Well done to all entrants in our 2023 LSA CA Ancient Worlds Competition, generously sponsored and supported by the Classical Association, and congratulations to those with commendations, awards and to the four finalists! 

On Saturday 18 March, we hosted the Grand Final of the Competition at AKS Lytham in Lancashire and enjoyed four brilliant presentations in answer to this year’s question: the discovery of which ancient site or artefact interests you the most, and why? 

The four finalists – Levi Barker, Elise Withey, Reuben Wielenga and Imogen Reid 

Huge congratulations to Imogen, who was chosen as the Champion, for her excellent talk on the Cyrus Cylinder.

Ancient Worlds Competition Champion

Imogen Reid of Abbey Gate College, Chester, with guest judge Bronwen Riley

People’s Choice Award Winner

Elise Withey of King Edward’s School, Bath, on the discovery of the Epic of Gilgamesh

Fantastic presentations from Levi (the Kyrenia Shipwreck) and Reuben (the Pylos Combat Agate)

Lancashire Award Winner

Lauren Aston of Cardinal Newman College

International Winners 

Andria Laitadze and Nitsa Skhvitaridze of the European School, Georgia

Highly Commended 

International

Natasha Chilima (Kamuzu Academy, Malawi) – The Twelve Tables

Ani Kateleiva (NGDEK, Sofia, Bulgaria) – The Tomb of Lazarus

Kseniya Korshun (VIII High School, Gdańsk, Poland) – The Library of Alexandria

UK

Lauren Aston (Cardinal Newman College) – The Antikythera Mechanism

Lucy Baron (Shavington Academy) – The Turin Shroud

Dorothy Hodgson (Kirkham Grammar School) – The Codex Sinaiticus

Karina Oakley (Guildford High School) – The Anus Ebria

Daniel Pailing (Hymers College) – The Lost City of Petra

Poppy White (Hereford Sixth Form College) – The Library of Celsus

Commended

International

Ariana Crosse – The Tomb of Tutankhamun

Zoe Mavrika – The Eleusinian Mysteries

UK

Isobel Davies (Chelmsford County High School for Girls) – Knossos

Francesca Evans (Simon Langton Girls Grammar) – The Augustus Head

Izaak Gilbert (Nelson and Colne College) – Tiddis

Gabriella Koussa (Bolton School Girls’ Division) – Kom El-Deka

Sophia Robinson (Runshaw College) – The Rastan Mosaic

John Stokes (Wallington County Grammar) – The Tomb of the Griffin Warrior

Abimbola Tayo (Haberdashers’ Boys’ School) – Nok Terracotta

Orrin Thompson and Ottilie Thompson (Dauntsey’s School) – The Deverill Mosaic