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The “History of archaeology” commission of the International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (IUPPS)

In 1865 the first international organization for prehistoric archaeology was founded in La Spezia (Italy) as the Congrès international d’anthropologie et d’archéologie préhistorique (CIAAP). It was active until the First World War, when it was dissolved due to the rivalries between nations. A new organization was created in 1931, in Bern, to continue this international effort, the “International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences” (IUPPS). Since then, it groups together all the sciences related to prehistoric and protohistoric studies: archaeology, anthropology, palaeontology, geology, zoology, botany, environmental sciences, physics, chemistry, geography, history, numismatics, epigraphy, mathematics and other.
Research into the mechanisms of adaption and the dynamics of human societies lies at the heart of the IUPPS’s scientific interest. The IUPPS therefore periodically organises a world congress of prehistoric and protohistoric sciences and creates scientific commissions devoted to specific research issues.
One of these commissions is devoted to the History of Archaeology.

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Jorge del Reguero González @ IUPPS History of archaeology

Jorge del Reguero González holds a degree in History and a Master’s in Archaeology and Heritage from the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM). He worked as a researcher at UAM from 2018 to 2019, focusing on the archaeology of architecture and the historiography of 20th-century Spanish archaeology. Within this latter field, he has published numerous works on the historiography and history of Phoenician-Punic archaeology and on Spanish archaeology during the 20th century.

He was a member of the R&D&I project “Recovering Memory: Feminine Journeys through the History of Spanish Archaeology (19th and 20th Centuries)” (ArqueólogAs, 2020–2023). Currently, he continues his research as part of the project “Women and Archaeology in Spain and its International Context: Polyhedral Visions of Resilience” (Arqueólogas/Herstory, 2024–2028).

He is currently pursuing his doctoral thesis at the University of Barcelona (UB). His research, supervised by Margarita Díaz-Andreu and Neemias Santos da Rosa, focuses on the historiography of Phoenician-Punic archaeology in Spain between the 19th and 20th centuries. Among other issues, his work analyzes the scientific careers of several female archaeologists whose contributions have been rendered invisible by the official history of archaeology, including Miriam Astruc, María Josefa Jiménez Cisneros, Matilde Font Sariols, and Solveig Nordström.

Research interests

History of Archaeology; Phoenician-Punic Archaeology; Archival Research in Archaeology; Gender and Archaeological Practice; Pioneering archaeologists

Publications

See the full list of publications on my ResearchGate or Academia.edu profiles

Romero Molero, A. y Reguero González, J. del (2025): “Correspondencia inédita entre el XVII duque de Alba y Evaristo Ramos Cadenas sobre la necrópolis del Gallo de Carteia (San Roque, Cádiz)”. Lucentum, 44: 291-309. https://doi.org/10.14198/LVCENTVM.27141

Reguero González, J. del y Romero Molero, A. (2024): “Reexcavar en los archivos. Nuevos datos sobre las intervenciones arqueológicas en la necrópolis del Gallo de Carteia (San Roque, Cádiz)”. Antigüedad y Cristianismo, 41: 39-58. https://doi.org/10.6018/ayc.632741

Reguero González, J. del (2022): “La invisibilización del papel de la mujer en la conformación de la arqueología púnica en España: los estudios pioneros de Miriam Astruc”. En M. Díaz-Andreu, O. Torres Gomáriz y P. Zarzuela Gutiérrez (eds.), Voces in Crescendo. Del mutismo a la afonía en la historia de las mujeres en la arqueología española. Colección Patracos, 8. INAPH, Alicante: 59-76. ISBN: 978-84-1302-183-6

Reguero González, J. del (2022): “La exposición temporal «Colección de Antigüedades Ibicencas Sáinz de la Cuesta» en el Museo Arqueológico Nacional y la arqueología púnica en los años sesenta del siglo XX”. Boletín del Museo Arqueológico Nacional, 41: 11-28

Reguero González, J. del; Díaz Blanco, A. y Polak, G. (2020): “Heywood W. Seton-Karr, un altruista de principios del siglo XX. La donación de su colección de industria lítica procedente de Egipto al Museo Arqueológico Nacional”. En L. Brage y J. L. Montero (ed.), El Próximo Oriente antiguo y el Egipto faraónico en España y Portugal. Viajeros, pioneros, coleccionistas, instituciones y recepción. Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona: 311-331. ISBN: 978-84-9168-419-0

Reguero González, J. del (2020): “Un ejemplo práctico de puesta en valor del patrimonio documental. El proyecto de innovación docente sobre la exposición «María Encarnación Cabré y el Crucero por el Mediterráneo (1933)»” En J. Onrubia, V. M. López-Menchero, D. Rodríguez y F. J. Morales (eds.), LEGATUM 2.0. Musealización y Puesta en Valor del Patrimonio Cultural. Edición Universidad Castilla-La Mancha, Cuenca: 325-332. ISBN: 978-84-9044-402-3

Reguero González, J. del (2019): “Cecilio Muñoz Fillol y la Comisaría Local de Excavaciones Arqueológicas de Valdepeñas”. Revista de Estudios del Campo de Montiel, 6: 25-44. https://doi.org/10.30823/recm.62019105

“Archaeology Gone Astray: Forgeries, Misinterpretation, and Other Field Stories”. UISPP Commission on the History of Archaeology conference, 12-13 September 2025, Łódź (Poland)

The commission is organising the conference “Archaeology Gone Astray: Forgeries, Misinterpretation, and Other Field Stories” in Łódź (Poland), the 12-13 September 2025.

Conference website: https://archaeo-astray.sciencesconf.org

Call for paper

This conference, titled “Archaeology Gone Astray: Forgeries, Misinterpretations, and Other Field Stories”, is dedicated to the less glorious—but undeniably fascinating—chapters in the history of archaeology. We’ll delve into everything from notorious forgeries and spectacular blunders to interpretive dead ends and moments of… let’s say, excessive enthusiasm in the field.
The event offers a space for reflection, self-reflection, and a bit of humor—because, like any living science, archaeology sometimes takes a wrong turn. Yet, even when it goes astray, it always leads to something interesting.
While the main theme centers on the field’s twists, turns, and detours, the program will also feature an open session for participants who wish to present their current research projects.

Łódź

Conference venue

Institute of Archaeology, University of Lodz, Lodz (Poland). Established in 1945, the institute is one of Poland’s centers for archaeological research and education.

Łódź and the history of archaeology

For many years, Łódź has been one of the key centers for research into the history of archaeology in Poland. It was in this city that Andrzej Abramowicz (1926–2011) carried out his scholarly work. As one of the first archaeologists in the country to reflect deeply and systematically on the development of his discipline, Abramowicz left a significant intellectual legacy: 12 books (including a three-volume memoir), nearly 60 articles, and 28 reviews — which remain foundational for the study of Polish archaeology’s history. His major works include: The Age of Archaeology: Problems of 19th-Century Polish Archaeology (1967), Urns and Ceraunia (1978), the three-volume History of Antiquarian Interests in Poland (Vol. I – 1983, Vol. II – 1987), History of Polish Archaeology: 19th and 20th Century (1991), and History of Polish Archaeology: Beginnings (1992). Beyond his writings, Abramowicz also mentored a generation of scholars, helping to sustain and expand research on the history of archaeology both within and beyond the Łódź archaeological community.

Communication

The official language of the conference are English and French. Only one lecture can be accepted for each(registered) participant. However, the same participant may submit several posters. Please indicate their number precisely on the Registration Form.
The conference will be held in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and online participation. However, please note that priority will be given to in-person presentation.

Abstraction submission

For abstract submission, please use the submission procedure on the conference website.

Oral presentations and posters are possible.

  • Oral presentations are expected to be 20 minutes in length, with an additional 5 minutes for discussion. Slides should be prepared in a common format (e.g., PPT, PPS, PDF).
  • Posters should be planned in standing (portrait) orientation, and their size must not exceed A0 (841 x 1189 mm).

Deadline for submissions: 31 July 2025

Organisation committee

  • Adrianna Szczerba (Institute of Archaeology, University of Lodz, member of the UISPP Commission on History of Archeology, adrianna.szczerba@uni.lodz.pl)
  • Marzena Woźny (Archaeological Museum in Cracow, Vice-president of the UISPP Commission on History of Archeology, marzenawozny@ma.krakow.pl)
  • Jakub Linetty (Museum of the First Piasts in Lednica, member of the UISPP Commission on History of Archeology, jakub.linetty@lednica.pl).

Publication

The papers will be published in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Archaeologia Polona.

Excursion, 13th of September

Participants will have the opportunity to explore Lodz, often referred to as the “Polish Manchester” for its 19th- and 20th-century textile industry. The city’s history has been shaped by the coexistence of four cultures—Polish, Jewish, German, and Russian—each of which has left a lasting imprint on its architecture and heritage.
During Poland’s political and economic transformation in the 1990s, Lodz faced significant challenges. The city’s once-thriving textile industry, which had been the cornerstone of its economy, largely collapsed, leading to widespread economic and social struggles. Despite these setbacks, Lodz has gradually reinvented itself.
Today, the city’s post-industrial landscape seamlessly merges with its rich multicultural past, as former factories have been transformed into museums, galleries, and creative hubs, reflecting Lodz’s ongoing cultural revival. At the core of this revitalization are the city’s 21 higher education institutions, including 6 public universities, which have played a central role in driving innovation and shaping the city’s reinvention.

This call on Calenda.

IUPPS “History of Archaeology” commission’s seminar series

The commission runs a seminar series where researchers present their ongoing research or general research perspectives.

Calendar

Cataldi, Building Humanity’s Heritage. Science, Politics and Religion (1860-1970)

My research program focuses on the social and political history of the construction of humanity’s heritage between the mid-19th century and the 1970s. Indeed, long before World Heritage was defined as “the common heritage of mankind”, to be protected by UNESCO, a group of actors shaped the intellectual space and scientific imaginary that have formed our conceptions of the unity of the human family. From the mid-19th century onward, men and women, clerics and laymen alike, have been building up collections of objects such as fossil bone fragments, lithic tools, skeletons representative of the world’s populations and rock art records. This cultural and scientific heritage includes objects that prove both the biological unity and cultural diversity of humankind. It proves our own evolutionary trajectory, that of Homo sapiens. The aim is to grasp the establishment of the paradigm of human evolution with which we are familiar today, that of Homo sapiens, which, from the 1950s onward, includes all the current populations of the globe, their cultures and the objects associated with them in a single origin.