Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society

The Society , founded in 1847, is a Literary and Scientific Institution called The
Architectural and Archaeological Society for the County of Buckinghamshire but
known as Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society or BAS. It is one of the
oldest County Societies in the country. The objects of the Society are to
promote and foster among the public the study of architecture, archaeology,
geology, botany, zoology, geneaology, topography, heraldry, numismatics and the
general and domestic and natural history and arts of the county.

The whole of the old county of Buckinghamshire from Milton keynes in the north, to Eton in the south. The
objects of the Society are carried out by maintaining a Library and collection of archives;
by the annual publication of Records of Buckinghamshire which contains research papers;
publication of books; lectures and discussions and by visits to places of historical or
natural history interest.

Archaeological excavations were carried out by the Society in earlier days but the County
Archaeological Service has now taken over the role. However during the building of the new
city of Milton keynes in the 1970s the Society published the 11 volume report on the
archaeological investigations, 8 of these volumes are still in print.

The Society founded the County Museum and still owns the main museum buildings and a
large part of its collections, although the museum is now leased and run for the County Council
by professional curatorial staff. The Library and archives collection is housed in the County
Museum and is open to the public on Wednesdays. The approx. 450 members of the Society,
are able to use the Library whenever the Museum is open.