The Top Layer

UnArchaeology is here to make archaeology more accessible, diverse and inclusive.

UnArchaeology has a committee who are composed of people from around the world and a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. They are from the black, indigenous and people of colour and LGBTQI+ communities, as well as being in different career stages.

UnArchaeology has a talented committee who have experience and qualifications in; ancient archaeology, anthropological archaeology, architectural history and theory, Celtic studies, classical archaeology, commercial archaeology, community archaeology, digital archaeology, educational archaeology, experimental archaeology, forensic archaeology, graphic design, heritage and collections management, maritime archaeology, public archaeology, queer archaeology and Roman archaeology.

From writing and publishing papers and creating podcasts to being members on steering committees and being directors of organisations, UnArchaeology uses its strengths to make an impact in the archaeology and heritage sectors as a whole.

UnArchaeology has the drive, talent and strength to radically contribute to archaeology. It’s not just in our name, it’s in the way we showcase our passion for the discipline.

The Deeper Layers

UnArchaeology was a small idea to help make archaeology more diverse and accessible for everyone and anyone who had the passion and drive to bring the past to life and to share the progressive avenues that have emerged in the field.

Then, out of the blue, the pandemic arrived and this small idea grew arms and legs to be a haven for unheard marginalised voices and frustrated professionals who wanted to get in deep and dirty with this sector. The UnArchaeology committee loves celebrating the wondrous possibilities of archaeology and exploring the unhealthy trends, stereotypes and biases that have prevented the sector from being the best it can be. 

We are here to facilitate the conversations and actions that will mindfully heal the intellectual, emotional and technological gaps that stem from elitism, racism, sexism and LGBTIQ+ exclusion.

By doing the work that we do, members of UnArchaeology will be part of the wave of change and foundation building, by taking all the amazing hard work and discoveries of the past and adapting them to a caring, inclusive and thoughtful future for generations to come. Archaeology belongs to the people, to you, to me, to everybody. It belongs to those who experience it and live among it, not simply those who research it.

Not only do we want to share and embolden collective and individual ownership like never before, but we wish to experiment with ways to make archaeology more permeable to communities far and wide. With these experiments, we will celebrate our triumphs and find ways to make our trials a learning curve in the wisdom of archaeological practice. 

The UnArchaeology Conference

This conference is our first experiment in pursuing this goal. We want to change the conference format, bringing the audience into the program as participants, with an active voice in the conversation, not just latent observers.

Alongside capturing the discussion between panellists, we need to create an open space for our audience to be able to express themselves. We are using a live document to bring the audience into the conversation and, of course, chats will be open for questions. 

From this, we hope to not only mimic the presence of the audience and the buzz and excitement of the performance in this meeting and collaborative space.