About

In 2002, a group of students from Leiden University decided to start a symposium for and by young archaeologists, an idea that first took shape in 1999. In October 2002, the first edition of the Symposium voor Onderzoek door Jonge Archeologen (SOJA) took place. 

Over the next 18 years, SOJA became a yearly staple for those students wanting to present their research; It was a learning experience for presenters and attendees alike. Then, in early 2020, the 15th edition was about to take place when the coronavirus hit, and the Symposium was moved online. It never really recovered from this, and for the next five years, it moved to the margins of the memory of those it gave a platform.

In 2025, a group of students from Leiden University (PhD and (R)MA/Sc) decided to start  SOJA anew. Rebranding it as the "Symposium of Young Archaeologists" (SoYA for short), they aimed to create a platform where Dutch and international students felt safe and supported to present their own research, putting themselves in a position that would help with their future careers.

The committee for the renewed SoYA is busy at work organising the symposium, which will take place on April 10th 2026.