By Sophia Caci
Since the development of modern archaeology in the 19th century, the field has changed and developed significantly, adapting and shifting to accommodate the changing landscape and the people who live on it. A major part of this change in Britain saw its beginning in the 1970s when ideas on how to incorporate larger groups of people into archaeological fieldwork appeared. Important archaeologists during this time published articles discussing the future of archaeology, with fears surrounding the future of the discipline that echo modern stigmas. However, these concerns that archaeologists carry with them can be combatted and changed through the act of education and inclusion of communities that previously were not encouraged to participate in the practice. In the 1980s, Britain was one of the first countries to develop the discipline of community archaeology, working hard to introduce the community to the rich practice of archaeology. Many archaeologists in countries such as the United States, where archaeology is much more of a bureaucracy funded and supported by major institutions and governments, can feel that the inclusion of the community into their work is an unnecessary hurdle they must cross to continue their work. Thanks to the rich history of Britain and the vast rural landscapes that help to preserve archaeological features, archaeology is more of a welcoming space in which people are invited to learn and engage in the work being conducted. For archaeologists to connect successfully with the community they are planning to work with, there need to be plans in place that will allow them to educate and inspire the community to continue working in and studying archaeology after the fieldwork season.
The community is often mentioned as a broad idea, which does not help in understanding how archaeologists work with different communities in their work. When working with a
community on an archaeological project of any sort, the director of the project must first identify which community they wish to target with their research. This ultimately allows the archaeologist and the community to have a better working relationship and as a result, they can help each other shift the goal of the research as needed. In many cases, archaeologists need to have a research question in mind before beginning a project, which then affects the community they wish to work with. However, in some cases, archaeologists will choose to target a specific community before deciding on a research topic to educate the chosen community on archaeological methods.
This was the case with the Enabled Archaeology Foundation (EAF), an organization devoted to allowing disabled people to participate in all aspects of archaeology. Due to the nature of how archaeology is typically presented to the public, it is often believed that fieldwork is the only aspect of archaeology that the community can be involved with. However, as Enabled Archaeology demonstrates in their work, there is much more to archaeology than fieldwork and, in many cases, it is beneficial to have the public involved. The ideas around Enabled Archaeology started in the 1990s as a way of changing things for disabled people, but it was not until a few years ago that the company was formed, starting as a Facebook group meant to break common barriers in fieldwork. The founder, Theresa O’Mahoney, had a visible disability that made doing fieldwork nearly impossible for her, so she built on previous ideas and created the EAF. One of the communications officers, Sarahjayne Clements, in charge of managing the public appearance of the foundation as well as organizing publications, conferences, and training, uses her own experiences with archaeology to help further the movement. An interview conducted with Sarahjayne on 12 March 2024 revealed more about the company and her motivations for working there. Suffering from chronic health issues, she explained that although she always wanted to work in archaeology, she found it hard to participate in fieldwork and even find a job, as her health prevented her from working full time. Although it was frustrating, she did not let it stop her, using her passion for teaching and helping others to get a position as a trainee at the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales in 2014. She explained that as a part of EAF, she can help others and teach new trainees how to make archaeology more inclusive, something they have applied to many digs around the country.
This idea is not unique to the EAF, though they do amazing work in the art of inclusion in archaeology. A similar company, called Breaking Ground Heritage, also works with disabled communities, though in a much different way than the EAF. Breaking Ground Heritage (BGH) focuses much of its work on veteran inclusion and rehabilitation, excavating many battlegrounds across Britain Similarly to the EAF, many of the people that BGH works with are volunteers, meaning that each person must be screened to allow them to participate in a manner that will best benefit them. One of the lead researchers and inclusion developers, Dickie Bennet, is in charge of this aspect of the company. Bennet, a veteran himself, became involved in archaeology as a participant in a dig through his rehabilitation program. A friend of his, a research psychologist, wrote papers on veteran trauma, which got him interested in the relationship between archaeology and psychology, going on to complete his master’s degree in the impact of archaeology on psychology. Bennet explained his unusual approach to archaeology, saying that he was interested in the psychology of why people do what they do. Applying this to his work with BGH, he helps to ensure that there is a place for everyone on any given project. In March 2024, he explained that there is often a research element added, in many projects allowing the volunteers to be less hands-on in the excavation process while still being involved in the project.
Bennet seeks to make archaeology more inclusive, so he encourages people who want to participate and have limitations to conduct research and create things relevant to the project, something he calls social archaeology.
Community archaeology in Britain as a whole is still a developing field and has a long way to go until disability inclusion is mainstream. However, both the Enabled Archaeology Foundation and Breaking Ground Heritage have made important steps in making archaeology a more inclusive field.