The BILNAS Archive
Olwen Brogan at Tomb North C of the Romano-Libyan settlement of Ghirza. D41/2/7 from the BILNAS Archive’s Olwen Brogan Papers.
The British Institute for Libyan and Northern African Studies (BILNAS) is a British International Research Institute affiliated to the British Academy. It supports research, scholarship and collaboration on Libya and the Northern African and Mediterranean regions.
Its disciplinary remit includes archaeology, history, geography, the social and natural sciences, linguistics and the arts. BILNAS (formerly the Society for Libyan Studies) has promoted large scale archaeological and heritage activities in Libya and the region since 1969.
The BILNAS Archive includes collections of rare books, manuscripts, documents, photographs and drawings on these themes, plus additional material on the UK’s wider research engagements with Libya and Northern Africa (including much material from before 1969).
The Archives are held at the University of Leicester by the School of Archaeology and Ancient History.
Those wishing to consult the physical archive should request access by emailing the BILNAS General Secretary on [email protected]
Exploring the Archives
The Online Catalogue
The archive catalogue may be consulted by visiting the University of Leicester Archive Catalogue here.
Digitised Collections
Recently, a major project has been the digitisation of key collections from the archive, which are being made available online and open-access via the Archaeology Data Service.
The Online Gazetteer
The Gazetteer is designed to provide a tool for exploring the rich historic heritage of Libya and can be found here. It is our intention to develop this resource by the addition of further material in digital form.
Feedback and Contributions
The British Institute for Libyan and Northern African Studies (BILNAS) welcomes feedback regarding our archive and its use. We are also pleased to consider potential contributions of new material to the archive.
For all feedback or proposed contributions, please contact the General Secretary at [email protected]
To join BILNAS, please go to the membership page of this website, or simply click here
Members of BILNAS may also use our specialist Library, located in the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
The British Institute for Libyan and Northern African Studies and the University of Leicester
June 2022
