The conference theme, Production and Consumption of Knowledge in the Archaeology of West Asia, invites critical engagement with how archaeological, historical, scientific and other forms of knowledge are created, curated and circulated, both within specialist academic contexts and beyond. The programme encourages contributions that explore methodological and theoretical approaches to knowledge production, critically examine past and present disciplinary practices, and foreground inclusive and reciprocal forms of knowledge exchange between scholarly and wider communities.
BANEA 2026 is being co-organised by Rachael Sparks (UCL Institute of Archaeology), Georgia Andreou, Mark Altaweel (UCL Institute of Archaeology), Mark Weeden (UCL Greek & Latin) and Yağmur Heffron (UCL History), highlighting the strong interdisciplinary collaboration across UCL in Near Eastern and West Asian studies.
Sessions
Conference papers will be organised into five main session strands:
This session focuses on the histories of archaeology and related disciplines in ancient West Asia, with particular attention to historiographical methods, theory and the politics of knowledge production and consumption, past and present.
Organiser: Yağmur Heffron
This session highlights maritime archaeology as a distinctive context for the production, interpretation and circulation of archaeological knowledge relating to ancient West Asia.
Organiser: Georgia Andreou
This session foregrounds museum and heritage studies, examining how knowledge about ancient West Asia is created, curated and communicated through collections, exhibitions and heritage practices.
Organiser: Rachael Sparks
An open session welcoming papers on any aspect of research on ancient West Asia not covered by the themed sessions, including but not limited to issues of knowledge production and consumption.
Organiser: Mark Weeden
This session is dedicated to the presentation of new data and preliminary findings, including recent fieldwork reports, museum collection studies and scientific analyses, organised by region and chronology.
Organiser: Mark Altaweel
Together, these sessions will provide space for both critical reflection on archaeological knowledge practices and the presentation of new research findings from across the region.
Workshops
In addition to paper sessions, the conference will also feature member-organised workshops, designed as more informal and participatory forums for discussion and debate.
- Revisiting Knowledge Production in the Study of the Early Bronze Age Kura-Araxes Culture: Where we stand now?
Organiser: Narmin Ismayilova - Landscapes of Knowledge: Experience, Transmission, and Memory in Ancient South-West Asia.
Organiser: Francesca Chelazzi - Scientific and material analysis of inscribed clay.
Organiser: Jonathan Taylor - Mobility in the Ancient Near East: People, Things, Ideas.
Organiser: Ofelia Tychon - Climate Change and Sustainability: Global Agendas, Local Knowledge, and Environmental Legacies in MENA.
Organiser: Georgia Andreou
Session Organisers
Expert in the history, archaeology, and material culture of the ancient Middle East, especially Anatolia and Mesopotamia (Bronze Age).
Specialises in Near Eastern and Mediterranean archaeology, maritime archaeology, and landscape and heritage studies.
Focuses on the archaeology and material culture of the Bronze and Iron Age Levant and Egypt–Levant interactions.
Researches the languages, history, and literature of the cuneiform world, including Hittite, Akkadian, and Sumerian.
Professor of Near East Archaeology and Archaeological Data Science
UCL Institute of ArchaeologyWorks on Near Eastern archaeology using data science, computational modelling, and landscape analysis to study past societies and environments.
Early bird rates for conference registration are available until 22 February 2026. BANEA operates as a non-profit organisation and offers a sliding-scale registration fee structure to help ensure accessibility. Attendees who have concerns about the affordability of registration are encouraged to contact the conference organisers directly.
Further information about the conference theme, sessions, registration and grants is available on the BANEA 2026 conference website.
BANEA 2026 Conference
Explore the BANEA 2026 Conference in London, 22–24 April, focusing on knowledge production and archaeology in West Asia.
Learn moreArchaeology Conferences
Discover upcoming conferences hosted by the UCL Institute of Archaeology, including schedules, topics, and registration info.
View all conferences
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships for 2027-28
The UCL Institute of Archaeology is supporting Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship applications. Internal deadline for review and selection: 9 June 2026.
09 Mar 2026
Critical Heritage and Social Justice: New Open-Access Book on Heritage and Equity
New open-access volume explores how heritage can support social justice, bringing together leading scholars to examine equity, representation and community engagement in museums and heritage practice.
05 Mar 2026
David Wengrow to speak at HowTheLightGetsIn Festival 2026
David will appear at the Festival in Hay-on-Wye from 22–25 May 2026, where he will explore what’s really new about the “new” world order.
02 Mar 2026