Current Archaeology’s June Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home

This article is from Current Archaeology issue 436

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FESTIVALS

Trimontium Roman & Iron Age Festival

Trimontium Fort Site, Newstead
1 August
http://www.trimontium.co.uk

At this full-day festival, experience living history with Roman military re enactments and Iron Age communities bringing the ancient world of southern Scotland to life. Explore traditional craft demonstrations, workshops, performances, and guided walks of the fort site. Selected vendors, including food and drink, will be available throughout the day, alongside opportunities to try your hand at participative archaeology, explore artefact-handling, and engage in informal conversation with the curatorial and archaeological teams about current projects and discoveries.

York Georgian Festival

Across York
6-10 August 
http://www.mansionhouseyork.com/york-georgian-festival

This is the fourth annual festival celebrating 18th-century life in York, brought to you by York Mansion House. There is a full programme of events over the five-day event, including tours, talks, workshops, and a promenade through the city led by the re-enactors of His Majesty’s 33rd Regiment of Foot. On Saturday 8 August, there will be a Georgian Masquerade Ball at the Grand Assembly Rooms. Many of the events are free but a few, including the Ball, are not; please look at the programme for details of how to book individual events and for the full price list. 

Festival of Essex Archaeology and Heritage 2026

Cressing Temple Barns, Essex
23 July 
http://www.explore-essex.com/whats-on/festival-of-essex-archaeology

After a successful first year, the Festival of Essex Archaeology and Heritage will return this July with a full line-up of events and a host of exhibitors. Meet the country’s leading heritage experts and learn about some of the most-exciting recent discoveries in the county. There will be re-enactments, children’s activities, talks, tours, and stalls, as well as a birds of prey display by Eden Falconry. This is a free event but some of the talks need to be booked in advance via the website above. 

CONFERENCE

‘Filth and Health’: hygiene and sanitation in the Middle Ages 

Great Hall at Barts Hospital, London
26 June
http://www.thebaa.org/events/conference-on-filth-and-health-hygiene-and-sanitation-in-the-middle-ages

The British Archaeological Association, along with the Friends of Barts Heritage and the Friends of Great St Bartholomew, are hosting this one-day conference in memory of Professor Peter Fergusson, as well as to raise funds for new toilets at the church of Great St Bartholomew. The event is therefore fittingly themed around medieval health and hygiene. Over the course of the day, hear from distinguished experts in the field, including Dr Piers Mitchell from the University of Cambridge and Dr Jeremy Ashbee from English Heritage. Tickets are £30.  

LECTURE

‘Lost Landscapes’, Castle Bromwich in medieval England

Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens
24 July
http://www.castlebromwichhallgardens.org.uk/calendar/lost-landscapes-castle-bromwich-in-medieval-england

Why is it Castle Bromwich? This illustrated talk by archaeologist Dr Mike Hodder of the University of Birmingham will describe the excavations of the motte-and-bailey castle that took place before the Collector Road was built. He will explain the site’s setting and compare it with other castles and manor houses in the West Midlands and beyond. Tickets cost £5 and include entry to the Gardens for the day; the event is free for Annual Pass holders. 

HERITAGE FROM HOME

VIRTUAL VISITS

• Caritas Sonrientes: smiling figurines of Mexico  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCpYGQIZdDQ

This online exhibition from the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology considers the smiling figurines, known as caritas sonrientes, of Mexico.

• Archaeology Explore

http://www.archaeologyexplore.org 

This new immersive digital platform, created by the Council for British Archaeology using Geovey, allows you to explore local archaeology by following live maps outdoors or entirely online. 

• The Surrey Diggers Trail

http://www.elmbridgemuseum.org.uk/surrey-diggers-trail

The Diggers were a radical group that emerged across Elmbridge in the mid-1600s. This online trail and exhibition highlights their legacy.  

• Celtic Art across the Ages

http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/exhibitions/6342/celtic-art-across-the-ages

These resources from the Harvard Art Museum offer a series of online talks from the curatorial team about how they put together an exhibition exploring Celtic creativity and artistic legacies. 

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

• The Rock Art Podcast

http://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/rockart

Hosted by Dr Alan Garfinkel, this podcast explores the fascinating world of Indigenous rock art across North America and beyond.      

• Stonehenge: access all areas

http://www.youtube.com/@julianrichards1483 

Enjoy this new series of films about Stonehenge, with archaeologist and broadcaster Dr Julian Richards as your guide. 

• The Race for Ancient Egypt in Colour

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-race-for-ancient-egypt-in-colour

Watch this Channel 4 documentary, which reveals the dramatic, untold story of the competitive hunt for ancient artefacts between the World Wars.  

• Medieval Britain and the Wider World c.400-1500: exploring the global Middle Ages

http://www.pace.cam.ac.uk/courses/medieval-britain-and-wider-world-c400-1500-exploring-global-middle-ages

This online short course from the University of Cambridge (6 July-23 August) will explore the evidence for interactions between medieval Brtain and the wider world. 

ONLINE-ONLY EVENTS

• Using Smells in Museums: an international themed smell day 

http://www.fragrancealliancenetwork.com/products/using-smells-in-museums-an-international-themed-smell-day-online-event

On 25 July, join this online symposium to hear from curators, artists, and educators about how they are using smells to bring museums and cultural experiences to life. Tickets cost £18.

• This is Archaeology: AI mapping of historic landscapes for nature recovery at national scale

https://tinyurl.com/4vc53uja

On 22 July, learn how ArchAI uses artificial intelligence to detect historic features at a national scale, combining earthwork-spotting using LiDAR with habitat-mapping from historic Ordnance Survey maps. 

• Student and Early Careers Online Conference 2026

https://tinyurl.com/yceckjch

On 30 July, this online course from the Council for British Archaeology will help students and early career archaeologists gain presentation experience. 

• The Victorian Quest for Ancient Egypt 

https://tinyurl.com/bdfxwryj

On 13 July, Manchester Ancient Egypt Society will hold its monthly online lecture with Professor Rosalie David OBE, exploring how the Victorians influenced the study of ancient Egypt. 

• From Early Anglo-Saxon Textiles to the Fashion Industry

https://tinyurl.com/4sjch3h4

On 22 July, Georgia Gould will explore the breadth of textile production networks in the early medieval period, tracing the process from harvesting to weaving.