The Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) is an academic national body in the United Kingdom founded in 1979 "to promote debate and discussion of issues in theoretical archaeology". Since 1977 TAG conferences have been held in December at various universities in the UK and Ireland discussing a range of contemporary theoretical approaches in archaeology. The conferences are supported by the journal Antiquity.

Since 1985, regional TAG conferences have also been held in Europe and North America. The Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference (TRAC) was created in 1991 to address the shortcomings of traditional Roman archaeology through critical, theory-driven discussions inspired by TAG conferences.

History In the mid to late 1970s, the teaching of theoretical archaeology was limited in UK universities. The death of English academic and archaeologist David Clarke in 1976 represented a significant blow to the field.

The Cambridge Interdisciplinary Conferences In the 1970s, there were several events which engaged in archaeological theory in British archaeology. The first three Cambridge Interdisciplinary Conferences - Archaeology and Anthropology: Areas of Mutual Interest, Social Organisation and Settlement: Contributions from Anthropology, Archaeology and Geography and Space, Hierarchy and Society: Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Area Analysis - held between 1976 and 1978, are considered to be the most notable precursors to the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) events. The first interdisciplinary conference in March 1976 was organised by the Cambridge University Archaeological and Anthropological Societies. Colin Renfrew contributed to these conferences.

Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) Conferences The idea for TAG came out of a discussion at Southampton in the spring of 1977 between Andrew Fleming and Colin Renfrew. It was agreed that a new discussion group would be created for like-minded archaeology staff and students from the universities of Southampton and Sheffield. TAG began at the University of Southampton in December 1977, with the University of Sheffield hosting the following year. Both conferences were held as seminar-like gatherings and were considered progenitors of the events which followed. From December 1979, TAG became an annual conference open to all universities, researchers and professionals - the conference was a success. The conferences are now hosted annually by different archaeology university departments across the UK and Ireland. The number of sessions and speakers have progressively grown over the decades too, especially following the Euro-TAG conference at the University of Southampton in 1992. Regional conferences - such as Nordic TAG and TAG North America - have been organised in Europe and North America respectively since 1985.

Conference Format and National Body

Conference Format TAG is an example of a parallel session conference. The conference is known for being affordable, making it accessible to a wide range of participants, including students, early-career researchers and professionals. Past conferences have inspired some of the most innovative journal articles in archaeology, published in respected journals such as Archaeological Dialogues, Antiquity, and the Journal of Social Archaeology. The keynote, wine reception, Antiquity Quiz, TAG Party and the annual TAG National Committee meeting have become annual features of the conference. Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) National Body The Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) was established as a national body in 1979. The national body comprises two governing entities: a National Committee and Trustees. TAG is managed and guided by a National Committee, which includes representatives from previous TAG conference host departments. The committee meets annually at the conference. The TAG Trustees convene and organise annual National Committee meetings, administer TAG finances and promote the annual conference.

List of Annual TAG Conferences in the UK and Ireland

By Conference Year The Theoretical Archaeology Group conferences have been held or are planned at the following institutions:

Year Host Institution Theme / Meeting Name Conference Dates2026University of ExeterPersistence / Loss14–16 December 2025 University of YorkTheory in Action 15–17 December 2024 Bournemouth University Evolution? 13–15 December 2023 University of East Anglia Climate Archaeology: Temporalities and Ontologies 18-20 December 2022 University of Edinburgh Revolutions 15–17 December 2021 Antiquity 17–19 December 2020 University of Leicester Fringe TAG 18 December 2019 University College London Power, Knowledge and the Past / TAG@UCL-IoA 16–18 December 2018 University of Chester TAG Deva 17–19 December 2017 Cardiff University 18–20 December 2016 University of Southampton 19–21 December 2015 University of Bradford 14–16 December 2014 University of Manchester 15–17 December 2013 Bournemouth University TAG on Sea 16–18 December 2012 University of Liverpool 17–19 December 2011 University of Birmingham Central TAG 14–16 December 2010 University of Bristol 17–19 December 2009 Durham University 17–19 December 2008 University of Southampton 15–17 December 2007 University of York 14–16 December 2006 University of Exeter X-TAG 15–18 December 2005 University of Sheffield 19–21 December 2004 University of Glasgow Tartan TAG 17–19 December 2003 University of Wales, Lampeter TAG@25 17–19 December 2002 University of Manchester 21–23 December 2001 University College Dublin TAG in Ireland 13–15 December 2000 University of Oxford TAG 2000 18–20 December 1999 Cardiff University 14–17 December 1998 University of Birmingham 19–21 December 1997 Bournemouth University 16–18 December 1996 University of Liverpool 16–18 December 1995 University of Reading 18–21 December 1994 University of Bradford 14–16 December 1993 Durham University 13–16 December 1992 University of Southampton Euro-TAG 14–16 December 1991 University of Leicester 16–19 December 1990 University of Wales, Lampeter 17–20 December 1989 Newcastle University 18–20 December 1988 University of Sheffield 13–15 December 1987 University of Bradford 15–17 December 1986 University College London 15–17 December 1985 University of Glasgow 16–18 December 1984 University of Cambridge 14–16 December 1983 Cardiff University 12–14 December 1982 Durham University 13–15 December 1981 University of Reading 14–16 December 1980 University of Southampton 14–16 December 1979 University of Sheffield 17–19 December 1978 University of Sheffield 8–10 December 1977 University of Southampton 9–11 December

By Host Institution The founding institutions of TAG, the University of Southampton and the University of Sheffield, have hosted the most conferences: Host Institution Conference Years No. of Conferences University of Southampton 2016, 2008, 1992, 1980, 1977 University of Sheffield 2005, 1988, 1979, 1978 Bournemouth University 2024, 2013, 1997 Cardiff University 2017, 1999, 1983 Durham University 2009, 1982, 1993 University of Bradford 2015, 1994, 1987 University College London 2019, 1986 University of Birmingham 2011, 1998 University of Glasgow 2004, 1985 University of Leicester 2020, 1991 University of Liverpool 2012, 1996 University of Manchester 2014, 2002 University of Reading 1995, 1981 University of Wales, Lampeter 2003, 1990 University of York 2025, 2007 University of Exeter 2026, 2006 Antiquity 2021 Newcastle University 1989 University College Dublin 2001 University of Bristol 2010 University of Cambridge 1984 University of Chester 2018 University of East Anglia 2023 University of Edinburgh 2022 University of Oxford 2000

List of regional TAG conferences Since 1985, regional TAG conferences have also been held in EuropeCzech TAG 2014 – Programme https://kar.zcu.cz/doc/projekty/strategie/konference/Czech%20TAG%202014%20ProgrammeTisk.pdf and North America. There are also the SWISS-Tag network and the TAG Germany groups. +YearHost institution / city / townOrganiserCountryConference dates2026KalmarNordic TAGSweden6–9 May2025College of William & MaryTAG North AmericaUnited States9–11 May2024Santa Fe University of Art and DesignTAG North AmericaUnited States21–23 May2024TurkuNordic TAGFinland6–9 March2022OsloNordic TAGNorway2021TAG-Turkey IIITAG TurkeyTurkey6–9 May2021Stanford UniversityTAG North AmericaUnited States2020University of LisbonTAG IbéricoPortugal15 February2019Syracuse UniversityTAG North AmericaUnited States2018University of FloridaTAG North AmericaUnited States2018CarmonaTAG IbéricoSpain3–4 February2017University of TorontoTAG North AmericaCanada18–20 May2016Süleyman Demirel UniversityTAG TurkeyTurkey2016TerrigalAus-TAG sessionAustralia6–8 December2016University of Colorado BoulderTAG North AmericaUnited States22–24 May2015CopenhagenNordic TAGDenmark2015New York UniversityTAG North AmericaUnited States2014Mimar Sinan UniversityTAG TurkeyTurkey5–6 February 20152014University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignTAG North AmericaUnited States23–25 May2014StockholmNordic TAGSweden22–26 April2014University of West BohemiaCzech TAGCzech Republic3–4 March2013Ege UniversityTAG TurkeyTurkey9–11 May2013University of ChicagoTAG North AmericaUnited States9–10 May2013ReykjavíkNordic TAGIceland21–25 April2012University of GlasgowScottish TAGScotland6 October2012OuluNordic TAGFinland2012University at BuffaloTAG North AmericaUnited States27–30 May2011University of California, BerkeleyTAG North AmericaUnited States6–8 May2011KalmarNordic TAGSweden26–29 April2010Brown UniversityTAG North AmericaUnited States30 April – 2 May2011Stanford UniversityTAG North AmericaUnited States1–3 May2009TrondheimNordic TAGNorway26–29 May2008Columbia UniversityTAG North AmericaUnited States23–25 May2007AarhusNordic TAGDenmark2005LundNordic TAGSweden2003UppsalaNordic TAGSweden2001OsloNordic TAGNorway1997GothenburgNordic TAGSweden1992HelsinkiNordic TAGFinland1990BergenNordic TAGNorway1987UmeåNordic TAGSweden1985ElsinoreNordic TAGDenmark

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