A group of adults and young people digging on an archaeological dig wearing high viz yellow jackets

About YAC

The Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC) is the only UK-wide club where 8–16 year olds can participate in real archaeology and discover why it matters. YAC is co-ordinated by the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and it comprises a growing network of local hands-on YAC branches across the UK, where young people can get involved in practical archaeology. If you want to become a professional archaeologist in the future or just feel like taking up an amazing new hobby, YAC is the right place for you!

Our YAC members take part in all sorts of fantastic, hands-on activities, such as excavation, working with artefacts, visiting historical sites and undertaking experimental archaeology. We explore all eras of human history, such as the Romans, Vikings, Ancient Egyptians and Victorians.

You can read all about the fantastic activities, competitions and projects we are involved in by visiting the ‘What’s new’ page

Two young people stand in an archaeological excavation looking at a tablet being held by an adult.

How do I volunteer with YAC?

Our 80+ YACs across the UK could not operate without the hard work and dedication of over 500 volunteers. Find out more about volunteering with one of our existing CBA-managed YAC branches on our volunteering page.

We are also working on developing volunteering opportunities for our older YAC members. You can find out more about this on our Young Leaders Pathway page.

If you’re interested in starting a new YAC branch, visit our Set up a new club page to find out about the different types of branches we run and the support we offer our YAC leaders.