British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences

AERIAL ARCHAEOLOGY - INTO THE FUTURE
A two-day symposium

Friday 11 and Saturday 12 May 2001

THE BRITISH ACADEMY, 10 CARLTON HOUSE TERRACE, LONDON, SW1Y 5AH

Aerial archaeological survey has undergone a transformation in the last decades of the twentieth century.  Its origin, in the bird's-eye view of known sites and in the recognition that crop, soil and shadow sites could be identified, led to the creation of enormous archives of photographs in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.  In the past twenty years or so, aerial survey has been applied to landscape archaeology and to the recording of change to the historic environment, thereby broadening our perspective on past human settlement and activity.  Today aerial archaeology has a major role in the management of the heritage, in monument and landscape protection and in the presentation of the heritage to the public.

The British Academy conference will examine the past major achievements of aerial survey, explore the current positions of archives and performance, and look to the future for new research strategies.  Although the theme of the conference will be the United Kingdom, European colleagues will also present papers.  Leading practitioners and senior archaeologists from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Germany, Czech Republic and Poland have agreed to attend either to present papers or to stimulate discussion.

The conference forms part of the European Union's Culture 2000 project Conservation through Aerial Archaeology which aims to promote the potential of aerial survey in advancing our understanding of past human landscapes and thereby develop better protection strategies.

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PROGRAMME

Friday 11 May
	14.00	Welcome and Introduction: Professor John Coles FBA
Session I:  Achievements of the Twentieth Century  Chair: Gordon Maxwell	14.05	David R Wilson A Good Start, Considering...?  Chris Musson  (Aber Photo Services) Marilyn Brown (RCAHMS)
	15.30	Tea
Session II: Archives - Past, Present and Future Chair: Derek Edwards	16.05	Chris Going (Cambridge Architectural Research Ltd) Diana Murray (RCAHMS) Bernard Devereux (University of Cambridge) Access, Conservation and Re-Discovery: the Commercial Sector Since 1900    Stephen Briggs (RCAHMW)
	17.30	Reception
Saturday 12 May		Coffee
Session III:  Understanding Landscapes - integrating the aerial evidence Chair: Humphrey Welfare (English Heritage)	9.35	Nick Johnson (Cornwall County Council) Landscapes from the Air Peter Horne (English Heritage)  Beyond NMP in the Stour Valley   Paul Gilman (Essex County Council) Into the Mountains: Aerial Archaeology in Upland Wales  Toby Driver (RCAHMW)
	10.35	Discussion
	11.00	Coffee
Session IV: The European Dimension Chair: Bob Bewley (English Heritage)	11.35	Aerial Archaeology in Bohemia: The first decade of the project   Martin Gojda (Czech Republic)  Conor Newman (Ireland) Tradition in Power: Field Walking Survey vs. Aerial Survey in Poland   Wlodek Raczkowski (Poland) "We must tell people.......!"   Airborne Throughts on Common Heritage    Otto Braasch (Germany)
	13.00	Discussion
	13.15	Lunch
Session V: Strategies for the Future: Introductory Paper and Discussion Chair: Richard Morris	14.20	Aerial Survey and Integration: a Strategy for Europe   Bob Bewley  (English Heritage) Discussants: Roger Mercer (RCAHMS) David Miles (English Heritage) Peter White (RCAHMW) Nick Brannon (Northern Ireland) George Lambrick (CBA) Adrian Olivier (English Heritage) Kate Pretty (Homerton College, University of  Cambridge) Summary and conclusions: Professor Barry Cunliffe (Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford)
	16.30	Tea and Symposium ends