28 November 2023
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The winners of the Council for British Archaeology's Archaeological Achievement Awards 2023 have been announced.
Celebrating the best of archaeology in the UK and Ireland, the awards recognise the people and projects that pave the way in showing how archaeology relates to wider society, health and wellbeing, and place.
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The five award categories include:
- Early Career Archaeologist
- Engagement and Participation
- Learning, Training and Skills
- Public Dissemination or Presentation
- Archaeology and Sustainability
An Outstanding Achievement Award is offered to the winner that the judges deem to showcase particular excellence in the archaeology sector.
This year, the judges decided to present this award to Roots In Time, which also won the Archaeology and Sustainability category. Roots in Time is a community-led art and archaeology project exploring human interactions with the landscape over time through interpretation, artwork, and an audio trail. The judges decided that Roots In Time was an 'outstanding example of the role archaeology can play in environmental issues and the opportunities for linking archaeology to the arts'.
The award was presented to the winners by the guest of honour, Rachael Maskell MP who is co-vice chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Archaeology and Andy Heald, Managing Director of AOC Archaeology the award sponsor.
Outstanding Achievement Award Winners Roots in Time with Rachael Maskell MP
The 2023 awards were presented to:
Public Dissemination or Presentation (sponsored by Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland)
Winner: Uncovering Roman Carlisle
Highly commended: WallCAP – Hadrian’s Wall Community Archaeology Project
Engagement and Participation (sponsored by University Archaeology UK)
Winner: CAER Heritage: ‘The Hidden Hillfort Project’
Highly commended: Hands-on Heritage volunteers at Avalon Archaeology
Highly commended: Archaeology on Prescription
Early Career Archaeologist (sponsored by the Royal Archaeological Institute)
Winner: Sakshi Surana
Highly commended: Tabitha Gulliver Lawrence
Learning, Training, and Skills (sponsored by Archaeological Management Solutions)
Winner: Uncovering Roman Carlisle
Archaeology and Sustainability Award (sponsored by National Highways)
Winner: Roots In Time
Highly commended: Diggit: Paperless recording for all archaeology
Outstanding Achievement Award (sponsored by AOC Archaeology Group)
Winner: Roots In Time
The judging panel was made up of representatives from organisations across the archaeological sector, including the European Society of Black and Allied Archaeologists, Archaeology Scotland, CBA Wales/Cymru, and the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland. Chair of the judges, Jeannette Plummer Sires, also a CBA Trustee, said, “Acknowledging the challenges we face in our time, the 2023 awards proudly introduced the brand new category, ‘Archaeology and Sustainability’. This addition underscores our discipline’s pivotal role in developing impactful solutions to collective climate emergency. Whether through groundbreaking climate change research, the development of innovative eco-conscious methodologies, or the promotion of sustainable development practices, this award recognises archaeology’s significant contribution to a more sustainable future and its commitment to fostering a greener world.”
Find out more about the awards here.
