Sussex Archaeological Society

Sussex Archaeological Society
Name	Sussex Archaeological Society
Formation	1846
Type	Learned society; charity
Headquarters	Lewes, East Sussex
Region served	East Sussex, West Sussex

Sussex Archaeological Society. Founded in 1846, the Society is a learned provincial body concerned with the investigation, preservation and interpretation of the archaeological and historical heritage of Sussex. It operates across East Sussex, West Sussex and the wider south coast, maintaining sites, publishing research and partnering with institutions such as the University of Sussex, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery and the National Trust.

History

The Society emerged during the Victorian boom in antiquarianism alongside organisations like the Society of Antiquaries of London and regional counterparts including the Surrey Archaeological Society and the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society. Early members ranged from landowners with estates in Lewes and Chichester to antiquaries influenced by figures such as John Leland, William Camden and Sir Richard Colt Hoare. During the 19th century the Society documented medieval churches, Roman villa remains and prehistoric earthworks in tandem with county mapmakers inspired by the Ordnance Survey and archaeological developments following the Antiquities Act (presumed example) of the era. In the 20th century it navigated the challenges posed by two World Wars, rapid suburban growth around Brighton and Hove, and statutory changes led by bodies like the Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882 and later heritage legislation that gave rise to national scheduling and listing practices.

Organisation and governance

The Society is constituted as a charitable organisation with a council of elected trustees drawn from members resident across Lewes District, Horsham District, Worthing and the coastal towns of Bognor Regis and Hastings. It works alongside professional staff and volunteers coordinated through committees on finance, archaeology, conservation and education; this governance model mirrors arrangements found at institutions including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Historic England advisory framework. Funding streams combine membership subscriptions, grants from bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, project-specific support from the Arts Council England, and partnerships with local authorities like Eastbourne Borough Council and Chichester District Council.

Archaeological activities and projects

Fieldwork ranges from rescue excavation and watching briefs commissioned under planning policies influenced by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to long-term landscape survey and community digs resembling projects run by the Council for British Archaeology and university-led units such as the Institute of Archaeology (UCL). Notable campaigns have addressed Roman landscape studies comparable to work at Fishbourne Roman Palace, Bronze Age barrow survey akin to research at Ditchling Beacon, and medieval urban archaeology in towns like Lewes and Chichester. The Society has collaborated with academic partners including the University College London, the University of Brighton and the Open University on projects employing geophysics, LiDAR analysis and osteoarchaeological assessment, linking its fieldwork to national research themes promoted by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Museums, sites and properties

The Society manages and cares for a portfolio of properties and museums that place it among regional custodians alongside English Heritage and the National Trust. Its museum in Lewes displays collections of prehistoric flints, Roman pottery and medieval artifacts comparable to holdings at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery and the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery. It stewards scheduled monuments and historic buildings across the county, preserving features echoing conservation efforts at Arundel Castle, Michelham Priory and coastal forts such as Southwick House. Sites under its care form a network that interprets landscapes from the South Downs to the coastal plain and connects to visitor provision models used at attractions like the Weald and Downland Living Museum.

Publications and research

Publishing has been central since the Society’s inception: its annual journal, regional monographs and excavation reports contribute to bibliographies alongside serials like the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society and the publications of the Royal Archaeological Institute. The Society’s outputs include parish inventories, castle studies and thematic volumes on Romano-British settlement comparable to works produced by the Council for British Archaeology Research Report series. Peer-reviewed articles, edited collections and online catalogues support researchers at institutions such as the British Library, the Institute of Historical Research and the National Archives, while the Society’s archives provide primary sources for doctoral research undertaken at the University of Sussex and the University of Winchester.

Education, outreach and community engagement

Education and outreach programmes range from school visits that mirror curricular links promoted by the Department for Education to public lectures and conferences run with partners including the Sussex Wildlife Trust and local civic societies. Volunteer training, finds-handling sessions and community archaeology days reflect practice advocated by the Council for British Archaeology and encourage citizen science comparable to initiatives at the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA). The Society also engages with heritage tourism networks serving South East England and contributes to local festivals, civic commemorations and heritage open days promoted nationally by Heritage Open Days.

Category:Archaeological organisations in the United Kingdom Category:History of Sussex