How to Join the Berkshire Archaeology Research Group (BARG)

The Berkshire Archaeology Research Group (BARG) is a voluntary group dedicated to investigating the archaeology of Berkshire, and it welcomes anybody who is interested in archaeology. To join, go to the "Join Us" page on barg-online.org, which is linked from the site's main navigation alongside Home, About Us, Committee, News, Projects, Calendar, and Contact us. The site states that membership is open to anyone with an interest in archaeology — you do not need to be a professional archaeologist or a Berkshire resident to be welcome in the group.

What BARG Is

BARG describes itself as a voluntary group focused on the archaeology of the county of Berkshire. Its interests span a broad period, from prehistoric times through to the post-medieval and modern periods, and it looks at evidence for human activity across the Royal County.

The group runs:

• A programme of research into the archaeology of Berkshire, with details on the project pages of the website.
• A programme of quarterly meetings and visits, with further details on the Calendar pages.
• Lectures about Berkshire archaeology offered to societies, groups and schools, with details in the About BARG section.
• Capabilities to carry out archaeological work (the excerpt cuts off at this point, so check the site for the full description).

How to Join

1. Go to barg-online.org.
2. Find "Join Us" in the main menu (it sits between Home and About Us).
3. Open that page and follow the membership instructions given there.

The website's own summary of its purpose is that it "contains details of the group's projects and other activities and provides details of how to join the group" — so the Join Us page is the authoritative place for current membership information.

Who Can Join

According to the site, "The Group welcomes anybody who is interested in archaeology." That is the only eligibility statement given in the available page evidence. No membership fee, application deadline, or residency requirement is stated in the material available here, so check the Join Us page directly for any current terms.

What You Can Do Once You're Involved

BARG's activities give members several ways to take part:

The projects listed on the site show the range of work the group undertakes, from landscape and hedgerow surveys to excavation-related research and detailed artefact studies — for example, the multi-part study of Apollinaris stoneware bottles found in Barkham, which covers discovery, recording, manufacture, marks and stamps, and the history of the Apollinaris Spring.

If You Want to Know More First

Before joining, you can use the site to judge whether the group matches your interests:

• Read the About Us and Committee pages to see how the group is organised.
• Browse the News archive, which runs from 2002 through 2024, to see what the group has done recently and over the longer term.
• Check the Calendar for upcoming meetings and visits.
• Use the "Can we help?" and "Contact us" pages if you have a question that the website does not answer.

The site also hosts a 60th Anniversary exhibition, publications, and links, which give a further sense of the group's output and connections.

Common Questions

Do I need archaeological experience? The site's only stated condition is an interest in archaeology, so no prior experience is mentioned as a requirement.

Do I need to live in Berkshire? The group focuses on the archaeology of Berkshire, but the welcome statement is not limited by residence in the evidence available.

Is there a fee? No pricing or payment information appears in the available page evidence, so this cannot be confirmed from the material here — check the Join Us page.

How do I keep up with the group? The News pages and Calendar are the main channels described on the site.