Interest in archaeology has never been stronger – but neither have threats to its future The discovery of Richard III, the “King in the Car Park”, gripped public interest. Driving into Leicester recently, I was […]

The discovery of Richard III, the “King in the Car Park”, gripped public interest. Driving into Leicester recently, I was amazed and delighted to see a road sign on the outskirts directing me to “Richard III Visitor Centre and City Centre”, not the other way around!

But at the same time as public interest in archaeology has never been stronger, so a “perfect storm” has been brewing: a variety of threats to the future health of archaeology in the UK. This is why the British Academy has launched Reflections on Archaeology, a review of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject.

‘Media portrayals of archaeology as a job only for eccentrics in beards and sandals do not help’ i's opinion newsletter: talking points from today Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription.

Archaeology is our window onto ordinary lives

Despite the discovery of Richard III, archaeology is not usually about searching for famous individuals from history. The man known as “Context 958” buried in Cambridge 700 years ago is a good example of how archaeology can tell the story of an ordinary person.

The analysis of his bones and teeth show that he had bouts of sickness or famine in his earlier life, got his head bashed at some stage, became a skilled tradesman in his adult years with a better diet than poor people, then fell on hard times and ended his days in poverty.

As well as transforming our understanding of the past, archaeology can help modern society tackle global challenges like disease, climate change, food security, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and inequality. Work on the cemetery where “Context 958” was buried helps us understand how common diseases like TB and cancer were in the past, for example.

Archaeology teaching in UK universities is of tremendous quality, producing students trained in both humanities-based and scientific approaches to the world, and with the teamwork and project management skills that make the subject so special. Students have great employment prospects, whether they want to continue in the subject or in other professions.

The demise of the A-level

But applications are lower than they should be, not helped by limited opportunities to study archaeology at school – now made worse by the demise of the subject at A level. Media portrayals of archaeology as a job only for eccentrics in beards and sandals do not help. Tuition fees make no allowance for the cost of teaching archaeological science and fieldwork, and archaeology is not part of the ‘STEM’ group of subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) that get additional government funding.

Most archaeological discoveries in Britain are made by professional archaeologists working for commercial units undertaking fieldwork funded by developers as part of planning consent. Big infrastructure projects like Crossrail in London have employed hundreds of professional archaeologists. But there is a real worry that there won’t be enough trained archaeologists for new projects like the fifth runway at Heathrow or HS2.

What is also worrying is that austerity measures are forcing some local authorities to cut back on archaeological expertise, or “red tape”, in planning departments. If this continues, the framework developed over the past 20 years for protecting, managing and publicising the archaeological heritage in Britain – the envy of many countries – will be under threat.

All this means that archaeology needs an effective voice to lobby for its future. This was recommended by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Archaeology as long ago as 2003, and it is restated by the British Academy now. The problem is that we currently have several voices, representing academics, professionals, and the large and important amateur community.

Archaeology in the UK is more than digging up kings – it contributes to our enjoyment, sense of history and encourages important scientific developments. But, if it is to overcome the threats to its future, archaeology needs one voice, not a chorus.

Professor Graeme Barker is a Fellow of the British Academy and a co-author of its new report, Reflections on Archaeology. He is Senior Fellow of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge.