Archaeologist Gavin Lucas awarded the 2026 Gad Rausing Prize

The 2026 Gad Rausing Prize for Outstanding Humanities Research is awarded to Professor Gavin Lucas, University of Iceland, for his significant contributions to theoretical development, methodology and practice in archaeology. The prize will be presented at the Academy’s Annual Meeting on 20 March. The prize sum is SEK 1.5 million.

Gavin Lucas, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Iceland, is awarded the 2026 Gad Rausing Prize for his significant contributions to theoretical development, methodology and practice in the field of archaeology, in close connection with broader humanistic theoretical traditions.

Gavin Lucas plays a leading role in the development of archaeology, both in Iceland and internationally. For two decades, he has been at the forefront of a systematic development of the scientific theoretical foundations of archaeology, in close connection with broader humanistic theoretical traditions.

–It is a tremendous honour to receive the Gad Rausing Prize. The award came as a complete surprise, and while it can sometimes be difficult to gauge how one’s work is received or how it shapes the discipline, an honour of this magnitude is deeply affirming. For me, the significance of a prize such as this is also a reminder that we are part of a wider academic community, and one in which the Humanities are recognized for the essential contributions they make, says professor Gavin Lucas.

–My work in archaeology has always sought to connect empirical research with theoretical reflection. In particular, my engagement with the practice of archaeology, from excavation to publication, has been central to a professional career that, for the last quarter of a century, has been based in Iceland. I also want to acknowledge the context in which my work has flourished, my colleagues and the institutions I have worked with, whose support and collaboration have made this research possible, says professor Gavin Lucas.

Read more about Professor Gavin Lucas´s research.

The Academy's most prestigious award, the Gad Rausing Prize for Outstanding Humanities Research, commemorates the Academy’s Honorary Member Gad Rausing and was instituted by his three children in his memory. It is awarded to an outstanding Nordic researcher, primarily in archaeology, history, or linguistics. The prize sum is SEK 1.5 million.

Photos from the ceremony will be available on Monday, March 23.

About the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities – Kungl. Vitterhetsakademien

The Academy annually confers several prizes and medals. Besides the Gad Rausing Prize the best known prizes are the Swenson Prize and the Rettig Prize. They are awarded in accordance with the donors’ wishes, as are all the donated prizes. All prizes and medals are awarded at the Academy’s Annual Meeting on 20 March, to mark the day of the Academy's foundation in 1753. Since the early 1920s, the Annual Meeting has been held in the Great Hall of the House of Nobility.

Kungl. Vitterhetsakademien is an independent learned society, supporting research in the humanities and social sciences and in cultural heritage management. Its work is financed by donations and by public and private foundations. The Academy also owns and manages several historic buildings and sites: Skånelaholm Castle, Stjernsund Castle, Rettig House in Stockholm (which houses the offices of the Academy), Stensjö by and Borgs by.