Discover Dorset's wonderful heritage on walks and at other events with archaeologists from Dorset Council and other archaeologists working in the county.

Dorset Archaeological Days

Guided walks, car tours and other outdoor events on archaeological themes.

We're working on our next events and more information will appear here as soon as possible.

Finding Dorset

Talks and finds handling sessions looking at different kinds of archaeological finds.

Finds identification: Beaminster Museum, Saturday 12 July 2025, 11am to 2pm

Drop in to show your finds to the Finds Liaison Officer, Portable Antiquities Scheme. Archaeological objects will be on display for you to see and handle.

Venue

Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Road, Beaminster DT8 3NG

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///sniff.provider.buildings

You can also make an appointment to deliver and collect finds for identification at our Ask an archaeologist events

Ask an archaeologist

Meet Dorset Council's archaeologist at venues around the county to discuss your research and bring finds for identification.

Museum of East Dorset, Wimborne Minster, Tuesday 25 March 2025, 10am to 1pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Museum of East Dorset, 23-29 High Street, Wimborne Minster BH21 1HR

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///cover.fallen.reference

Blandford Town Museum, Thursday 27 March 2025, 10am to 1pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Blandford Town Museum, Bere's Yard, Blandford Forum DT11 7HQ

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///release.viewer.vipers

Dorset History Centre, Saturday 5 April 2025, 10am to 12.30pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Dorset History Centre, Bridport Road, Dorchester DT1 1RP

To find the venue on the What3Words website use:  ///hindering.perfume.beards

Poole Central Library, Tuesday 27 May 2025, 10am to 1pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Poole Central Library, Dolphin Centre, Poole BH15 1QE

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///vibrate.occurs.react

Sturminster Newton Museum, Thursday 29 May 2025, 10am to 1pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Sturminster Newton Museum, 1 Old Market Cross House, Market Cross, Sturminster Newton DT10 1AN

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///wing.elsewhere.blemishes

Beaminster Museum, Saturday 12 July 2025, 11am to 2pm

Drop in to show your finds to the Finds Liaison Officer (FLO), Portable Antiquities Scheme. Archaeological objects will be on display for you to see and handle.

Venue

Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Road, Beaminster DT8 3NG

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///sniff.provider.buildings

Museum of East Dorset, Wimborne Minster, Tuesday 29 July 2025, 10am to 1pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Museum of East Dorset, 23-29 High Street, Wimborne Minster BH21 1HR

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///cover.fallen.reference

Blandford Town Museum, Thursday 31 July 2025, 10am to 1pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Blandford Town Museum, Bere's Yard, Blandford Forum DT11 7HQ

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///release.viewer.vipers

Dorset History Centre, Saturday 2 August 2025, 10am to 12.30pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Dorset History Centre, Bridport Road, Dorchester DT1 1RP

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///hindering.perfume.beards

Dorset History Centre, Saturday 13 September 2025, 10am to 12.30pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Dorset History Centre, Bridport Road, Dorchester DT1 1RP

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///hindering.perfume.beards

Poole Central Library, Tuesday 23 September 2025, 10am to 1pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Poole Central Library, Dolphin Centre, Poole BH15 1QE

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///vibrate.occurs.react

Sturminster Newton Museum, Thursday 25 September 2025, 10am to 1pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Sturminster Newton Museum, 1 Old Market Cross House, Market Cross, Sturminster Newton DT10 1AN

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///wing.elsewhere.blemishes

Museum of East Dorset, Wimborne Minster, Tuesday 25 November 2025, 10am to 1pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Museum of East Dorset, 23-29 High Street, Wimborne Minster BH21 1HR

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///cover.fallen.reference

Blandford Town Museum, Thursday 27 November 2025, 10am to 1pm

Claire Pinder, Dorset Council's Senior Archaeologist, and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen, Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, will be available to answer your questions about Dorset's historic environment and identify your finds.

To make an appointment please email finds@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Regular contacts please note that the Finds Liaison Officer is taking up to 15 finds per person per visit.

Venue

Blandford Town Museum, Bere's Yard, Blandford Forum DT11 7HQ

To find the venue on the What3Words website use: ///release.viewer.vipers

Day schools, talks and other events

Occasional events such as day schools on different periods and themes, online talks, and training for volunteers and amateur archaeologists including metal detectorists

Dorset Museum and Art Gallery lecture: The Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death

A talk by historian Tom Holland exploring Rome's Colosseum.

More information and booking

Organised by Dorset Museum and Art Gallery

Venue

Dorset Museum and Art Gallery, High West Street, Dorchester DT1 1XA

Dorchester Association talk: An archaeological medley, Thursday 27 February 2025 2.30pm

Dr Clare Randall describes episodes from her work on recent excavations across South West England.

Organised by the Dorchester Association for Research into Local History and Archaeology This talk is free to attend but donations are requested from non-members.

Venue

The Dorford Centre, Bridport Road, Dorchester DT1 1RR

To find the venue on the What3Words website use ///issues.chum.support

Female Foundations: the Lives and Legacies of Women in Earth Sciences, Saturday 8 March 2025

On International Women's Day 2025, a day of talks on the contribution of women to our understanding of the past. Academics and authors talk about notable women such as archaeologists Peggy Piggott, Tony Cyriax, and Susann Palmer. Award-winning author Tracy Chevalier will be talking about her work on Mary Anning.

More information and booking

Organised by REACH Equality CIC and Past Participate CIC and hosted by the Dorchester Association for Research into Local History and Archaeology at the Dorford Centre, Bridport Road, Dorchester DT1 1RR.

A date for your diary: Recent work in Dorset Archaeology, Saturday 17 May 2025

A day-school looking at recent work in Dorset. Venue: Dorchester

A date for your diary: Maiden Castle, Saturday 1 November 2025

A day-school celebrating the 40th anniversary of Professor Niall Sharples excavations at Maiden Castle. Organised in partnership with the Dorchester Association for Research into Local History and Archaeology. Venue: Dorchester

Give feedback on events

If you have been to one of our events recently, we would like to know what you think. Help us improve and develop new events by completing our short survey.