manor’s on-site managers, Jane Milne and Tristan Molloy, battled to raise heavy furniture onto pallets and move irreplaceable works to safety, including the important 'Cabbage and Vine' tapestry, woven entirely by Morris himself, and a portrait by Dante Gabriel Rossetti of Morris's wife, Jane, called 'The Blue Silk Dress'. Floods 1

Jane Milne said they had been helped enormously by residents from the village; in return Tristan Molloy toured the village in his homemade boat dispensing food from the Kelmscott cafe to neighbours who were left without electricity for several days as a result of the worst floods in the area that anyone in the village can remember.

David Gaimster, General Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries of London, which owns and manages the Manor, said: 'Clearly we won’t know the extent of any damage to the fabric of the building until a full assessment can be made, but everyone is very relieved that Jane and Tristan are safe and the collections have escaped damage'.

Because of damage to the house and outbuildings, and the need for extensive work to the floors and plasterwork, Kelmscott Manor will not be open again to vistors until spring 2008, and all events and tours planned for the remainder of 2007 are cancelled. Anyone intending to visit in 2008 should check for an update on this message by phoning the Kelmscott enquiries and bookings line (01367 252486), emailing (admin@kelmscottmanor.co.uk) or visiting our website (www.kelmscottmanor.org.uk).

Slavery

Slavery: buy now while stocks last

The Archaeology of Greek and Roman Slavery (2003), by the late F Hugh Thompson, FSA, has now sold out in the UK and second-hand copies cost in excess of £150. However the US distributor has six copies left at the bargain price of US$67.50, so if you are thinking of a copy, now is the time to place your order. Full details on the website of the distributor, International Publishers Marketing, 22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166, USA. Tel: 703-661-1586.

William Morris’s Kelmscott: landscape and history

Kelmscott launch Tuesday 8 May 2007 saw the launch of William Morris’s Kelmscott: landscape and history, published by Windgather Press (whose proprietor, Richard Purslow, is shown in our picture with Kate Owen, the Society's Publications Manager, outside the shop at Kelmscott Manor). Edited by Fellows Alan Crossley, Tom Hassall and Peter Salway, the book represents the fruits of the Kelmscott Landcape Project (KELP) established in 1996 to undertake a multi-disciplinary study of the parish that would also inform the Society’s management of Kelmscott Manor and its estate. Kelmscott book cover

The result is a book that embraces every aspect of Kelmscott, including the geology, prehistoric settlement on the Thames gravel terraces, field names and boundaries, the vernacular buildings, the church, the Manor and its garden, the people of the village and the rich legacy of art and furnishings that had its origin and inspiration in the village. This vivid portrait of Kelmscott serves both as a guide to house and village for those who want to go beyond the guidebook, and as a model of how to undertake and present a comprehensive study of a typical English landscape.

Presidential address

In his Presidential address given on the occasion of the Society's Anniversary Meeting on 25 April 2007, Professor Eric Fernie discussed what it means to be an 'antiquary' in the twenty-first century. He also awarded the Society’s Medal (given nnually by Council to those who have provided outstanding service to the Society or the aims of the Society) to Janet and Alan Frost for their contribution to the restoration of Kelmscott Manor, and the buildings of the wider estate. The full text of the President's address and the medal citation can be read here (Word file, 53KB).

Newly elected Fellows: 29 November 2007 ballot

The Society is pleased to welcome the following, all of whom were elected as Fellows in the ballot held on 29 November 2007.

As Honorary Fellows:

Arturo Carol Quintavalle: Director of the Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione at the University of Parma, author of books that have transformed our understanding of the architecture and sculpture of north Italy in the eleventh and twelfth centuries and organiser of annual conferences at the University of Parma that have become a fixture in the medievalist art historian’s calendar.
Sir David Frederick Attenborough: Naturalist, broadcaster, trustee of the British Museum for over twenty years and an active member of the Sutton Hoo Trust.

As Ordinary Fellows:

Caroline Shenton: Assistant Clerk of the Records, Parliamentary Archives, expert in the court of Edward III and the household and wardrobe accounts of the reign, currently researching book on the 1834 Great Fire of Westminster.
Monica Mary Jackson: Archaeologist, Department of Archaeology, University of Sydney, New South Wales, author of Hellenistic Gold Eros Jewellery (BAR Int Series 1510 (2006) and The Amisos Treasure (forthcoming)
Robert Weaver: Senior Assistant Master and Keeper of the Fellows’ Library at Dulwich College (the Rare Book Collection), lecturing widely on manuscripts and mounting exhibitions of palaeographical material at Harrow, Dulwich, Guildford and Oxford.
Nicholas John Cooper: Post-excavation Manager, University of Leicester Archaeological Services, author of The Archaeology of Rutland WaterThe Archaeology of the East Midlands (2006). Co-ordinator of the East Midlands Archaeological Research Framework.
(2000) and an edited volume on
Raimund Karl: Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Heritage, University of Wales Bangor, specialising in ‘Celtic’ social structures from the Iron Age to the early Middle Ages in continental Europe, Britain and Ireland, as well as Iron Age to early medieval chariotry, roads, travel and trade in central and western Europe, and central European Iron Age settlement archaeology.
Gabor Thomas: Lecturer in Late Antique/Early Medieval Archaeology, University of Reading, an expert on Middle and Late Anglo-Saxon ornamental metalwork, and on early-medieval settlement studies, carrying out fieldwork projects at Bishopstone and Lyminge.
Paul Raymond Latcham: Retired bookshop owner, editor of the Bookplate Journal, contributor to publications on bookplate art and history, author of DNB articles on military engineers.
Fiona Macintosh: Senior Research Fellow, Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama, University of Oxford, specialising in the reception of classical drama in the modern world, especially the impact of nineteenth-century excavations of ancient sites on the staging of ancient plays.
Simon Robert Key: Member of Parliament for Salisbury since 1983. Minister for the Environment 1990–2 with responsibility for listed buildings and Founder Minister at the Department of National Heritage responsible for Heritage Lottery Fund legislation. Director and trustee of Wessex Archaeology involved in the campaign to improve management of Stonehenge World Heritage Site.
Irene Stavros Lemos: Reader in Classical Archaeology, Oxford University, Director of the excavation of the major Late Bronze/Iron Age site at Lefkandi in Euboea with numerous monographs on Lefkandi and Ancient Greek topics.
Francisco Estrada-Belli: University Professor, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA, specialising in the archaeology of his native Guatemala, director of a major project at the lowland Maya city of Holmul and its dependencies of Cival and Sufricaya, where he has brought to light important mural paintings, ritual deposits and architectural sculptures.
Seiichi Suzuki: Professor of English and Germanic Studies, Kansai Gaidai University, Japan, author of books on Gothic philology, poetic metre and early Anglo-Saxon metalwork (The Quoit Brooch Style (2000) and Button Brooches (in press), both for Boydell Press).
Sonja Marzinzik: Curator, Insular Early Medieval Collections, British Museum, with a specialist interest in the archaeology of the early Anglo-Saxon period, and dress accessories.
Caron Egerton Newman: Archaeological consultant running her own archaeological consultancy, specialising in infrastructure projects and the application of GIS techniques to historic landscape analysis. Medieval period co-ordinator for the North West Regional Research Framework.
Brian Vincent: Honorary Fellow in the Department of Anthropology, University of Otago, a leader in the analysis of south-east Asian ceramics, author of volumes published by the Society on excavations at Khok Phanom Di, including the most comprehensive study of an Asian prehistoric pottery production centre ever published.
Richard Walter: Archaeologist, University of Otago, prominent in the archaeology of the Pacific, with extensive fieldwork in the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Niue and the Solomon Islands. His latest monograph on the archaeology of Watom Island, Papua New Guinea, with Professor Roger Green, is a landmark volume for Lapita studies.
Mike Nevell: Archaeologist, with a special interest in new methodological approaches to the archaeology of industrialisation and standing buildings.
Jackie Hall: Archaeologist, specialising in monastic and ecclesiastical building analysis, and the assessment and analysis of loose stonework. Council Member of the BAA, Assistant Editor to the Society for Church Archaeology and Consultant Cathedral Archaeologist at Peterborough since 2005.
Hendrik Johannes Louw: Historian of architecture and construction, School of Architecture, University of Newcastle, former President, European Association for Architectural Education and Chairman of Construction History Society. Co-author of the definitive history of the origin of the sash window with major contributions to the history of building construction and the relations between Dutch and English architecture.
Mark Wycliff Samuel: Architectural Archaeologist and an expert in recording and analysing British architecture of Roman to nineteenth-century date, with special expertise in medieval masonry.
Michael Norman Morris: Chester City Archaeologist, whose work has resulted in the publication of a number of monographs on the archaeology of Chester and the recent successful joint excavation project of the Chester amphitheatre with English Heritage.
Julian Stewart Thomas: Professor of Archaeology, University of Manchester, author of Rethinking the Neolithic (1991), Time, Culture and Identity (1996) and Archaeology and Modernity (2004). Director of archaeological excavations of Neolithic and later prehistoric sites in Dumfries and Galloway (published as Place and Memory in 2007) and co-director of the Stonehenge Riverside Project.

Newly elected Fellows: 1 November 2007 ballot

The Society is pleased to welcome the following, all of whom were elected as Fellows in the ballot held on 29 November 2007.

Elaine Morris: University researcher at the Centre for Applied Archaeological Analysis, University of Southampton; renowned specialist in later prehistoric European ceramics.
Elizabeth Bartman: Associate scholar of the Courtauld Research Forum and a specialist in Roman sculpture; author of Ancient Sculptural Copies in Miniature and Portraits of Livia.
Roger Matthews: Professor of Archaoloogy, UCL Institute of Archaeology, former Director, British School of Archaeology in Iraq and British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara with extensive publications on the archaeology of the ancient Near East.
Ian Dungavell: Director, The Victorian Society, Hon Sec of the Joint Committee of the National Amenity Societies; editor, with David Crellin, of Architecture and Englishness 1880-1914.
Mark White: Senior Lecturer, Department of Archaeology, Durham University; prehistoric archaeologist specializing in the British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic; author of influential articles on Acheulian, Clactonian, and Levallois tool technologies and their implications for early human behaviour.
Jeremy Tanner: Lecturer in Classical Archaeology, UCL Institute of Archaeology; author of The Invention of Art History in Ancient Greece.
Susan Alcock: Director of the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology, Brown University, US: author of books on Graecia Capta: The Landscapes of Roman Greece and Archaeologies of the Greek Past: Landscape, Monuments and Memory; co-director of the Pylos Regional Archaeological Project, studying Classical, Roman and Ottoman Messenia.
Michael Hill: Architectural Historian; co-author of Cotswold Stone Homes, a guide to their history and conservation, of The Country Houses of Gloucestershire Vol 3: 1830-2000 (with Nicholas Kingsley, FSA) and of Dorset country houses for the same series.
Janet Huskinson: Reader in Classical Studies, Open University; authority on Roman and early-Christian art, author of Roman Sculpture from Cyrenaica in the British Museum, Roman Sculpture from Eastern England and Roman Children's Sarcophagi.
Pamela Jane Smith: Affiliated Scholar, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, specialist in the development of archaeology as an academic discipline, creator of an oral history archive of interviews with more than 150 individuals concerned with the evolution of archaeology in the twentieth century.
David Went: Archaeologist with English Heritage's archaeological survey team in York with publications on early churches, Martello towers, historic parks and new approaches to heritage management.
D'Arcy Boulton: Professor of Medieval History, The Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame, specialising in the field of nobiliary culture and institutions, especially knighthood, knightly orders and heraldic emblems and insignia, author of The Knights of the Crown, which laid the groundwork for the study of monarchical orders.
Karim Arafat: Reader in Classical Archaeology and Director of the Centre of Hellenic Studies, Department of Classics, King's College London, author of Classical Zeus: a study in art and literature and Pausanias' Greece: ancient artists and Roman rulers.
Vedia Izzet: Lecturer at University of Southampton; specialist in Etruscan archaeology, with published fieldwork at Cerveteri; author of The Archaeology of Etruscan Society.
Richard Palmer: Librarian and Archivist, Lambeth Palace Library, London; author of books and articles on the history of Venice and northern Italy and two major catalogues: Hunterian Society records relating to John Hunter and Western manuscripts in the Wellcome Library.
Fergus Gillespie: Chief Herald of Ireland and an expert in Irish heraldry, language, culture and history.
Eva Panagiotakopulu: University Lecturer, Edinburgh, with extensive experience of archaeology in Egypt, Greece and the North Atlantic islands, specialising in the use of insect remains in the interpretation of archaeological environments.
Simon Jaggard: Head of Upper School, St Georges School, Cologne, Freeman and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers, a specialist in the art historical collections of that company and an authority on the works of Alfred Stevens.
Judith Goodison: Furniture Historian, co-author of English Furniture 1500-1840 and author of Thomas Chippendale the Younger at Stourhead. Trustee of the Handel House Museum and Director of the Academy of Ancient Music.
Raymond Howell: Reader in History and Archaeology, University of Wales; author of Fedw Villages, A History of Gwent, Celtic Wales (with Miranda Aldhouse-Green, FSA), The Romans in Wales and a regular contributor to Archaeology in Wales, Medieval Archaeology and Studia Celtica.
Nicholas Hardwick: Numismatist, Museum Curator and Honorary Associate, University of Sydney, Australia; specialist in ancient Greek coinage and related subjects in classical art and archaeology, author of papers on the coinage of Chios and Terone (ancient Torone).
Caroline Knight: Independent scholar, researcher and lecturer specialising in the architecture and history of Kensington Palace, the Cecils and Dutch and Flemish architects in Britain.
John Hargreaves: Retired Head of Humanities, Batley Girls’ High School; former President of the Halifax Antiquarian Society and editor of its Transactions, author of Halifax: the definitive history.
Kris Lockyear: Lecturer in Archaeology, UCL Institute of Archaeology; numismatist and specialist in the Roman archaeology of the Balkans and statistical applications in archaeology. Director of excavations at Noviodunum (Romania).
John Barnatt: Senior Survey Archaeologist for the Peak District National Park Authority and Conservation Officer for the Peak District Mines Historical Society, specialist in the archaeological landscapes of the Pennines and the Peak lead mines.

Newly elected Fellows: 11 October 2007 ballot

The Society is pleased to welcome the following, all of whom were elected as Fellows in the ballot held on 29 November 2007.

Simon Buteux, Research Fellow, University of Birmingham, former Director of the university’s field archaeology unit now running the National Ice Age Network and working on a new research framework for the British Palaeolithic.
Niall Brady, Director of the Medieval Rural Settlement Project, Discovery Programme, Dublin, who has published widely on medieval agrarian archaeology and medieval settlement.
Sheila Raven, Archaeological Research Assistant, Department of Continuing Education, manager of the current Marcham (Frilford) training excavation, assistant to Rupert Bruce-Mitford, editor and contributor to his Corpus of Late Celtic Hanging Bowls (2005).
Brigitte Bedos-Rezak, Professor of History, New York University, and a leading international authority on medieval European seals and their administrative, cultural and symbolic significance.
Michael Anderson, numismatic scholar with a detailed knowledge of the currency of South America, particularly the social and economic background and with special reference to the coinage of Ecuador.
Peter Didsbury, archaeologist, specialist in the Iron Age to post-medieval ceramics of East Yorkshire and the Humber region and a major contributor to Wharram Percy monographs.
Fred Scott Kleiner, Professor of Art History and Archaeology, Boston University, specialising in the study of Roman architecture and art, notably on imperial votive and triumphal arches, author of A History of Roman Art (2007) and Art and Politics in Imperial Rome (CUP, forthcoming).
Chris Gosden, Professor of European Archaeology, University of Oxford, author of important work on Pacific and European Prehistory, archaeological theory, and the archaeology of colonialism, currently leading a major AHRC-funded research project on British Iron Age art.
Ian Leith, photographer with the National Monuments Record, specialist in photographic history, and in the study and conservation of public sculpture through his work with the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association and the Sculpture Journal.
Friedrich Luth, Director, Romische-Germanishe Kommission of the Deutsches Archeologisches Institute, a leading authority on the north European Bronze Age, and has played a key role in the development of underwater archaeology in Germany.
Philip Freeman, University Lecturer, University of Liverpool, with a distinguished record of fieldwork in the UK, Jordan, Turkey and the Crimea, co-organizer of the Limes Congress in Jordan in 2000 and author/ editor of numerous publications.
Martin Bridge, University Lecturer and expert on the use of tree-ring widths as a means of dating historic timbers, author of numerous papers on dendrochronology in Medieval Archaeology and Vernacular Architecture.
Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator, Historic Royal Palaces, architectural historian, author of The Architectural Patronage of William Cavendish, first Duke of Newcastle, 1593 – 1676 (2004) and Cavalier: a biography of the household of William Cavendish, first Duke of Newcastle (2007).
Nicholas Stoodley, Archaeological Consultant and a specialist in early Anglo-Saxon archaeology, in particular in the fields of gender and the lifecycle.
Jeremy Haselock, Clerk in Holy Orders, Residentiary Canon, Precentor and Vice Dean of Norwich, specialising in medieval art and architecture, particularly medieval glass.
John Reay, Senior Manager, Bodleian Library, historian, writer and lecturer specialising in naval history, author of works on the Royal Navy in Catalonia during the Peninsular War, Nelson and the Admiralty.
Thomas Mannack, Reader in Classical Iconography, Beazley Archive, Oxford University, internationally recognised expert in Greek vase painting and director of the database published by the Beazley Archive.
Matthew Slocombe, Deputy Secretary, Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, architectural historian and the SPAB caseworker since 1991; previously caseworker for the Georgian Group.
Cyprian Broodbank, Senior Lecturer in Aegean Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology, director of the Kythera Island Project, with extensive publications on Aegean prehistory, especially An Island Archaeology of the Early Cyclades (CUP 2001).
Susan Hamilton, Reader in Later European Prehistory, Institute of Archaeology, specialist in landscape archaeology and in later British prehistory, especially ceramics, co-director of the Tavoliere-Gargano Prehistory Project, Southern Italy.
Stephen Bond, archaeologist and chartered building surveyor, joint course director of the postgraduate Conservation of the Historic Environment programme at the College of Estate Management, University of Reading.
Gabriele Cifani, Lecturer, University of Rome, specialist in archaic and mid-Republican architecture in Rome, patterns of settlement in central Italy and the Romanisation of North Africa.
David Wilson, Solicitor of the Supreme Court, Chartered Secretary, Director and Chief Executive, The Wordsworth Trust, author of seminal articles on 18th- and 19th-century art and history, particularly sculpture.
Madeleine Hummler, Reviews Editor, Antiquity, specialist in the European Iron Age and the prehistory of Sutton Hoo.
Robert Hunter, former Curator of Ceramics, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Collections, now editor of Ceramics in America, proprietor of Period Designs and author of numerous papers on early American ceramics.
Simon Buteux, Research Fellow, University of Birmingham, former Director of the university’s field archaeology unit now running the National Ice Age Network and working on a new research framework for the British Palaeolithic.
Niall Brady, Director of the Medieval Rural Settlement Project, Discovery Programme, Dublin, who has published widely on medieval agrarian archaeology and medieval settlement.
Sheila Raven, Archaeological Research Assistant, Department of Continuing Education, manager of the current Marcham (Frilford) training excavation, assistant to Rupert Bruce-Mitford, editor and contributor to his Corpus of Late Celtic Hanging Bowls (2005).
Brigitte Bedos-Rezak, Professor of History, New York University, and a leading international authority on medieval European seals and their administrative, cultural and symbolic significance.
Michael Anderson, numismatic scholar with a detailed knowledge of the currency of South America, particularly the social and economic background and with special reference to the coinage of Ecuador.
Peter Didsbury, archaeologist, specialist in the Iron Age to post-medieval ceramics of East Yorkshire and the Humber region and a major contributor to Wharram Percy monographs.
Fred Scott Kleiner, Professor of Art History and Archaeology, Boston University, specialising in the study of Roman architecture and art, notably on imperial votive and triumphal arches, author of A History of Roman Art (2007) and Art and Politics in Imperial Rome (CUP, forthcoming).
Chris Gosden, Professor of European Archaeology, University of Oxford, author of important work on Pacific and European Prehistory, archaeological theory, and the archaeology of colonialism, currently leading a major AHRC-funded research project on British Iron Age art.
Ian Leith, specialist in photographic history and in the study and conservation of public sculpture through his work with the National Monuments Record, the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association and the Sculpture Journal.
Friedrich Luth, Director, Romische-Germanishe Kommission of the Deutsches Archeologisches Institute, a leading authority on the north European Bronze Age, and has played a key role in the development of underwater archaeology in Germany.
Philip Freeman, University Lecturer, University of Liverpool, with a distinguished record of fieldwork in the UK, Jordan, Turkey and the Crimea, co-organizer of the Limes Congress in Jordan in 2000 and author/ editor of numerous publications.
Martin Bridge, University Lecturer and expert on the use of tree-ring widths as a means of dating historic timbers, author of numerous papers on dendrochronology in Medieval Archaeology and Vernacular Architecture.
Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator, Historic Royal Palaces, architectural historian, author of The Architectural Patronage of William Cavendish, first Duke of Newcastle, 1593 – 1676 (2004) and Cavalier: a biography of the household of William Cavendish, first Duke of Newcastle (2007).
Nicholas Stoodley, Archaeological Consultant and a specialist in early Anglo-Saxon archaeology, in particular in the fields of gender and the lifecycle.
Jeremy Haselock, Clerk in Holy Orders, Residentiary Canon, Precentor and Vice Dean of Norwich, specialising in medieval art and architecture, particularly medieval glass.
John Reay, Senior Manager, Bodleian Library, historian, writer and lecturer specialising in naval history, author of works on the Royal Navy in Catalonia during the Peninsular War, Nelson and the Admiralty.
Thomas Mannack, Reader in Classical Iconography, Beazley Archive, Oxford University, internationally recognised expert in Greek vase painting and director of the database published by the Beazley Archive.
Matthew Slocombe, Deputy Secretary, Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, architectural historian and the SPAB caseworker since 1991; previously caseworker for the Georgian Group.
Cyprian Broodbank, Senior Lecturer in Aegean Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology, director of the Kythera Island Project, with extensive publications on Aegean prehistory, especially An Island Archaeology of the Early Cyclades (CUP 2001).
Susan Hamilton, Reader in Later European Prehistory, Institute of Archaeology, specialist in landscape archaeology and in later British prehistory, especially ceramics, co-director of the Tavoliere-Gargano Prehistory Project, Southern Italy.
Stephen Bond, archaeologist and chartered building surveyor, joint course director of the postgraduate Conservation of the Historic Environment programme at the College of Estate Management, University of Reading.
Gabriele Cifani, Lecturer, University of Rome, specialist in archaic and mid-Republican architecture in Rome, patterns of settlement in central Italy and the Romanisation of North Africa.
David Wilson, Solicitor of the Supreme Court, Chartered Secretary, Director and Chief Executive, The Wordsworth Trust, author of seminal articles on 18th- and 19th-century art and history, particularly sculpture.
Madeleine Hummler, Reviews Editor, Antiquity, specialist in the European Iron Age and the prehistory of Sutton Hoo.
Robert Hunter, former Curator of Ceramics, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Collections, now editor of Ceramics in America, proprietor of Period Designs and author of numerous papers on early American ceramics.

Newly elected Fellows: 7 June 2007 ballot

The Society is pleased to welcome the following, all of whom were elected as Fellows in the ballot held on 29 November 2007.

Professor Doctor Johann Michael Fritz as Honorary Fellow (specialist in medieval and post-medieval silver and jewellery)
Susan Oosthuizen (Director for Community Education and Outreach at the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education, Vice-Chair of the Universities' Association for Lifelong Learning and President of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society)
Revd Robin Griffith-Jones (Master of the Temple Church in London, New Testament scholar and historian of the early church)
John Arthur Davies (Chief Curator and Keeper of Archaeology within Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service and a noted Roman coin specialist)
Birgitta Hoffmann (Honorary Research Associate at Liverpool University’s School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, and an expert on ancient, especially Roman, glass)
Mark Bowis (jewellery historian and Associate Director, Jewellery Department, Christie's)
Peter Charles Nicholas Stewart (Senior Lecture in Classical Art and its Heritage, Courtauld Institute, and specialist in ancient Roman art)
Simon Paul Burnell (archaeology and history editor and scholar in the field of Merovingian archaeology and history)
David Barrett (County Archaeologist for Derbyshire)
Alistair James Peter Campbell (medical practitioner with expertise in numismatics and silver whose important collection of Chester silver is on permanent loan at the Grosvenor Museum)
Ida Susanne Bangert (Research Assistant, Dept of Antiquities, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, working on the Leverhulme-funded Sir John Evans Centenary Project)
Heather Mary Jacqueline Jackson (Deputy Director of Excavations at Jebel Khalid on the Euphrates in northern Syria)
Stephen Edmund Dudley Fortescue (retired solicitor, local historian and Vice President of the Surrey Archaeological Society, for whom he was honorary legal adviser for many years)
Ian Patrick McClure (Director, Hamilton Kerr Institute, expert on the conservation of English medieval panel painting)
Thierry Crépin-Leblond (Director of the Musée National de la Renaissance, Château d'Ecouen, France, and a leading historian of French Renaissance art and architecture)
Susan Davina Mary Jenkins (Senior Curator, English Heritage, responsible for Apsley House and for curatorial research strategy)
Alan Thomas Howarth (Lord Howarth of Newport) (Minister for the Arts 1998–2001, Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Archaeology Group, Vice-President of the All-Party Arts and Heritage Group)
Alexandra Katharina Maria Gajewski (independent scholar, specialist in the history of ecclesiastical architecture in Burgundy and Champagne 1100–1300, with a special interest in the Cistercians)
Jeremy Adam Ashbee (Head Properties Curator, English Heritage, and a specialist in castle studies)
Peter Michael Meadows (archivist and architectural historian, Under Librarian, Dept of Manuscripts, Cambridge University Library, since 1990, Keeper of the Ely Diocesan and Chapter Archives)
Adrian James Webb (Research Manager for UK Hydrographic Office Archives, member of the Council of the Naval Records Society and of the Somerset Archaeological and Record Societies)
Anthony Dudley Beckles Willson (independent scholar, authority on Alexander Pope’s life, in particular his contribution to garden history and landscape design)
Sabrina Harcourt-Smith (freelance art historian, research assistant to Sir Nikolaus Pevsner on several Buildings of England volumes, currently completing field work in Surrey for the Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland)
Julian Marcus Luxford (University Lecturer, School of Art History, University of St Andrews, specialist in the art and architecture of English Benedictine monasteries 1300–1540)
Rose Cleary (archaeologist, University College, Cork, outstanding contributor to Irish archaeology, excavator of Lough Gur since 1977).

David Starkey launches Tercentenary lecture series

St James’s Church, Piccadilly, London, designed by Christopher Wren and consecrated in 1684 - just twenty-three years before the Society of Antiquaries was founded - was packed to capacity on 26 September 2007 when Fellow David Starkey gave a lecture on the them of 'The Antiquarian Endeavour', to launch the Society of Antiquaries' Tercentenary lecture series.

David reminded his audience that it was no coincidence that the Society of Antiquaries was formed in December 1707, in the same year that had, on 1 May, seen the Union of England and Scotland; scholars of the day were asking themselves ‘what is this new state called Britain, and what does its history look like?'. The Society was, for 150 years after its creation, the only body to take the British past seriously when the British Museum and the National Gallery treated Britain as a minor provincial diversion out of the great cultural highway of Europe. There were then no classifications of material into phased and dated typographies, no British Library, National Gallery or National Portrait Gallery: the Society acted as a universal repository and its Fellows began the process of naming, ordering and cataloguing the material past into the chronologies that we use today.

Commenting on the role of the antiquary today, he said that the Society was an evangelical body, standing up for the study of the past. 'It is the accumulated evidence of human skill and culture that we address', he said: 'Rootedness matters just as much as future destinations'.

‘Making History: Antiquaries in Britain, 1707—2007’

Royal Academicians, Fellows and distinguished guests from the worlds of heritage and culture thronged the Royal Academy’s exhibition rooms on 11 September for the official launch of the Society’s special Tercentenary exhibition. The Society’s Royal Patron, HRH The Duke of Gloucester (in the centre of the picture on the right) toured the exhibition with Royal Academy President, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw (far right) and the Royal Academy's new Secretary, Fellow Charles Saumarez Smith (back right) and said that the Society was one of the UK’s great institutions of learning and scholarship and praised its role in ‘transforming history from mush to precision’.

Our President, Geoff Wainwright (on the left), thanked all those who had contributed to the making of the exhibition and its splendid catalogue, 'the publication that our collections have always deserved but never achieved until now, doing full justice to a collection that is of immense significance in recording milestones in the discovery, interpretation and communication of Britain’s past.'

Geoff’s comments were echoed many times throughout the evening by guests astonished at the collection’s richness and diversity, and even those Fellows who could already claim familiarity with some of the paintings and objects saw them in an entirely new light, cleaned, conserved and displayed to great advantage in the splendid setting of the Royal Academy.