| Abstract | The collection contains minutes, reports, correspondence and case files of the Council of British Archaeology's East Midlands Group, and its predecessors, Group 14 East Midlands, and Group 6 Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland. The collection also includes circulated copies of minutes, annual reports and printed items of the Council nationally. |
| Admin History | The Council for British Archaeology was founded in 1944 in response to the imminent redevelopment of bomb damaged historic cities. One of its aims was the 'safeguarding of all kinds of archaeological material and the strengthening of existing measures for the care of ancient and historic buildings, monument, and antiquities.' It also endeavoured to raise public awareness of the need for archaeology and for its inclusion into education. The Council's 'Survey and Policy for Field Research' (1948) was as part of an integrated approach to the exploration of British heritage. Other pioneering actions and involvement included the setting up of the first Industrial Archaeology Committee (1959), British Archaeological Abstracts (1968), Young Archaeologists Club, and 'Internet Archaeology' (1995).
The Council is arranged into specialist committees and groups. The committees originally represented periods of history but since the 1970s, the committees became more thematic. In 1996, the nine committees were replaced by a single, strategic, UK-wide Research and Conservation Committee.
The Council is also divided into regional groups. With relevance to this collection, Group 6 represented Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland until the 1970s. The boundaries were then changed several times, most recently in the 1990s when Group 14 (representing Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire) was renamed CBA East Midlands and recognised as a separate area. |
| Custodial History | The collection was acquired by The University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections from members of the University's Department of Archaeology in 1999. |
| Description | The collection comprises:
Minutes 1985-1993, correspondence 1980-1995, case-files c.1980-c.1990, notices 1962-1987, and chairman's files 1993-1997 of Group 14 and East Midlands Group (BCA 1);
Minutes 1954-1972, and other items relating to Group 6 Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland (BCA 2);
Annual reports 1986-1997, copies of executive and committee minutes 1986-1992, articles of association 1983, 'Survey of Archaeological Science Training Needs 1994', and 'Report of the Structure and Policy Review Working Party 1991' from the Council for British Archaeology nationally (BCA 3). |