The Commercial Archaeological Geophysics Seminar returns in 2026
Being organised by FAME member Magnitude Surveys. See the announcement below:
After a 12-year hiatus, CAGS will take place at the Bradford Arts Centre on the 9th and 10th of July, Bradford, West Yorkshire.
To make this day as successful as the last, we need input from across the sector. There have been many advances in technology, shifts in the UK and abroad on the political spectrum, and changes within the wider sector since 2014. There will be many interesting papers on these topics, and it would make the day even more useful if as many of you as possible were present to actively participate and bring your experience and knowledge to the table; even better, present a paper. The goal of the Seminar is to improve not only the quality of output across the sector but also the understanding and use of the documents and results once the send button is clicked on the final report.
For those who did not attend the 2014 seminar, it brought together those who conduct surveys, those who commission them, those who set and enforce the standards, and those who use the data and reports. The day attracted a broad cross-section of the Archaeological sector from the UK and Europe, where we discussed changes, debated ideas, and shaped the future. The day consisted of 4 sessions, each with a roundtable discussion at the end. We will return to this format in 2026. Please see the website for the 2014 proceedings.
Call For Papers and Participation.
We have decided against restricting papers to predetermined session titles and instead have open sessions. You decide the subjects you wish to address. When the paper proposals come in, they will be grouped by theme. Equipment, technique, novel developments, A.I., legislatory considerations & governance, commissioning survey, use of reports and results in the planning process, the view from outside the U.K., etc., etc.
Papers will be 15 minutes long, followed by up to 5 minutes for clarifications. To close each session, there will be a 15-minute discussion with all presenters and the chair, during which the chair will take questions from the audience. This should allow some interesting discussions.
Abstracts should be no more than 200 words and can include up to three images. The submission deadline will be Friday, 3rd of April. Please submit your abstract as a pdf to 2026@cagseminar.org
Due to time constraints and depending on the number of papers, we may ask some submissions to be presented as posters. If you feel your submission may be better suited as a poster, please make this clear at the time of submission of your abstract.
Contact CAGS at 2026@cagseminar.org and check the website at www.cagseminar.org for registration and further details, which will be updated throughout the year.
Hope to see many of you here in Bradford,
CAGS Organising Committee