A Contemporary Archaeology of London’s Mega Events wins London Archaeological Prize

Posted on 11th December, 2024

We are delighted to share the news that A Contemporary Archaeology of London’s Mega Events by Jonathan Gardner has won the London Archaeological Prize awarded by London Archaeologist to the best book about London archaeology published in the preceding two years.

Since its inception in 2004, this biennial publication prize has aimed to promote and encourage high publication standards and wider dissemination of London’s archaeological findings. London Archaeologist administers the Prize, and it is adjudicated by a panel of judges from professional, academic and voluntary sectors of archaeology.

The book explores the traces of London’s most significant modern ‘mega events’: the Great Exhibition of 1851, the 1951 Festival of Britain’s South Bank Exhibition and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Though only open for a few weeks or months, mega events permanently and disruptively reshape their host cities and societies: they demolish and rebuild whole districts, they draw in materials and participants from around the globe and their organisers self-consciously seek to leave a ‘legacy’ that will endure for decades or more.

The judges commented:

‘An exceptional piece of well-written, new, and original research unparalleled for quality and excellence.’

‘The book is a Mega Event in its own right and in my opinion quite brilliant. It is meticulous (but) unpretentious – an excellent balance, well-written, complex but very accessible. A great achievement.’

Congratulations to Dr Gardner!