Association of Young Irish Archaeologists

The Association of Young Irish Archaeologists, or AYIA was founded in Belfast in 1968 by a group of students from Queens University Belfast.

Membership is automatic for individuals who are members of the AYIA's affiliated societies in the various Universities, Institutes and Colleges around the country, however, recent graduate students and those relatively new to the profession are also eagerly encouraged to participate.

The AYIA governing council is elected annually from representatives from the University, Institute or College where the next conference is planned to take place.

The purpose of the association is to further communication and co-operation between interested parties, to provide a forum for new ideas and to foster interest and enthusiasm for archaeology at a 'junior' level in Ireland. As is clear from this, the use of the word 'young' is somewhat misleading as the AYIA's members may include individuals of any age who are undergraduates, postgraduates or relatively new to the profession and related disciplines.

The most important event that the AYIA runs is its annual conference which is held by one of the participating Universities within the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. The conference usually consists of an opening lecture and wine reception on the Friday evening, followed by a day of twenty-minute lectures on the Saturday and a local fieldtrip on the Sunday, the conference is often held in February or March.

The level of activity of the AYIA has fluctuated somewhat since its inception, demonstrated by the lack of an annual conference some years. The conference, however, is the association's main event and is hosted in rotation by the various student societies.

Participants

Representatives from the different archaeological companies in Ireland may also participate as can archaeologists who are not affiliated with any particular institution.

Location of the Annual Conference

Year Location
1968 Queens University Belfast
1969-1972 Unknown
1970 Galway
1973 University College Dublin
1974-1979 Unknown
1980 Queens University Belfast
1981-1997 Unknown
1998 National University of Ireland, Galway
1999-2001 Unknown
2002 University College Cork
2003 University College Cork
2004 Held jointly by Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin
2005 Queens University Belfast
2006 University College Cork
2007 University College Dublin
2008 Queens University Belfast
2009 Institute of Technology, Sligo (TBC)
2010 University College Cork, Cork
2011 University College Dublin

Official AYIA Website

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