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Workshop Recap: Darb Zubaydah – Recent Research and Future Directions

In late September, the Department of Archaeology at Durham University hosted an international workshop, bringing together leading experts from Durham University (EAMENA Project), Al-Qadisiyah University and the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) in Iraq, as well as the Heritage Commission of Saudi Arabia. The workshop focused on the Darb Zubaydah, a vital cultural heritage route that has connected Iraq and Saudi Arabia for centuries as part of the historic Hajj pilgrimage road.
Group photo of 15 workshop attendees in the Department of Archaeology's Birley Room. On the back wall is the Durham University logo.

Blue plaque honour for pioneering first female professor

Renowned archaeologist Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp has been honoured with a blue plaque at her former Durham City home.
Professors Karen O'Brien and Sarah Semple look at a round blue plaque, set against a red brick wall, in honour of Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp.

Durham archaeologist wins Wellcome Early Career Award to research the evolution of tuberculosis

Congratulations to Dr Kelly Blevins on winning a prestigious Wellcome Early Career Award!
Dr Kelly Blevins is sitting and smiling in a flowery garden. In the blurry distance are some buildings.

Durham archaeologist wins prestigious British Academy medal

Professor Sarah Semple has been awarded the British Academy’s 2024 Landscape Archaeology Medal for her pioneering research in the field.
Sarah Semple out in the field in Sweden

Archaeologists unearth ‘lost house’ and unusual items at County Durham castle

Our archaeologists have helped uncover a ‘lost’ house at Auckland Castle in County Durham built by the infamous Parliamentarian and Puritan Sir Arthur Haselrig.
Trenches dug in the grounds of Auckland Castle

Alumni Spotlight: Max Storey

Max Storey studied for a BA in Archaeology and an MA in Archaeology between 2018 and 2022. Now he works as the Public Engagement and Press Coordinator for the journal 'Antiquity', based in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University.
Head and upper torso photo of staff member Max Storey. Max stands facing the camera, in front of a grassy field with building ruins in the far background. Max wears a bluish-grey sweater and a backpack..

Northumbria Region U3A visit the Department of Archaeology

In July 2024, the Department of Archaeology welcomed members of Northumbria region’s U3A (University of the Third Age) for a fun filled day of archaeology workshops.
Group photo of smiling members of Northumbria Region U3A, standing near campus buildings and trees under a cloudy sky.

Archaeology and Community: Archaeological Investigations of Flass Well

In 2023, to mark the 50th anniversary of the preservation of Flass Vale, Redhills CIO and the City of Durham Parish Council commissioned Archaeological Services Durham University to undertake excavations at the site of Flass Well, Durham. In celebration of Archaeology & Community, the 2024 CBA Festival of Archaeology theme, find out more about this well and its place in local history!
Two archaeologists in high-vis jackets and waterproof attire standing in a wet and muddy trench next to some steps and a fence.

Digging at Auckland Castle: Archaeology students meet Durham University Vice Chancellor and Warden and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Global)

Durham University's Department of Archaeology's annual excavation at Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, took place over the course of three weeks in June, serving as the field training for our first-year students.
Two people are talking inside an archaeological trench, where remains of stone floors are gradually being uncovered. In the background are some Archaeology students with mattocks, buckets and shovels. In the far distance are arched medieval stone walls under a bluish grey cloudy sky.

Durham Professors elected to prestigious British Academy

Congratulations to Canon Professor Michael Snape and Professor Janet Montgomery who have been recognised for their contribution to the humanities and social sciences.
Canon Professor Michael Snape (left) and Professor Janet Montgomery (right)

Department of Archaeology’s excavations visited by British Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova

Fern Horine, the British Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, visited the Department of Archaeology’s excavations in the village of Climăuții de Jos on the banks of the river Dneistr.
Three people stand next to an archaeological trench that is being excavated by Durham undergraduate students. Remains of stone tools are dotted around the trench centre and there is also evidence that mammoth tusk was worked.

International researchers come together at 'Jealous Laws' conference: brief report

Organised by our final-year PhD researchers, Pertev Basri and Batuhan Özdemir, and our Digital Archaeology and Heritage Technician Alexander Jansen, the conference titled 'Jealous Laws': Collecting, Studying, and Managing Antiquities in the Ottoman Mediterranean during the Long 19th Century took place on Friday 17th May, in the Department of Archaeology (D110). The conference featured nine distinguished speakers from around the world, each presenting unique perspectives on the subject.
View from a back of a full lecture theatre with tiered seating. One conference organiser stands on the central steps halfway up the theatre, another stands in the front of the lecture theatre. People are engaging in discussion and many have their laptops open or paper out on the tables to take notes. There are screens at the front of the lecture theatre with people attending the event online.