University Collaborations

University Collaborations are an important part of our research work. Working with researchers and academic departments in archaeology, education, museum studies and public history. These partnerships help us develop our research strategy and share discoveries with our audiences.

Ancient Dust Busters

In 2020 we worked with the Archaeology Department at the University of York on the Wellcome-funded Ancient Dust Busters project. The project helped children understand the importance of air quality, environmental health and oral health through archaeology and natural history.

Our work with the project team included:

  • Providing access to relevant material in our collection
  • Creating learning resources
  • Delivering international virtual outreach sessions
  • Staging an exhibition at our DIG attraction to showcase the results

Viking Hack

Viking Hack developed from our partnership with the White Rose College of Arts and Humanities and the Archaeology Department at the University of York. The project was part of a Museums-Universities partnership initiative funded by the Arts Council England Resilience Fund and delivered by the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement.

Between 2017 and 2018 we explored ways of interpreting ‘difficult histories’ in museums and heritage sites. The project examined how emotional responses can shape visitors’ understanding of the past and how these approaches might be used in our own attractions.

As part of the project, the team visited sites in the United States and developed recommendations that we have since applied to our interpretation work.

Transatlantic Perspectives

In 2019 York Archaeology took part in Royal Holloway’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project ‘Transatlantic Perspectives on the Use of Data Science in Museums and Heritage’.

The project explored how data science could help museums better understand visitor behaviour and engagement. It created an international network that examined how museums use visitor data, including visitor numbers and social media feedback, to improve the visitor experience.

Barley Hall Collaboration

Barley Hall is a reconstructed medieval townhouse in the centre of York and one of our visitor attractions. It allows visitors to explore what the building may have been like when it was the residence of the canons of Nostell Priory.

Since 2018 we have worked with specialists from the University of Huddersfield to review how the building’s story is presented to visitors. The research focuses on how interpretation explains one of the earliest periods in the building’s history.

So far this work has resulted in a paper presented at the EAEA15: Envisioning Architectural Narratives Conference and later published in the conference proceedings.

Melting Pot

In 2018 our Community Engagement team worked with the University of York on the Arts and Humanities Research Council funded Melting Pot project.

The project used scientific methods to explore Viking-Age cooking and society. As part of this work, A-level science students from York College took part in an experiment to recreate how Vikings may have cooked food around 1,100 years ago.

The cooking residues from these experiments were analysed by the University of York’s BioArCh laboratory. This research helped produce new data for the project while showing students how scientific techniques are used in archaeology. It also introduced them to possible careers in archaeological science.

The results were later presented in a dedicated exhibition at DIG.

Helen Thirza Addyman Lectures

Each year York Archaeology supports the sharing of new research on the Viking period through the Helen Thirza Addyman Lecture and the Richard Hall Symposium. Both events take place during the annual JORVIK Viking Festival in February.

These events bring together academic and public audiences and usually explore themes connected with recent research or new displays at JORVIK Viking Centre.