Society for Post Medieval Archaeology

What Society for Post Medieval Archaeology does

The Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology (SPMA) is a UK-registered charity (No. 281651) founded in 1966 that operates as Europe's leading professional society for the study and promotion of historical archaeology from c. 1500 AD to the present day. It serves professional archaeologists, academic researchers, university faculty, students, institutional libraries, and heritage-focused community groups, with documented members and grant recipients in at least 14 countries across Europe, North America, and Africa. The organisation is governed by an elected Council of honorary officers and has no parent company, subsidiaries, or equity backers.

SPMA's core offerings centre on academic publishing and member programming. Its flagship product is the peer-reviewed journal Post-Medieval Archaeology, published three times per year with an online archive extending back to volume 1 (1967), monetised and distributed through a long-standing partnership with Taylor & Francis. Adjacent products include the twice-yearly SPMA Newsletter, an occasional monograph series, and the annual Post-Medieval Archaeology Congress (PMAC), which alternates between UK and European venues. The society runs twice-yearly research grants (up to £2,000 per award), undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation prizes (£250 plus membership and a congress bursary), a Community Engagement Award, the Paul and Yolanda Courtney Congress Bursary, the annual Geoff Egan Memorial Lecture, and a PhD Student Group providing workshops and conference-organising experience. There is no proprietary technology stack; SPMA relies on standard publishing and event platforms (Taylor & Francis Online, Eventbrite, PayPal donations, WordPress, Mailchimp).

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: recurring annual membership subscriptions, conference registration fees, and donations. Membership tiers are priced at £20 (student), £36 (ordinary), £40 (joint), £378 (institutional online-only), and £553 (institutional print + online), with the membership year running 1 February to 31 January. Conference tickets for PMAC26 range from £45 (student member advance) to £175 (non-member late). UK-resident members can elect to Gift Aid their subscriptions, yielding an additional 25% from HMRC. The society reinvests member revenue into grant cycles, prizes, and bursaries rather than disclosing operational surplus.

Name

Society for Post Medieval Archaeology

Legal name

Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology

Website

https://spma.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology (SPMA) is a UK-registered charity and Europe's leading professional society for historical archaeology from c. 1500 AD to the present. It serves archaeologists, students, and institutions through its peer-reviewed journal, annual congress, research grants, dissertation prizes, and bursaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic & Professional Society Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Post-medieval archaeology
• Academic journal publishing
• Professional archaeology society
• Archaeological research grants
• Archaeology conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

City Of London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: SPMA generates revenue primarily through annual membership subscriptions. Membership is bundled with journal subscription through Taylor and Francis. Membership year runs from 1 February to 31 January.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Revenue from PMAC annual congress ticket sales. Advance and late registration pricing tiers available with discounts for SPMA members and students.
3. Research Grants: SPMA distributes research grants twice yearly from a dedicated fund. Maximum award per proposal is £2000 per round. Total fund available in each application round is £2000. This represents funds awarded to members rather than revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Society for Post Medieval Archaeology (SPMA) is a UK registered charity (No. 281651) founded in 1966 that operates as a professional membership society for the study of post-medieval archaeology. Its core offerings include a peer-reviewed academic journal (Post-Medieval Archaeology, published in partnership with Taylor & Francis), the annual Post-Medieval Archaeology Congress (PMAC), research grants, and academic prizes such as the Neil Price Lecture.

Product overview

The Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology operates as a professional membership organization rather than a technology company. Its core offerings center on academic publishing (the Post-Medieval Archaeology Journal, SPMA Newsletter, and Monograph Series), annual conferences (the Post-Medieval Archaeology Congress alternating between UK and European venues), and grant programs (Research Grants, Dissertation Prizes for undergraduate and postgraduate students, Community Engagement Award, and Paul and Yolanda Courtney Congress Bursary). Additional member services include a PhD Student Group providing international networking and professional development workshops, and the annual Geoff Egan Memorial Lecture. Membership through Taylor & Francis includes journal access, newsletter delivery, event discounts, and eligibility to apply for Society grants and awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Post-Medieval Archaeology Journal A peer-reviewed academic journal publishing original research on post-medieval archaeology, distributed globally in partnership with Taylor & Francis to society members, libraries, and institutional subscribers.
• Post-Medieval Archaeology Congress (PMAC) Annual academic conference providing a forum for presentation of research, networking, and professional exchange for post-medieval archaeologists, researchers, and students.
• Research Grants Programme Grants awarded by the Society to support field research, publication, and post-excavation work in post-medieval archaeology, available to society members and qualifying researchers.
• Society Prizes and Awards (including Neil Price Lecture) Awards and named lectures given by the Society to recognise outstanding scholarship and contributions to the field of post-medieval archaeology.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Historic EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Historic England's Archaeological Investigation Team carried out complementary earthwork surveys of the brickworks site in Valley of Stones, Dorset. The team completed aerial surveys of the wider area and worked alongside Past Participate CIC and SPMA members. SPMA member Dr Hanna Steyne (President) and other members collaborate with Historic England staff including Rebecca Pullen and Katy Whitaker.
• National Maritime Museum (Portugal)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025PMAC25 conference venue partner. Hosted opening lecture by Director Augusto Salgado and evening reception. Conference scientific programme held at the National Maritime Museum alongside the National Archaeology Museum in Lisbon.
• National Archaeology Museum (Portugal)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025PMAC25 conference venue partner. Hosted portions of the scientific programme for the 7th annual Post-Medieval Archaeology Congress held in Lisbon in April 2025.
• University of YorkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Undergraduate Dissertation Award 2025 winner Edwin Lam is a student at University of York. Society maintains academic partnerships with UK universities for dissertation prizes and research grants.
• Past Participate CICcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Past Participate CIC is a non-profit community archaeology company focusing on research-led programmes in Dorset and south-west England. Awarded a £275,844 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant for 'Living Amongst the Sarsens' project. Conducted excavation work at post-medieval brickworks in Valley of Stones with volunteers. SPMA is connected through member participation and coverage in Notes from the Field.
• University of GlasgowminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Post-graduate dissertation prize 2023 winner Hannah Lara Boyd is a student at Glasgow University. Society maintains academic partnerships with UK universities for dissertation prizes and research grants.
• Taylor and FranciscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaylor and Francis manages SPMA membership services integrated with journal subscription. Members join and renew through the Taylor and Francis website (tandfonline.com). The platform provides online access to the Post-Medieval Archaeology journal from volume 1 (1967) onward. This partnership centralizes membership management and journal distribution.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Prehistoric Society: UK learned society promoting the study of prehistory. Operates an identical operating model to SPMA (membership tiers, peer-reviewed journal, conferences, research grants) but covers the opposite chronological end of archaeology.
• Society for Historical Archaeology: US-based professional society for historical archaeology (roughly AD 1500 to present). Closest international functional counterpart to SPMA — similar period focus, journal, annual conference, and student programs — but operating primarily in North America.
• Society for Medieval Archaeology: Closest direct peer — UK-based learned society dedicated to medieval archaeology. Mirrors SPMA's structure (charity, journal, annual conference, membership tiers) and serves an overlapping researcher community whose period focus (c. AD 500–1500) is immediately adjacent to SPMA's post-medieval scope.

Broad incumbents

• European Association of Archaeologists: Pan-European membership organisation for archaeologists, hosting the largest European archaeology conference (EAA Annual Meeting). Comparable membership/conference model but serves the entire discipline across all periods and geographies.
• Royal Archaeological Institute: One of the UK's oldest archaeological learned societies, publishing the Archaeological Journal and running a national lecture programme. Comparable membership/journal/conference model but with a much broader chronological and thematic remit than SPMA.
• Archaeological Institute of America: North America's largest archaeological learned society. Comparable nonprofit operating model (membership, journal — American Journal of Archaeology, lectures, grants) but with a much broader classical-to-modern scope than SPMA.
• World Archaeological Congress: Global archaeological organisation hosting the WAC congress. Comparable learned-society mission and international conference model but with a worldwide, all-period remit that contrasts with SPMA's narrower period and regional focus.
• Council for British Archaeology: UK-wide umbrella body for archaeology. Operates broader advocacy, education, and heritage programming than SPMA and competes for the same institutional and individual membership pool, but covers all periods rather than specialising in post-medieval work.
• Society of Antiquaries of London: Premier UK antiquarian society, founded 1707, with a Fellowship-based membership model, lectures, and Antiquaries Journal. Comparable learned-society structure but older, broader in scope, and more selective in membership than SPMA.

Regional players

• Rescue – The British Archaeological Trust: UK charity advocating for threatened archaeological heritage sites and supporting field projects through grants. Operates a similar UK-charity structure and awards programme to SPMA but focuses on heritage conservation advocacy rather than a specific academic period.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spma
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@postmedarch/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/postmedieval
• Instagraminstagram.com/postmedarch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-for-post-medieval-archaeology-limited-the-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Society for Post Medieval Archaeology