Curious about archaeology?

British Archaeology, the UK’s most talked about archaeology magazine, will suit anyone interested in the past – whether you enjoy watching archaeological documentaries, visiting historic buildings, excavating ancient sites, exploring local heritage, or taking part in community digs! With feature articles written by archaeologists, enthusists, and academics, the magazine is an authoritative, in-depth source of information on what’s new, interesting, and important in the world of archaeology.

British Archaeology is published six times a year by the Council for British Archaeology – an educational charity bridging the gap between professionals and the public. An established voice for archaeology in the UK, the CBA’s mission is to help people discover, explore, and protect our unique heritage.

Among the articles in the trial issue, underwater archaeologist Gary Bankhead updates us on the community-led investigation that revealed one of northern England’s most significant Roman industries; James Dilley explains the craft behind the Big Bronze Age Boat Build project; and the Diggers’ Forum asks, “Are commercial archaeologists miserable?”

Books and exhibitions are regularly reviewed; news pages highlight recent discoveries; CBA columns keep readers in touch with the charity’s casework, events, and youth work; and the illustrated Archaeology Now column summarises topical, thought-provoking issues.

Did you know that the Bayeux Tapestry has almost – but not quite – been loaned to the UK five times in the last century? These persistent but fallen-through plans make its current exhibition in the British Museum particularly impressive, and it’s no wonder tickets up to December 31 have sold out. Booking reopens on 21 October for visits between 1 January and 31 March 2027, and I’m very much looking forward to viewing the embroidery in person after extensively reading about it this summer, including the two books reviewed on page 13. 

Back in April I attended a fantastic talk by Senior Curator of Archaeology Dr Tim Pestell on the six-year restoration of Norwich Castle’s Norman Keep. This included tens of thousands of volunteer hours recreating Romanesque textiles, which you can read about in this issue’s Heritage Crafts column. 

You may spot other nods to Norman archaeology throughout the magazine, including a casefile on the rare Grade I listed Hatfield Manor in Doncaster. However, as usual there’s a good range of dates and subjects, spanning high-status Iron Age cremation burials, the most commonly found Roman coins, mysterious crannogs, creative interpretations of landscape data, and a discipline-shaping discovery that for decades excavators may have failed to recognise (and have therefore discarded) important Stone Age tools.