Our occasional lecture series takes place from October to April and showcases research and projects which investigate the archaeology of Birmingham and Warwickshire – with some notable exceptions! Events take place throughout the year
Lectures normally take place on the first Tuesday of the month*
* some April lectures may be on the second Tuesday, depending on the date of Easter Monday
Programme of Lectures 2024 – 2025
Saturday 7th September 2024 13:00 to 16:00, Birmingham Heritage Week. Weoley Castle open day
This event is a celebration of the Castle with the community of Weoley Castle.
Saturday 19th October 2024 Money in the Midlands: a study day on coins in archaeology
Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham B15 2TS
Tickets £5 for University of Birmingham students, £25 for members of the partner societies and Barber Association and £35 for non-members. Lunch and refreshments included.
https://barber.arttickets.org.uk/barber-institute-of-fine-arts/money-in-the-midlands-a-study-day-on-coins-in-archaeology
This special event offers a day of stimulating papers introducing current thinking in coin studies in West Midlands archaeology. Providing an opportunity to learn more about archaeology and local history, this event explores coins which would have been handled by people at all levels of society, forming a mundane yet inescapable aspect of day-to-day life. Beyond their value as evidence of date, coins have the potential to provide evidence on many other subjects of archaeological interest. Expert speakers will address a broad range of topics and periods from Roman and Mediaeval coin finds in the West Midlands, to coin production in the Industrial West Midlands, to the practicalities of processing and displaying found coins.
The event will take place in the lecture theatre at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. Visit the Barber’s new coin exhibition Women in Power, browse and buy publications from the societies, and network with like-minded people.
Organised by the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society, Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society, Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society and the Worcestershire Archaeological Society, in partnership with the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham.
Programme
09.30-10.00 Registration and tea/coffee
10.00-10.15 Introduction Maria Vrij
10.30-11.10 Session 1 Money in Birmingham: Matthew Boulton and Soho
11.10-11.40 A history of three Soho mints: the evidence of documents, maps and excavations George Demidowicz
11.40-12.10 Matthew Boulton, copper to customer Sue Tungate
12.10-12.30 Questions
12.15-13.30 Lunch (ground floor)
13.30-15.15 Session 2 Coins through time
13.30-14.10 All about the money! Coinage in Roman Britain Andrew Brown
14.10-14.40 Silver from the west: a 5th-century hacksilver and coin hoard from Wem, Shropshire Roger White
14.40-15-10 From deniers to ducats: foreign coins in the medieval and Tudor West Midlands (1066–1603) Murray Andrews
15.15-15.30 Break and tea/coffee
15.30-17.15 Session 3 Coins in archaeology: now and in the future
15.30-16.00 Coins of note recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme Susheela Burford
16.00-16.30 Where do we go from here? Further thoughts on the recording and analysis of coin finds Kris Lockyear
16.30-17.00 Modern coin collections and display Maria Vrij
17.00-17.30 Questions and discussion
TBC December 2024, BWAS AGM
New Year Talks (TBC)
The Golden Lion – recent work by BCC
Smithfield – Cotswold Archaeology