The British Institute for Libyan & Northern African Studies Archive
The British Institute for Libyan & Northern African Studies [BILNAS] Archive is based in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Leicester and is home to historically significant collections that document the archaeology, history, environment, and culture of Libya and the wider Northern African Region.
Spanning decades of research, the archive contains an extensive range of materials, including documents, drawings, maps, plans, and written records from British-led archaeological projects conducted since World War II.
These include excavations at Hellenistic and Roman sites in Libya, like Sabratha, Lepcis Magna, Cyrene, Euesperides (Benghazi), and Sidi Khrebish (Berenice), as well as excavations at Islamic Barca (El Merj) and Medinet Sultan. The British Institute for Libyan and Northern African Studies Archive also holds valuable material from ground-breaking multi-disciplinary surveys in the pre-desert valleys of Tripolitania and the Saharan oases of Fazzan.
The archive also preserves the work of many pioneering British archaeologists, whose research has shaped our understanding of Libyan and North African scholars such as Dame Kathleen Kenyon,
Lady Olwen Brogan, Charles Daniels, John B. Ward- Perkins, and David Mattingly, with users able to access their correspondence, field notes, excavation plans, sketches, and photographic records.
Recently, a major project has been the digitisation of key collections from the archive, which are being made available online and open-access via the Archaeology Data Service. To view records of Kathleen Kenyon’s work at Sabratha, click here. Upcoming digital releases will feature records from archaeological projects at Ghirza, Ajdabiya, and in Tripolitania’s pre-desert valleys. s.
More than just a historical record however, the BILNAS Archive is a rich resource for further research. Packed with unpublished material and extensive data sets from previous fieldwork expeditions, the archive holds enormous potential for fresh insights and opportunities for re-interpretation.
For anyone fascinated by the deep and complex history of this region, the BILNAS archive is an invaluable resource.
The archive catalogue may be consulted by visiting the University of Leicester Archive Catalogue here.
Stay updated on news and events by visiting the BILNAS website here
To learn more about the history and work of the BILNAS Archive, watch ‘The BILNAS Archive: Past, Present and Future’ by Felicity Crowe. Click here to watch it on YouTube.
To learn more about BILNAS and how to access the collections they hold, click here.
