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CONFERENCE
A Celebration of the Life, Work, and Legacies of Ivan Margary (1896-1976)
King’s Church Hall, Lewes
3 October
https://tixoom.app/sussexarchaeology
This conference, organised by the Council for British Archaeology South East in association with Sussex Archaeology and History, marks 50 years after Ivan Margary’s death with a celebration of his life, work, and ongoing legacies (examples being Fishbourne Roman Palace and Avebury). Margary was also a national expert on Roman roads, especially in the Weald and south-east England. Tickets for the conference cost £28 in person or £18 online only. Early bird prices are available until 25 September; just enter the code EARLYBIRD when booking the ticket.
EVENTS
Heritage Open Days
Across England
11-20 September
http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk
Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture, taking place every year for ten days in September. The theme for 2026 is ‘Everyday Histories’, which aims to explore the varied and often overlooked stories of ordinary people. All events are free to the public, with highlights including stories of Dobcroft’s brickmakers at the Intact Centre in Preston, nurses and patients at the Florence Nightingale Museum in London, and postmen and -women at Colne Valley Postal History Museum in Essex.
FESTIVAL
Winter Archaeology Festival 2026
UCL Institute of Archaeology
7 November
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/social-historical-sciences/events/2026/nov/winter-archaeology-festival-2026
From ancient technologies and archaeological science to museums, heritage, and fieldwork, this day at UCL’s Institute of Archaeology will provide hands-on activities, demonstrations, behind-the-scenes tours, talks, and walking tours. The festival is open to everyone, from families and prospective students to practising archaeologists and anyone with an interest in archaeology, heritage, and the past. It is free, but booking is essential.
LECTURES
The Bodleian Herculaneum Papyrus
Weston Library, Oxford
22 October
https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/2026/oct/michael-mcosker
Since they were first discovered in the mid-18th century, the Herculaneum papyri have been the subject of much interest, but many remained unrolled due to their fragile state. Now new techniques are allowing these examples to be virtually unrolled, yielding their secrets for the first time. In this talk, Michael McOsker will explain the latest results, including the recently revealed Stoic text of Pherc 1667 and Philodemus’ On Vices 1 in Pherc 172. Tickets are free but booking is required. The event will also be livestreamed on Zoom.
Making Domesday in the West Country
Museum of Somerset, Taunton
29 October
https://tinyurl.com/4zpvm8fj
This year’s Victoria County History lecture at the Museum of Somerset will be given by Chris Lewis on the secrets of the Exon Domesday, the oldest but least-known of three original manuscripts surviving from the Domesday survey of 1086. The lecture will cover why, where, and how it was written; how a collection of copies intended to be thrown away managed to survive; and how important Exon is for understanding the making of Domesday Book, based on findings from a large-scale research project that began in 2014. Tickets cost £10, with concessions available.
HERITAGE FROM HOME
VIRTUAL VISITS
• Providing for the Afterlife: ancient Egyptian works from Eton College
This online exhibition from Johns Hopkins University explores how ancient Egyptians sought to ensure access to food, beauty, and comfort beyond death through funerary objects and items from daily life.
• Asia at the World’s Fairs: an online exhibition of cultural exchange
Boston University presents this online exhibition about the presence of Asian cultures in early international fairs and the impact that they had on the performing arts, architecture, painting, sculpture, print, and food.
• Zeugma Mosaic Museum
https://sanalmuze.gov.tr/muzeler/GAZIANTEP_ZEUGMA_MOZAIK_MUZESI
Explore the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep, Turkey, which is the largest mosaic museum in the world, containing more than 1,700 square metres of Greek and Roman mosaics.
• Museum of the American Revolution
http://www.amrevmuseum.org/virtual-museum-tour
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, take a virtual tour of the Museum of the American Revolution.
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
• The Roads of Roman Britain
https://roadsofromanbritain.org/digital-britannia/overview.html
The Roman Roads Research Association has just published their first fully up-to-date digital map of Roman roads in Britain – explore it for free now.
• Peopling the Past
Since we first told you about the Peopling the Past podcast, which delves into the everyday lives of people in the ancient world, back in 2022 (CA 391), the project has grown to include videos, a blog, and other resources.
• History by the Pint
http://www.buzzsprout.com/2280739
This podcast – which is co-hosted by writer Alex Rowson, museum curator Glynn Davis, and lecturer Dr Chris Siwicki – covers all things historical and archaeological in the time it takes to drink a pint.
• Anthropeum
Anthropeum is a daily game, similar to Wordle, that involves guessing where and which period various artefacts from New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art come from.
ONLINE-ONLY EVENTS
• Hadrian’s Wall Live
http://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/greatnorthmuseum/whats-on/hadrian-s-wall-virtual-focus-day
From 24 to 27 November, KS2 students can take part in this free virtual event to learn about such topics as daily Roman life, inscriptions, language, hoards, and the conservation of Hadrian’s Wall.
• Rings, Wings, and Spindle Whorls: archaeological treasures and their stories
On 11 October, Mary-Ann Ochota and storyteller Jason Buck present research from real archaeological sites and finds, and then conjure them back to life in original stories about the people who could have been there. Booking is required.
• Identifying the Monastery of St Moluag – the archaeological evidence
On 29 October, this Groam House Museum online lecture will be presented by Dr Claire Ellis from Argyll Archaeology, exploring the archaeology, history, and art of the Black Isle. Booking is required.
• The Heart of Neolithic Orkney
On 28 October, Dr Matt Beresford will explore the famous sites of Neolithic Orkney, including settlements such as Skara Brae, tombs such as Maeshowe, and stone circles such as Brodgar.
• This is Archaeology – the archaeology of Romany Gypsies
On 16 September, John-Henry Phillips, an archaeologist from a Romany background, and Dr Stu Eve discuss their 2024 excavations of little-known sites of forced Gypsy assimilation, which operated until the late 1970s.
