Theoretical Archaeology Group

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".^[1] 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.^[1] The conferences are supported by the journal Antiquity.^[1][2] Since 1985, regional TAG conferences have also been held in Europe and North America.^{[1][3][4][5][6]} 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.^[7]

Theoretical Archaeology Group

Abbreviation	TAG[a]
Formation	TAG Conference: December 1977; 47 years ago (1977-12) TAG National Body: 1979; 46 years ago (1979)
Founder	University of Southampton University of Sheffield
Founded at	University of Southampton (TAG Conference) University of Sheffield (TAG National Body)
Purpose	To promote debate and discussion of issues in theoretical archaeology.[1]
Headquarters	Durham University
Location	Durham, United Kingdom
Key people	Julian Thomas (TAG Trustee) Karina Croucher (TAG Trustee) Colin Renfrew (Former TAG Trustee) Timothy Darvill (Former TAG Trustee) Andrew Fleming (Former TAG Trustee).[1]
Website	Antiquity TAG Archive

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.^[8]

The Cambridge Interdisciplinary Conferences

In the 1970s, there were several events which engaged in archaeological theory in British archaeology.^[2] The first three Cambridge Interdisciplinary Conferences - Archaeology and Anthropology: Areas of Mutual Interest,^[9] Social Organisation and Settlement: Contributions from Anthropology, Archaeology and Geography and Space,^[10] Hierarchy and Society: Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Area Analysis^[11] - held between 1976 and 1978, are considered to be the most notable precursors to the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) events.^[2][b] The first interdisciplinary conference in March 1976 was organised by the Cambridge University Archaeological and Anthropological Societies.^[9] Colin Renfrew contributed to these conferences.^[9][10][11]

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.^[8] 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.^[1][8] TAG began at the University of Southampton in December 1977, with the University of Sheffield hosting the following year.^[1] Both conferences were held as seminar-like gatherings and were considered progenitors of the events which followed.^[2] From December 1979, TAG became an annual conference open to all universities - the conference was a success.^[8] The conferences are now hosted annually by different archaeology university departments across the UK and Ireland.^[1] 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.^[2] Regional conferences - such as Nordic TAG and TAG North America - have been organised in Europe and North America respectively since 1985.^{[1][3][4][5][6]}

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.^[1] 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.^[12] The Antiquity Keynote, Wine Reception, Antiquity Quiz, TAG Party and the annual TAG National Committee meeting have become annual features of the conference.^[1]

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.^[1] 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.^[1] The TAG Trustees convene and organise annual National Committee meetings, administer TAG finances and promote the annual conference.^[1]

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:^[1]

Year	Host Institution	Theme / Meeting Name	Conference Dates
2025	University of York[13]	Theory in Action[14]	15-17 December[15]
2024	Bournemouth University	Evolution?	13-15 December
2023	University of East Anglia	Climate Archaeology: Temporalities and Ontologies[16]	18-20 December
2022	University of Edinburgh	Revolutions	15-17 December
2021	Antiquity[c]		17-19 December
2020	University of Leicester[c]	Fringe TAG	18 December
2019	University College London	Power, Knowledge and the Past[17] / 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[18]	15-18 December
2005	University of Sheffield		19-21 December
2004	University of Glasgow	Tartan TAG[18]	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[d]		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[e]		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:^[1]

Host Institution	Conference Years	No. of Conferences
University of Southampton	2016, 2008, 1992, 1980, 1977	5
University of Sheffield	2005, 1988, 1979, 1978	4
Bournemouth University	2024, 2013, 1997	3
Cardiff University	2017, 1999, 1983
Durham University	2009, 1982, 1993
University of Bradford	2015, 1994, 1987
University College London	2019, 1986	2
University of Birmingham	2011, 1998
University of Glasgow	2004, 1985
University of Leicester[f]	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[13]	2025, 2007
Antiquity[c]	2021	1
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 Exeter	2006
University of Oxford	2000

List of Regional TAG Conferences

Since 1985, regional TAG conferences have also been held in Europe^[1][3][4][5] and North America.^[1][6] There is also a SWISS-Tag network group based in Bern, Switzerland.^[1][22]

Year	Host Institution / City / Town	Organiser	Country	Conference Dates
2026	Kalmar[23]	Nordic TAG	Sweden	6-9 May[23]
2025	College of William & Mary[24]	TAG North America	United States	9-11 May
2024	Santa Fe University of Art and Design	TAG North America	United States	21-23 May
2024	Turku	Nordic TAG	Finland	6-9 March
2022	Oslo	Nordic TAG	Norway
2021	TAG-Turkey III[25][c]	TAG Turkey	Turkey	6-9 May
2021	Stanford University[c]	TAG North America	United States
2020	University of Lisbon	TAG Ibérico	Portugal	15 February
2019	Syracuse University	TAG North America	United States
2018	University of Florida	TAG North America	United States
2018	Carmona, Sevilla	TAG Ibérico	Spain	3-4 February
2017	University of Toronto	TAG North America	Canada	18-20 May[1]
2016	Süleyman Demirel University	TAG Turkey	Turkey
2016	Terrigal	Aus-TAG session	Australia	6-8 December
2016	University of Colorado Boulder	TAG North America	United States	22-24 May
2015	Copenhagen	Nordic TAG	Denmark
2015	New York University	TAG North America	United States
2014	Mimar Sinan University	TAG Turkey	Turkey	5-6 February 2015
2014	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	TAG North America	United States	23-25 May
2014	Stockholm	Nordic TAG	Sweden	22-26 April
2014	University of West Bohemia	Czech TAG	Czech Republic	3-4 March
2013	Ege University	TAG Turkey	Turkey	9-11 May
2013	University of Chicago	TAG North America	United States	9-10 May
2013	Reykjavík	Nordic TAG	Iceland	21-25 April
2012	University of Glasgow	Scottish TAG	Scotland	6 October
2012	Oulu	Nordic TAG	Finland
2012	University at Buffalo	TAG North America	United States	27-30 May
2011	University of California, Berkeley	TAG North America	United States	6-8 May
2011	Kalmar	Nordic TAG	Sweden	26-29 April
2010	Brown University	TAG North America	United States	30 April-2 May
2011	Stanford University	TAG North America	United States	1-3 May
2009	Trondheim	Nordic TAG	Norway	26-29 May
2008	Columbia University	TAG North America	United States	23-25 May
2007	Aarhus	Nordic TAG	Denmark
2005	Lund	Nordic TAG	Sweden
2003	Uppsala	Nordic TAG	Sweden
2001	Oslo	Nordic TAG	Norway
1997	Gothenburg	Nordic TAG	Sweden
1992	Helsinki	Nordic TAG	Finland
1990	Bergen	Nordic TAG	Norway
1987	Umeå	Nordic TAG	Sweden
1985	Elsinore	Nordic TAG	Denmark

Notes

1. TAG is also used as the Theoretical Archaeology Group's nickname.
2. This is the view taken by the organisers of the conferences at least.^[2]
3. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic this conference was held online.
4. This is considered the meeting where post-modernism emerged into archaeological theory.^[1][19][20]
5. This is the first conference to be mentioned in Antiquity by Nick Merriman.^[1][21]
6. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Leicester's 2020 conference was held online.