Archaeology South-East marks 50th anniversary with celebratory conference

ASE’s fiftieth anniversary year came to a close on Saturday 5th April with a celebratory conference showcasing our work and projects, past and present. With insights into current research from both ASE staff and special guest external speakers, attendees were treated to presentations on topics ranging from the Palaeolithic to the Post-Medieval, from warrior burials to dance halls.

Outside the conference hall, fifty of ASE’s favourite finds were on display for people to enjoy during breaks. Screens throughout the amazing CityCoast venue showed images of ASE excavations and projects through the ages, and of dramatic aerial images courtesy of our geomatics team. You can watch both videos on YouTube using the links below:

• ASE through the decades
• ASE from the air

The conference was a resounding success. It was a great opportunity to connect with former and new colleagues from across ASE’s offices, as well as special guests, UCL colleagues, IoA students and members of the archaeology community in the south east, as well as members of the public.

We asked one of our colleagues to recount the conference from their perspective.

Conference reflections with Joe Locke

Hi! I’m Joe, I am the Trainee Roman Pottery Specialist at ASE. I’m training under Anna Doherty, Specialist Services Team Leader and Roman and Prehistoric pottery specialist. I started last November and came from a background in Roman Ceramic Building Materials (CBM), with my near-complete PhD investigating Roman flue tiles.

The best part of the conference for me was hearing about the early years of ASE and how the organisation has changed through time. It was fascinating to hear about the creation of the Sussex Archaeological Field Unit in 1974, its development in Archaeology South-East in 1996, and the progression of ASE up to the present day. This sense of history and strong connection to the archaeology of the south-east is for me something that makes ASE special and is one of the many reasons why I wanted to come and work at ASE.

The talk that stood out most was The Lives and Deaths of Historic Buildings by ASE’s Michael Shapland. With my work in ceramics this is an area of archaeology which I hardly ever come into contact with. It was fascinating to hear the extent to which buildings can change but still retain clear reflections of the lives of the people who have used them in the past. Local case studies were discussed in the talk, such as the Bosham Manor House where timbers re-used within the building may have originally been part of Harold Godwinson’s Hall, which I found really interesting being local to the area having grown up nearby Bosham.

I enjoyed how the conference brought together people who have a shared interest in the archaeology of the region. It was impressive to see ASE’s influence with so many people coming together in a celebration of 50 years of the organisation and I came away with a much greater understanding of the history of company and the strength of the connection between ASE and the archaeology of the south-east.