Established in 2018, the Middle Thames Archaeology Partnership seeks to enhance, protect and harness the archaeological heritage of the Middle Thames region through partnerships and collaborative research between the University of Reading and governmental, commercial and third sector organisations.
The Partnership’s core geographic focus is the prominent loop of the River Thames embracing the modern town of Maidenhead, nested within a wider canvas of riverine parishes extending from Goring Gap in the west to the river’s upper tidal reaches in the east. This micro-region offers a powerful lens for exploring how the River Thames has shaped human narratives and cultural trajectories in the past. But that potential remains largely untapped because it has not benefitted from the same level archaeological research and synthesis as adjacent stretches of the river.
The key aims of the project are threefold:
- To improve access to information on archaeological heritage within the partnership region as a basis for research, education, outreach and protection
- To utilise archaeological heritage to purse research questions that are grounded in the specifics of the partnership region, but look beyond the local context
- To create opportunities for stakeholders to come together to co-design and co-deliver initiatives that maximise the public and academic benefit of archaeological heritage