About BAR
BAR Publishing (BAR) has been a cornerstone of academic publishing in archaeology since 1974. What began as a determined response to the lack of publishing opportunities for excavation reports has grown into one of the world’s most extensive series of archaeological monographs with nearly 4,000 titles published to date.
BAR originated in Oxford, UK, where Anthony Hands, Conant Brodribb, and David Walker—while excavating a Roman villa—became frustrated by the difficulty of getting their excavation reports published. In response, they decided to publish their own findings. What began as a hands-on initiative soon evolved into a pioneering model for academic publishing in archaeology.
Initially operating from a spare room and collating books by hand, BAR rapidly became a vital outlet for archaeological research, including excavation reports, specialist studies, and unpublished manuscripts that otherwise lacked a platform.
The model was simple but effective: publish swiftly, cost effectively, and without unnecessary editorial barriers. Over time, this ethos attracted scholars from around the world, and BAR began publishing in multiple languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish, as well as Russian and Greek, among many others.
At the heart of BAR’s founding vision was a deep commitment to long-term scholarly value. Their ambition was to create “a worldwide databank in archaeological research that is relevant in 100 years’ time.” That goal continues to shape our work today.
BAR remains an independent publisher based in Oxford, UK, with a small team of ten. Among us are four archaeologists working across editorial, production, and marketing, maintaining the academic rigour and subject expertise that have always been central to our work.
Contact us
For further information about the BAR Digital Collection or to arrange a call, please get in touch with James Young from our Digital Team.
Phone: +44 (0)1865 310431
