NESAT XVI - Glasgow, 2-4 June 2027
Glasgow Cityscape © Glasgow Life / Paul Watt Photography.
Welcome to Glasgow! It is with pleasure that we invite you to the sixteenth gathering of the North European Symposium for Archaeological Textiles - NESAT XVI - to be held in person in Glasgow, Scotland, from Wednesday 2nd to Friday 4th June 2027.
NESAT was established in 1981 and continues to be a vital forum for the study of archaeological textiles in Northern and Central Europe from deep history to the historical periods. Interdisciplinary and international, it is the place to present and discuss current research in the field of archaeological textiles. Participants include textile archaeologists, historians, art historians, natural scientists, conservators, craftspeople, independent researchers and others. All are brought together by a curiosity in archaeological textiles and the desire to share high-quality research and practice in this field.
As we celebrate a time when archaeological textiles research is flourishing, we welcome a broad spectrum of papers to explore the richness of humanities’ textile heritage. To foster lively discussion among attendees, we especially encourage papers on current projects, recently excavated or newly analysed textiles, production techniques and materials, experience and iconography, and innovative methodological or theoretical approaches.
Call for Papers
We invite three types of presentation:
- 15-minute oral presentation plus 5 minutes discussion, format is Power Point.
- Poster with poster sessions.
- Demonstration or show and tell of textile techniques and practical research results. These should be able to fit on a small table or equivalent space. Electrical equipment is not permitted.
Proposals for oral papers, posters and demonstrations should include a title, an abstract in English up to a maximum length of 250 words, as well as the presenter’s personal details: title/degree, full name, institutional affiliation, e-mail address and ORCID ID number if available. Language: English (preferred) or German (with English subtitles).
The NESAT Scientific Committee reserves the right to suggest a change in the type of presentation based on the submitted proposal.
Deadline for submitting proposals for oral presentations, posters and demonstrations is 31st October 2026. Submit oral and poster presentation proposals via the portal here.
Applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of their application and will be notified of the outcome in December 2026.
Contact the organisers: nesatxvi@gla.systa-s.com
The Organising Committee
Susanna Harris, University of Glasgow
Maria Elena Bertoli, University of Glasgow
Sarah Foskett, University of Glasgow
Julia Hopkin, University of Glasgow
Alexandra Makin, Manchester Metropolitan University
Contact the organisers: nesatxvi@gla.systa-s.com
For the recent editions of the NESAT conferences, see: NESAT XII Hallstatt 2014; NESAT XIII Liberec 2017; NESAT XV Warsaw, History of NESAT conferences up to 2017. NESAT on Wikipedia
Registration
The registration fee is approximately £175 (£160 plus Eventbrite fees). Registration covers admission to all scientific events, tea and coffee breaks, an invitation to the conference party and pre-conference tours.
Registration will open the first week of August 2026. The deadline for registration and payment of the registration fee is the 28th of February 2027.
NESAT XVI conference will be held in person in the Sir Charles Wilson Building, located in the main campus of the University of Glasgow, G12 8NN.
Posters can be brought to the venue or ordered via the University of Glasgow Print Shop.
If you have accessibility requirements, need alternative formats or other reasonable adjustments, please contact Maria Elena Bertoli (nesatxvi@gla.systa-s.com) so that arrangements, where possible, can be made.
The conference party is on Thursday, 3rd June 2027, in the Dining Hall of the Glasgow University Union. The party will include a buffet dinner and traditional Scottish entertainment. Please specify dietary requirements when registering.
Pre-conference Tours and Independent Visits
Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum – Floating Heads Installation © Sophy Cave. All rights reserved.
Pre-conference tours
You are invited to join a guided tour of the Kelvin Centre for Conservation and Cultural Heritage Research, home of the Postgraduate Textile Conservation and other programmes. and the Hunterian Collections Study Centre at , 1445 Argyle Street, G3 8AW. The guided tours will take place on Tuesday, 1st of June 2027. Time and details to follow, booking via registration.
Independent visits
Scotland has an extensive textile heritage and there are many places for independent visits to explore alongside the conference programme.
We highly recommend exploring sites near the conference venue:
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Explore the St Kilda textile display in the Cultural Connections gallery
- The Glasgow Botanic Gardens. Stroll in the herb garden with dye plant section
- Shop for quality Scottish knits at Eunice Whyte, 109 Dumbarton Road, G11 6PW.
- The Hunterian Museum. The Antonine Wall marks the northern reach of the Roman empire, find carved distance stones and leather shoes.
- The Mackintosh House for its distinctive interiors - tickets required.
More in the surrounding area:
Radical Weavers will be running their Design & Weave Your Own Tartan workshop on Saturday 5th June 2027, based in Stirling. Book directly following this link.
The Burrell Collection, especially for the European tapestries and Islamic carpets.
Paisley was once famous for its fine shawls and weaving. The long-awaited Paisley Museum is due to reopen in 2027.
Kilbarchan weaver’s cottage, for the looms, dyers garden and quirky interior. Travel by busses or car.
Further afield:
National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh – discover the Orkney Hood and Moss on display in Level -1, Scotland galleries, Early People.
The Bayeux Tapestry exhibition in London.
Key Dates
1 June 2026 - Call for papers opens.
August 2026 - Registration opens.
31 October 2026 - Deadline for submitting proposals for oral presentations, posters and demonstrations.
December 2026 - Applicants for oral presentations, posters and demonstrations will be notified of the outcome.
28 February 2027 - Deadline for registration and payment of registration fee.
Other Information
Transport hubs
The nearest airports are Glasgow International Airport and Edinburgh International Airport.
The main railway stations are Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central. The local train station is Partick.
The nearest subway is Hillhead.
Bus route 4 goes to the city centre from the nearby University Union bus stop.
Car parking is near the conference venue is very limited and is managed by Glasgow City Council, payment is by app.
Accommodation
There are many accommodation options in Glasgow. Here are some options.
For hotels and hostels search and book online via sites such as Booking.com and Trivago.co.uk.
The conference venue is in Glasgow West End. Convenient locations are around Kelvingrove Park, The University of Glasgow, The Botanic Gardens and Hillhead. Glasgow City Centre is readily accessible via public transport.
NESAT Board and Scientific Committee
Johanna Banck-Burgess, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Helena Březinová, Institute of Archaeology ASC, Prague, Czech Republic
Margarita Gleba, University of Padova, Italy
Karina Grömer, Natural History Museum, Vienna, Austria
Susanna Harris, University of Glasgow, UK
Sanna Lipkin, University of Oulu, Finland
Ulla Mannering, National Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark
Agata Ulanowska, Faculty of Archaeology University of Warsaw, Poland