Ghent will host the annual congress of the European Association of Archaeologists in September 2029, bringing 3,000 to 4,000 archaeologists, heritage specialists and policymakers from around the world to Belgium for the first time.
Ghent University and Flemish Heritage Minister Ben Weyts announced the news on Sunday.
The EAA formally confirmed at its congress in Athens that the 2029 edition will be held in Flanders, with Ghent as the host city and Ghent University as the host institution.
With more than 15,000 members, the European Association of Archaeologists is the world’s largest international professional body for archaeologists. For the past 30 years, it has held its annual congress in a different European city each year.
Ghent’s bid was developed through a partnership between Ghent University’s Department of Archaeology, the Flemish Heritage Agency, Flanders Convention Bureau, Ghent Convention Bureau and several other partners from the Flemish archaeology sector.
The 2029 event, titled EAA Ghent/Flanders 2029, will focus in part on the quality of archaeological research.
Participants will discuss minimum quality standards, new research tools and the role of archaeology in a changing social and technological landscape.
Activities are also planned beyond the congress itself.
In the run-up to the event and during the meeting, a public programme will be organised across Flanders, with the aim of making archaeology more accessible to a wider audience.
