Events

The Day-schools are held at the Patcham Community Centre, Ladies Mile Road, Patcham, Brighton BN1 8TA

Each class will cost £25. If you book four of the classes then you will get £10 off the fourth class. A register will be kept so that you do not have to book all at one go. Payment will be by cheque or BACS (details of BHAS bank will be given on booking).

These are the proposed classes for 2026 and further details will follow later as some are still in the planning stage. The dates and information of the topics will help people plan ahead.

April 18th - Roman Wayside Settlements

AM - David Millum: The Culver Project at "Bridge Farm Roman Settlement - Wayside Village: Transport Hub: Defended Camp: Industrial Centre: Waste Tip: or WHAT?"

David will discuss methods used and discoveries made at the site, including the thousands of artefacts so far collected. This will be followed by setting Bridge Farm into its regional context, comparing it to other sites in Sussex and Kent.

PM - Tony King: Wayside settlements in Britain, Gaul and Italy

Roadside settlements, 'small towns' and the settlement pattern of Roman Britain and the empire-wide perspective. Roadside settlements and 'small towns' in Gaul and Italy. Tony will look at roadside settlements, their function and layout in Roman Britain, and their relationship to major centres and villas. Later he will discuss the origins of provincial settlement patterns in Republican northern Italy.

May 16th - Megan Russell

The fundamentals of human osteology, demography and funerary interpretation.

The morning will cover anatomy, estimation of age, biological sex and stature. The afternoon will focus on disease and trauma, healing and cause of death. Finally we will look at the funerary deposit to learn what it can tell us about the identity of the individual.

June 20th Paul Garwood

The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age in south-east Britain: new perspectives

October 31st Simon Stevens

Archaeological Report Writing: - how communicate the results of an archaeological excavation or research.

Date

Topic

Speaker

2025

Friday 10th October 2025

The Rise and Decline of Druce Farm Roman Villa (AD60-650), a multi-period site in Dorset

Lilian Ladle

Friday 14th November 2025

‘Fall In, Ghosts’ - Archaeological Investigations at the site of a First World War Training Camp, Cooden, East Sussex’

Simon Stevens

Friday 12th December 2025

BHAS AGM followed by:

Travel in the Past: The Problems and Pleasures of the Journey’

(following on from the AGM)

Presidential Lecture by Dr Janet Pennington

2026

Friday 23rd January 2026

Hormuzd Rassam and the eastern question: The adventures of Brighton's most famous unknown archaeologist

ONLINE lecture by Oliver Gilkes

Friday 13th February 2026

The Burpham Big Dig

James Sainsbury

Friday 13th March 2026

Commemorating the dead: contrasts and curiosities amongst those able to afford burial monuments in Roman south-west France’

James Bromwich

Date	Topic	Speaker
2025
Saturday 18th October	Brighton's lost neighbourhood: The chalk Pit Furlong	Dr Geoffrey Mead
Saturday 15th November	Brighton's Fishermen	Brian Ogilvie
2026
Saturday 17th January	Anecdotes of the Royal Pavilion and its inhabitants	Anne French, guide at the Royal Pavilion
Saturday 14 February	Lost villas of Georgian Brighton	Suzanne Hinton
Saturday 14th March	Researching house history	Janice Winkworth

Brighton Young Archaeologists' Club (YAC) is open to everyone aged 8-16years. You can get involved in all sorts of activities, including visiting and investigating archaeological sites and historic places, trying out traditional crafts, taking part in excavations, experimental archaeology and lots more.

Brighton YAC is based at Brighton Museum , where we have access to the wonderful Elaine Evans Archaeology Gallery. Occasionally our sessions may be held at other venues depending on planned activities. The club usually meets once, a month on the last Saturday, from 10.30am-12.30pm

A team of volunteers runs the club and all our leaders are DBS checked. We charge a joining fee of £10 then £1 per session. Due to a limited number of spaces you must be a member before you are able to join a session.

If you’d like to get involved please get in touch with the team using the details below.