''Current Archaeology'' is a British monthly

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

Summary

''Current Archaeology'' describes itself as the "United Kingdom's best selling archaeology magazine", a claim substantiated by British Archaeological Jobs and Resources online, which labels the title "Britain's favourite archaeology magazine". It was founded in 1967 by Andrew Selkirk, a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a registered charity. It is based at Burlington House in Pi ...

, and the present

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...

. Issue 1 was mailed free of charge to university academics and archaeologists, with invitations to become subscribers from Issue 2. The magazine now has more than 14,000 subscribers worldwide. From 1967 to 2007 the magazine was bi-monthly, becoming monthly in November 2007. Rob Selkirk is publisher of the magazine, through Current Publishing. The magazine covers all periods of British archaeology, from prehistory to the present day. It also publishes an annual ''Archaeology Handbook'', which aims to be the quickest way to find out about archaeology in Britain, covering digs, societies, professional organisations, education, and more. The magazine is designed to cater for a wide spectrum of enthusiasts from amateur archaeologists to academics and practising professionals. The magazine is particularly popular amongst students and scholars. In December 2010, ''The Heritage Journal'' noted that "All-in-all Current Archaeology is eminently readable".

Regular features and contents

According to ''The Heritage Journal'', "Each issue usually focusses on just 3 or 4 main articles as well as the usual editorial and news/reviews sections that you’d expect. The main articles usually provide in depth information about a recent dig or geographic theme – recent editions have included articles on ‘UnRoman Britain’ and ‘British Hoards’... Each issue also has a one-page article titled ‘Odd Socs’, each issue covering one of the more ‘minority interest’ organisations. The back cover usually contains a GB map with pins to denote the geographical areas covered within the issue." A sister magazine, '' Current World Archaeology'', launched in September 2003, deals with archaeology outside Britain.

Current Archaeology Live

"Current Archaeology Live" is an annual conference, summarising the year's significant events, finds and developments in the world of archaeology. The conference features lectures on previous and upcoming stories reported by ''Current Archaeology'' by noted academics and contributors. Past speakers include Oxford graduate

Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh actor, comedian, director, historian, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones a ...

, of

Monty Python Monty Python, also known as the Pythons, were a British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The group came to prominence for the sketch comedy ser ...

fame, who spoke at the 2010 conference on "Romans and Barbarians"."Last Word", ''Current Archaeology'', Issue 235 (Oct 2009), p. 65

Awards

In 2009, ''Current Archaeology'' founded the

Archaeology Awards The Archaeology Awards is an annual awards ceremony celebrating achievements in the field of archaeology. Summary The Archaeology Awards was founded by the British magazine ''Current Archaeology'', with the first ceremony hosted by Francis Pry ...

, an annual ceremony to celebrate noted archaeologists and events, with winners voted for entirely by the public. Categories include Archaeologist of the Year; Research Project of the Year; Rescue Dig of the Year; and Book of the Year.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.archaeology.co.uk Magazines established in 1967 Archaeology of the United Kingdom English-language magazines Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom Archaeology magazines