Society for Medieval Archaeology

Society for Medieval Archaeology
Name	Society for Medieval Archaeology
Formation	1957
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Region served	United Kingdom, Europe
Language	English

Contents

Society for Medieval Archaeology.

The Society for Medieval Archaeology was founded in 1957 to promote the study of medieval material culture and archaeological practice across Britain and Europe; it interacts with institutions such as British Museum, Historic England, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London and collaborates with projects tied to Council for British Archaeology, Royal Archaeological Institute, Society of Antiquaries of London, National Trust and English Heritage. Early networks linked founders to excavations at Sutton Hoo, Winchester Cathedral, Faversham, St Albans, Gloucester Cathedral and academic centres including Institute of Archaeology, UCL, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Institute of Historical Research, and library collections at British Library and Bodleian Library.

History

The organisation emerged from postwar debates involving figures associated with Mortimer Wheeler, T. D. Kendrick, Gerald D. C. Conant, R. E. Mortimer Wheeler and scholarly communities at University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of London, University of Birmingham and University of Edinburgh. Its early meetings referenced fieldwork at Winchester, York Minster, Birmingham City Centre, Canterbury Cathedral, Lindisfarne, Whithorn and comparative studies with finds from Viking Age Norway, Carolingian Aachen, Ottonian Germany and medieval sites in Normandy. Postwar conservation debates linked the Society to policy discussions at Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment, Historic Scotland and European exchanges with Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives and Royal Irish Academy.

The Society’s objectives emphasise rigorous standards for excavation, publication and interpretation of medieval sites including advocates who contributed to guidelines used by Institute for Archaeologists, Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, ICOMOS and conservation practice at English Heritage and Historic England. It supports interdisciplinary research connecting medieval urbanism in London, Bristol, Norwich, York with ecclesiastical studies at Canterbury, Durham Cathedral, Gloucester, Salisbury Cathedral and manuscript studies linked to Benedictine Abbeys, Cistercian Abbeys, Cluniac houses and libraries such as Cambridge University Library. The Society promotes training aligned with university departments at University of York, University of Leicester, University of Exeter, University of Sheffield and museum partners including Ashmolean Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, National Museum of Scotland and Norwich Castle Museum.

The Society publishes a peer-reviewed journal and monographs that set professional standards comparable to outlets at Antiquity (journal), Medieval Archaeology (journal), Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, Historical Research and edited volumes by Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and British Archaeological Reports. Its serial outputs document excavations at sites such as Portchester Castle, Lindisfarne Priory, Wharram Percy, Bayeux Cathedral and analyses of artefacts comparable to collections at British Museum, Ashmolean Museum, Museum of London Archaeology and catalogues used by curators at National Museums Liverpool. Editorial boards have included scholars affiliated with University of York, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University College London and international partners at Leiden University, Université de Paris, Humboldt University of Berlin.

Membership comprises academics, museum professionals and field archaeologists affiliated with University of York, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London, University of Birmingham and organisations such as Historic England, National Trust, National Museums Scotland and local societies including Society of Antiquaries of London, Royal Archaeological Institute and county archaeological trusts like Norfolk Archaeological Trust and Kent Archaeological Society. Governance uses elected officers, editorial committees and specialist working groups that liaise with funding bodies including the Arts and Humanities Research Council and professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists.

The Society has published major reports on excavations at Wharram Percy, Portchester Castle, Winchester, Canterbury Cathedral precincts, York Minster precinct archaeology and collaborative studies on Viking-Age material from York (Jorvik), research influencing conservation at Sutton Hoo, analytical methodologies shared with Oxford Archaeology, Museum of London Archaeology and scientific programmes involving isotopic analyses from teams at University of Durham, University of Bradford and dendrochronology studies linked to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew archives and Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory. Its contributions to catalogue standards have aided museums such as the British Museum, Ashmolean Museum, Norwich Castle Museum and influenced heritage policy debates at Historic England and European forums including Council of Europe cultural heritage committees.

Category:Archaeological organizations Category:Medieval studies organizations Category:Learned societies of the United Kingdom