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 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 the archaeology of Libya and Northern Africa, plus additional material on the UK’s wider research engagements with the region (including much material from before 1969).

The archive was established in 1988 with the donation of the David Smith and Olwen Brogan papers, and it has continued to grow ever since, with now about 60 collections.

The majority of the collections relate to projects in which BILNAS had an important role. Significant collections cover sites including Sabratha, Lepcis Magna, Ghirza and the Tripolitanian pre-desert more generally, the Fezzan, Tocra, Cyrene, Sidi Khrebish, El Merj, and many other sites. Records can include excavation and survey notebooks, correspondence about projects, photographs of finds and excavations, progress reports, finds catalogues and records, drawings of excavations, maps and plans, and much more.

Many of the sites covered by the archive have now been damaged or destroyed by urban and agricultural development.

The BILNAS Digital Archive, made available by the ADS, brings together the digitised collections of material held by the Institute.

BILNAS is currently undertaking a digitisation programme and as new collections are digitised they will be added to the Collections List available via the menu.