Established in 1976, the BAA has grown to encompass 14 commendations and awards, covering every aspect of British archaeology from important discoveries and community archaeology to books, TV programmes and kids’ archaeology.

An important winner for the Council of British Archaeology (CBA) was its Best ICT Project award for the Community Archaeology Forum (CAF) website which was set up two years ago as a resource for anyone working in community archaeology.

The site contains advice and guidance covering such subjects as where to get funding, how to record and archive archaeological information and how to identify finds. There’s also a set of useful web links to other archaeological resources.

“This award is really for all the community projects who have helped to build CAF: their contributions to the site are what CAF is all about,” said Dr Dan Hull, Head of Information and Communications at the CBA. “It’s driven by the community groups themselves and their contributions showcase the incredible quantity and variety of archaeological research undertaken by local communities all over the country.”

		Community Archaeology Forum was set up two years ago as a resource for anyone working in community archaeology.

In a year of important discoveries, which ranged from Bronze Age and Roman sites to hoards of ingots, a reinterpretation of a stone circle and a Roman altar recovered during an excavation in Manchester, the task of choosing the most important discovery was a difficult one.

However the winner of the Archaeological Discovery of the Year award went to Jan Meulmeester and Hanson Aggregates Marine Limited together with the British Marine Aggregate Producers Association for their discovery and subsequent investigation of a unique group of Palaeolithic hand axes from the North Sea off Great Yarmouth.

Jan is an amateur palaeontologist and he had been given permission to look over the dredged material when it arrived at Vlissingen in the Netherlands when he noticed the first of 75 stone tools.

“Jan's actions, and those of others who became involved immediately after the discovery, were exemplary,” said the judges. “The panel were particularly impressed with the role of the English and Dutch national heritage services who, using the British Marine Aggregate Producers Association (BMAPA) ‘Protocol for Reporting Finds of Archaeological Interest’, co-ordinated the response to Jan’s unique find and protected the source of the hand axes from further dredging.”

Another integral part of the awards is the prestigious Young Archaeologist of the Year Award, which this year celebrated its 31st birthday.

Open to all young people living in the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man between the ages of 8 and 16, the CBA’s Young Archaeologists' Club gave awards in three categories for 8-11, 12-16 and for young archaeological groups. All of them had to respond to the theme of archaeological illustration.

Time Team illustrator Victor Ambrus judged the kids' awards.

The winning group this year was Lancaster Young Archaeologists’ Club who linked their entry to a project that aims to care for the neglected remains of a Roman bath-house in Lancaster. The group were rewarded with a range of goodies and a behind-the-scenes visit to a nearby property owned by National Trust early in the New Year.

The 8-11 and 12-16 categories were judged by Time Team illustrator Victor Ambrus, who chose Nadia Morris, aged 11 from Berkshire for a series of accomplished drawings of a pewter teaspoon, a replica medieval bracelet and a replica medieval coin.

Madeleine Phillips, aged 12 from London, won the 12-16 category with a series of drawings from her very own cabinet of curiosities, containing an assortment of finds including a cap badge that she has collected over time. Nadia and Madeline both won an all-expenses-paid, behind-the-scenes day at the British Museum.

“The entries were all very good in their own way and it was extremely difficult to select winners,” added Victor Ambrus.

A range of further awards included the Archaeological Book Award, which went to Chris Stringer, for Homo Britannicus: the incredible story of human life in Britain and the best Archaeological TV/Radio Programme, which went to a BBC Scotland production for BBC Radio 4 about the Battle of Culloden.

The awards in full:

Young Archaeologist of the Year Award:
8-11 category - Nadia Morris, aged 11.
12-16 category - Madeleine Phillips, aged 12 from London.
Group winner - Lancaster Young Archaeologists’ Club.

Archaeological Book Award
Chris Stringer, for Homo Britannicus: the incredible story of human life in Britain published by Allen Lane/Penguin.

Best Scholarly Book Award
Thomas McErlean & Norman Crothers, for Harnessing the Tides: The Early Medieval Tide Mills at Nendrum Monastery, Strangford Lough published by TSO Ireland, for the Northern Ireland Environment Service.

Best archaeological ICT Project Award
Community Archaeology Forum, run by the Council for British Archaeology.

Best Archaeological TV/Radio Programme
Culloden: A New Battle, by BBC Scotland for BBC Radio 4.

Archaeological Discovery of the Year
Jan Meulmeester and Hanson Aggregates Marine Limited together with the British Marine Aggregate Producers Association for their discovery and subsequent investigation of a unique group of Palaeolithic hand axes from the North Sea off Great Yarmouth.

Best Archaeological Innovation
Linking Electronic Archives and Publications project.

Best amateur or independent archaeology project (Pitt Rivers Award)
Biggar Museum Archaeology Group, for a comprehensive archaeological survey of over 400 square kilometres of Upper Tweeddale.

Best Archaeological Project
Heathrow Terminal 5 Excavation and Publication Project undertaken by Framework Archaeology.

Lifetime Achievement (Silver Trowel) Award
Clive Orton, archaeologist, teacher, a life-long supporter of archaeology in London, editor of the London Archaeologist magazine for many years, and President of the London & Middlesex Archaeological Society.