Society of Antiquaries of London

The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is the world’s premier Learned Society for heritage. It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, and London in the United Kingdom, along with the Royal Academy and four other leading Learned Societies; the Linnean Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Geological Society of London and the Royal Astronomical Society. The Royal Charter granted to the Society by George II in 1751 defines the Society's role as being "the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries". Although the term "antiquary" is no longer commonly used, it denotes a person interested in the study of the past through its material remains; today's antiquaries are drawn from the disciplines of archaeology, history, architectural history, art history, art conservation, heraldry, cultural resource management and ecclesiastical studies. The continuing use of the word in the Society's name reflects both the antiquity of the Society and its continuing broad range of cross-disciplinary interests.