Conference Agenda

In the last two decades, the career trajectories in archaeology and related fields have greatly diversified in light of changing social, political, and economic landscapes. However, many institutions of higher education have been slow to adapt their programs to reflect the forthcoming realities of the job market. While students gain excellent training in theoretical concepts and research techniques that make them competitive applicants, frequently they lack the practical knowledge fundamental to pursue careers in government agencies, non-profit organizations, cultural institutions, and industry. In this introductory paper, we present challenges encountered by practitioners of archaeology from different potential employment sectors and during various career stages. Through this discussion, we hope to provide a range of experiences and pragmatic options for individuals within or entering the field on how to navigate the complexity of career changes in an ever-changing workplace.

Authors: Mark Wagner, Ryan Campbell, Matthew Greer, Chris Stantis

Cultural Resource Management (CRM) developed as a field of practice within Anthropology in the 1960s and 1970s. Since then, “applied” archaeology has become a major field of study with archaeologists finding employment in state and federal agencies, private companies, and universities. At the same time, a divide has developed within the profession in which many universities continue to prepare students for strictly academic, rather than applied, careers. This practice has led to many graduates being unprepared for positions with agencies or private companies. We address this situation through a series of case studies s that demonstrate how compliance work can fit within the university setting and how academic research agendas can help agencies meet their compliance goals. In particular, we highlight the role Southern Illinois University’s Center for Archaeological Investigations has played in bridging the gap between CRM and academia.

In 2014, ACUA created the first Job Market and Benchmarking Survey project to discern perceived and real deficiencies in professional qualifications of maritime archaeology students. The project provided valuable data concerning what skills and qualifications students needed to be successful in the field. Almost a decade later the field has evolved as new technology and client needs require updated skills. As such, ACUA created a second benchmarking survey in spring 2024 to capture how those needs may have changed. The survey went out to over 100 individuals, representing state and federal agencies, CRM companies, non-profits, universities, museums, and other organizations. This paper highlights the data collected from the 2024 survey as well as a comparison to the 2014 survey, and demonstrates how job market demands have shifted over the past decade.

Mentoring relationships act as engines of opportunity for launching or sustaining careers, but are relatively rare in archaeology circles. Mentors serve as resource libraries, professional confidants, and entry points into broader networks. We support careers moving from the “known to the unknown," translating the dynamics of university, industry, or nonprofit workplaces. Professional associations and private companies invest in them. So, why does such an old-school method of “getting ahead” persist? And why is mentoring not more popular or formalized across our discipline? This paper takes an interdisciplinary and personal look at mentoring as a valuable addition to professional development. It examines the amplifying effect of mentors and their role in shaping pathways. Examples of programs outside the academy are discussed to highlight how these support alt-ac trajectories. It will also consider how mentorship sparks multiple benefits by advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, fostering shared experiences, and cultivating professional presence.

The rate at which historical archaeology is expanding in today’s world pushes many archaeologists to feel rushed into finding and filling niches after graduation. As a result, real world work experience quickly reveals that careers in archaeology are very rarely a straight paved path. Often, these experiences prove to be a relatively unkempt trail complete with scenic views, unmarked discoveries, and (occasionally) dragons. For the authors of this paper, our combined twenty years of experience in the academic, cultural resource management, and federal fields have taught us the benefit of taking the long way there, elsewhere, and back again. In this presentation, we will discuss how our journeys in archaeology taught us when to specialize, when to shift gears, and the difficulties in translating between academic and professional spaces, while bringing the voices of other professional explorers into the conversation.

How do we as archaeologists, with a number of different roles and responsibilities, bring organizations together to support and sustain archaeology in present and future generations within our communities? This paper provides a space in which you are invited to discuss how cuts to archaeological programs and initiatives may be prevented and reduced, and how archaeological units may rebuild or transform after cuts have been made, to maintain and create connections between communities, anthropological archaeology, and social and economic opportunities. As part of this, we can explore how organizations such as SHA, AAA, SBA, and regional groups may assist when colleges and universities, museums, and historic preservation offices, for example, are faced with making difficult decisions due to budget constraints amidst economic, social, and political shifts and pressures.

Defining archaeology as the science of material culture makes it relevant to most professions and academic disciplines because material culture is integral to all aspects of culture. Historical archaeology is an interdisciplinary field that is particularly well-suited to expanding into further interdisciplinary research and teaching. The authors of this paper exemplify stretching archaeology in combination with several professions. Alex Konieczny has used his Oakland University BA in anthropology specializing in archaeology in his positions developing programs and designing exhibits at the Troy Historic Village in Michigan. Suzanne Spencer-Wood’s long career includes combining CRM with academia and stretching archaeology into business consulting and in positions as director and teacher in Oakland University’s women’s studies program. She has most recently designed and gained approval for an archaeology minor structured to appeal to non-anthropology majors who are interested in applying another major to archaeology, whether chemistry, biology, math, history, art or creative writing.

While university programs struggle to prepare early career archaeologists for opportunities beyond the academy and while we are often trained as specialists within our field, many of us find success beyond our silos by accepting unexpected opportunities to advance our careers, feed our ambitious spirits, or pay the bills. This paper discusses the secret of saying “yes,” and how I built a 20-year career in the government and private sectors by leaning into the uncomfortable and unknown, and embracing the philosophy that there is value and experience in sweeping any floor that needs swept. I use my own journey from video store clerk, to graduate anthropology instructor, to National Park Service archeologist, to Florida’s State Historic Preservation Officer, to Senior Project Manager at SEARCH to discuss why distinguishing our career paths from our specialties and expectations is a practical philosophy that can lead to success, enjoyment, and fulfillment.

Archaeology has always lent itself to be a diverse field of study, and many archaeologists have earned their degrees and flourished in alternative careers. As an archaeologist in a federal curation/museum position, I have been placed in a unique situation, able to use my archaeological studies to apply to curation and vice versa. In this study, I hope to answer a few questions on how archaeologists came to enter the curation/museum field, how our backgrounds both advantage and disadvantage us (if at all), and ultimately, argue that this career path should be highlighted as an alternative to traditional archaeological careers. To answer these questions, other archaeologists in federal curation/museum positions will be interviewed to draw on various experiences and viewpoints.

In advance of construction of a new dormitory on the University of Tennessee campus in 2024, UT and Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc., worked together to document a Civil-War rifle trench and postbellum house lots. A finely-tuned choreography of efforts by UT, CRA, Tennessee SHPO, and engineering and building firms kept the project on-schedule while evaluating and meeting research priorities, providing student projects and a field school, and mitigating the project's impact. This paper discusses the process and findings of the project, along with thoughts on improving communication between parties with different priorities.

Founded in 1983 in response to the significant archaeological discoveries unearthed during the Central Artery/Tunnel Project (the Big Dig), the City of Boston Archaeology Program initially focused on facilitating data recovery and curating these essential collections. Over the years, the Program has transcended its original mandate, evolving into a distinctive hybrid bridging cultural resource management (CRM) and academic archaeology. Today, it expands public access to archaeological knowledge and enhances civic participation. Utilizing direct community involvement, the Program empowers persistently marginalized groups to shape and interpret their own historical narratives and influence on the history of Boston. By leveraging its position at the intersection of community engagement, urban planning, and historic preservation, the Program promotes the integration of cultural stewardship with urban development.

Urban planning may seem an unlikely career for an archaeologist, yet archaeology's insights into human behavior, cultural evolution, and historical legacies help address modern social, economic, and political issues. This relevance is evident in my role at an urban planning agency, where I bridge humanities and planning within Greater Boston. As the Regional Humanities Specialist for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, I leverage my 20-year archaeological background to integrate anthropological perspectives into urban planning. Through interdisciplinary collaboration with colleagues in departments such as Environment, Transportation, and Public Health, I work to shape communities with culturally sensitive approaches addressing legacies of injustice. My previous experience collaborating with Indigenous people and navigating tribal dynamics has also enabled our agency to build deeper relationships and incorporate Indigenous perspectives into our work. This paper will showcase how archaeological skills can be applied to modern challenges, offering a model for archaeologists navigating interdisciplinary career pathways.