Archaeology Committee
The Archaeology Committee meets on average four times during the year, in January, April, July and October, and receives regular reports from organisations active in London archaeology. These include the Greater London Archaeological Advisory Service, Museum of London Archaeology, Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd and, most recently, the AOC Archaeology Group.
The Committee’s membership includes individuals present in their own right alongside others reflecting various commercial and specialist interests. It currently comprises:
Harvey Sheldon – Chair
Jon Cotton – Secretary
Nick Bateman
John Clark – Curator Emeritus, Museum of London
Richard Ward – Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd
Martin Dearne – Enfield Archaeology Society
Sandy Kidd – Historic England (GLAAS)
Michael Marshall – Museum of London Archaeology
Isobel Thompson
Robert Whytehead
Karen Thomas – LAMAS Honorary Secretary
The Committee is always interested to hear of issues arising from the conduct of archaeology across Greater London and can best be contacted via its Chair or Secretary.
Annual Conference of London Archaeologists
The Committee is also responsible for organising the annual Archaeology Conference, which is usually held in March. This comprises a morning session devoted to recent projects and an afternoon session given over to a particular theme.
The Ralph Merrifield Award
The award was instituted in 1996, in honour of Ralph, a former Deputy Director of the Museum of London and past-President of LAMAS. It is presented at the conference to the individual, project, or organisation that in the Committee’s view has made the most important contribution to the understanding of London’s past in its widest sense.
The Committee is always pleased to receive nominations for the Award, which is decided at its January meeting.
The full list of past winners of the Award is as follows:
1996: Richmond Archaeology Society, Thames foreshore project.
1997: Jill Goddard, Creekside Renewal Project at Deptford.
1998: Orpington & District Local History Society, Scadbury Moat.
1999: Jointly to Rose Baillie, COLAS, & Geoffrey Gillam, Enfield Arch Soc, long service to London archaeology.
2000: Museum of London, setting up of LAARC.
2001: Gill Clegg, editorship of LAMAS Transactions.
2002: Jointly to Barbara Jacobson, Clerkenwell Community Archaeology Project & Bob Spain & Tony Taylor, Gresham St water-lifting gear.2003: Rosemary Yeaxlee, long service to London archaeology.
2004: Jointly to the Central London YAC & the Pumphouse Educational Museum YAC.
2005: Shoreditch Park Community Archaeology Project.
2006: Barry Taylor & Amy Gray Jones for the Farthing Down community landscape Project.
2007: Jointly to Clive Orton and Sheila Broomfield, long service to London’s archaeology through the London Archaeologist magazine.
2008: LP Archaeology, innovative approaches to public archaeology at Prescot Street.
2009: Gustav Milne, long service to London’s archaeology and London’s river.
2010: Jointly to Jacqui Pearce and HADAS, the archaeology of the Hendon area.
2011: Jointly to Jenny Hall and Jon Cotton, work on London’s past.
2012: Peter Marsden, long and distinguished service to London archaeology.
2013: Jointly to MOLA and EH, successful completion of the Greater London Publication Programme
2014: LAARC, ongoing stewardship of London’s excavated archaeological resource, and for successful community programmes
2015: Cath Maloney, long service to London archaeology, and to the LAARC
2016: Jointly to Taryn Nixon, service to London archaeology, and to the Crossrail Project, for an outstanding contribution to the capital’s historic environment
2017: Bloomberg, generous sponsorship of the Bucklersbury House Project, City
2018: Jointly to London Archaeologist magazine on its 50th birthday, and to Colin and Eileen Bowlt, long service to London archaeology and to LAMAS
2019: Jointly to Nick Bateman (ex-MOLA) and Gary Brown (PCA), long service to London archaeology
2021: Jointly to Museum of London and Archaeological Solutions Ltd, for the innovative exhibition The Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery
2022: Kathryn Stubbs, for her long service to London’s heritage as the Corporation of London’s Archaeology Advisor.
2023: John Schofield, for his long service to London archaeology via the DUA, MOLAS and COLAT.