We have had a fantastic selection of entries for this year’s photo competition – sponsored by Hidden History Travel & Archaeology – with images that have taken us all over the world, and back in time. From pictures offering new perspectives of famous monuments and heritage sites to shots of lesser-known archaeological gems, the brilliant array of photos submitted for this year’s competition highlights the many different ways we experience and explore the past. Archaeological photographer Adam Stanford of AS Geospatial Surveys (ASGS), served as our judge and cast his expert eye over the entries. The results were announced at the Current Archaeology Awards ceremony on 28 February.
This year’s overall winner is Tahir Ceylan, with his spectacular night-time shot of the ancient city of Savatra, located at the foothills of Bozdağ National Park in the Konya region of modern-day Turkey.
The winning photo was on display at the CA Live! 2026 conference at the UCL Institute of Education in London, alongside our three runners-up (presented here in alphabetical order).
First we have Carlo Olmi’s photo of the Imperial Fora in Rome. This picture captures part of the collection of monumental buildings and public squares built between 46 BC and AD 113, which served as the centre of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire.
Another of the runners-up is George Tsafos, with this colourful photo of the Acropolis of Athens, captured at sunset. Behind the ancient Greek citadel sits the Aegean Sea, with mountains beyond.
The third runner-up is Yevhen Samuchenko, whose photo shows a moonlit view of the fortress of Akkerman (Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi), a medieval coastal stronghold in Ukraine, built between the 13th and 15th centuries.
Well done to the winners, and thank you to all who entered; we’ve loved seeing your work. Keep an eye out for details about the CWA Photo Competition 2027, coming later this year. We look forward to seeing your entries!
