On 28 February, Current Archaeology Live! returned to UCL’s Institute of Education, near Russell Square in London, for a day filled with talks sharing the latest archaeological news from the UK and further afield. Organised in partnership with the UCL Institute of Archaeology, the event featured speakers covering prehistory to the present day, and encompassing excavations, archaeological science, and pioneering individuals. We also heard the results of the annual CA Awards (see below), which this year were presented by Natasha Billson, archaeologist and presenter of The Great British Dig.
This year’s conference began with Professor Kevin MacDonald (UCL Institute of Archaeology), who offered us a thought-provoking opening talk that began in West Africa and ended with discussions of Roman villas and an intriguing burial in rural Suffolk. We next heard from Dr Tatiana Ivleva (Newcastle University) and Dr Rebecca Jones (National Museums Scotland), whose timely presentation highlighted a number of women who made invaluable contributions to the evolution of Romano-British studies, but whose names have faded from popular memory (see CA 427 to read more about this ongoing research). This talk was accompanied by a colourful banner exhibition that was displayed outside the lecture hall throughout the event. Concluding the first session was Dr Sophia Adams (British Museum), who was our enthusiastic guide to the remarkable contents of the Melsonby Hoard, one of the largest Iron Age metalwork hoards yet found in the UK (CA 423; an open-access article about the hoard has also been recently published in Antiquity: https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2026.10311).
Travel troubles for one of our speakers sparked a swift reorganisation of the timetable, with a shortened Session 2 sending audience members to their lunchbreak half an hour early, before returning for a ‘bonus length’ Session 3, hosting four talks. Our middle session began with a trip to ancient Egypt, courtesy of Professor Aidan Dodson (University of Bristol), who offered intriguing insights into the interplay between written and archaeological evidence. Sending our delegates off to lunch in fitting style – with a thirst for knowledge and possibly something stronger – Derek Alexander (National Trust for Scotland) then gave an engaging presentation about the archaeology of early (and sometimes illicit) whisky-making in the Highlands (CA 416 and CA 421).
Our extended Session 3 commenced with an absorbing overview of the world of environmental archaeology by Naomi Sewpaul (Time Team/Allen Archaeology Ltd), followed by Professor Andrew Gardner (UCL Institute of Archaeology), who gave us an illuminating presentation about the excavation of a legionary storehouse at Caerleon Roman Fortress (CA 429). Moving from one power centre to another, we then heard from Professor Sarah Semple (Durham University), whose exciting talk shared some of the latest findings from Anglo-Saxon Yeavering (see CA 432 for an overview of the famous excavations on this site in the 1950s and 1960s, and watch this space for an article from Sarah, covering the most recent work there, later this year). Ending with a very contemporary seat of power, our final talk of the session was given by Diane Abrams (Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal) and Dr Claire Harris (MOLA), whose impressively comprehensive presentation explored 6,000 years of archaeological remains that have been uncovered during works at the Houses of Parliament (watch this space for a future feature about these discoveries, too).
Finally, this year’s keynote lecture was given by Professor David Breeze, co-author (with Brian Dobson) of Hadrian’s Wall, the seminal account of the eponymous frontier fortification, which this year marks the 50th anniversary of its publication. David shared an enthralling account of his life and career, as well as a wealth of insights into how our understanding of Hadrian’s Wall has evolved over the decades.
Grateful thanks to our partner, the UCL Institute of Archaeology; to UCL’s Institute of Education for hosting us; to Andante Travels, Wessex Insurance Brokers Ltd, Udig Excavations Ltd, and the Royal Archaeological Institute for sponsoring this year’s CA Awards; to Hidden History Travel for sponsoring the CWA photo competition; to our excellent speakers; to our ever-helpful volunteers; and to everyone in the Archaeology Fair. Thanks, too, to all who came along, or joined in online via our live-tweets (which you can find on Bluesky and X by searching for #CALive26). We are still finalising the date of next year’s conference, but watch this space for an update in the near future.
Current Archaeology Awards 2026
The winners of the CA Awards, which recognise the people, projects, and publications that have made an outstanding contribution to archaeology, were announced by Natasha Billson at the end of the conference. The giant arrowheads adorning the trophies were made by Dr James Dilley of AncientCraft; if you would like to read about how they were created, click here! Thank you to all who voted. There was also a separate award judged and presented by Adam Stanford for Current World Archaeology’s Photo of the Year.
Archaeologist of the Year
(sponsored by Andante Travels)
Dr Jane Kershaw
‘I’m completely amazed even to be nominated – thank you to the School of Archaeology at Oxford, and to everyone who voted for me, it is an honour to be nominated alongside such distinguished colleagues.’
Research Project of the Year
(sponsored by Wessex Insurance Brokers Ltd)
Fit for an emperor? Excavating a monumental building from Roman Carlisle (Uncovering Roman Carlisle/Carlisle Cricket Club/SLR/Cumberland Council)
Accepting the award alongside other members of the team, Nick Henderson of Cumberland Council, who has been involved in the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project since 2019, said: ‘Thanks to everyone, to our very generous donors who have supported us, to our volunteers who come through every season, and to everyone who has made such a huge effort behind the scenes.’ Project Director Frank Giecco added: ‘And a big shout-out to Carlisle Cricket Club – a huge thank you from me.’
Rescue Project of the Year
(sponsored by Udig Excavations Ltd)
The Melsonby Hoard: Exploring unprecedented insights into Iron Age Yorkshire (Durham University/ British Museum/Historic England)
Accepting the award alongside other members of the project, British Museum Curator Dr Sophia Adams said: ‘Thank you to everyone who voted. It is a wonderful surprise to be awarded Rescue Project of the Year for what has been a tremendous experience collaborating with the finder Peter Heads, Durham University, Historic England, and the British Museum. The success of the Melsonby project is down to the dedication and diligence of everyone involved.’
Book of the Year
(sponsored by the Royal Archaeological Institute)
An Irish Civil War Dugout: Tormore Cave, County Sligo by Marion Dowd, Robert Mulraney, and James Bonsall
Accepting the award, James Bonsall said: ‘Thanks very much to all those who voted for us, to our publishers, and to the people of Sligo who really helped us put the project together.’
Current World Archaeology Photo of the Year
(sponsored by Hidden History Travel)
Savatra Ancient City – Tahir Ceylan
Excavating West Sussex