University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN)

In February, I was invited to give a talk at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) to third year students about my experience working in commercial archaeology and my role as a heritage consultant. This year marks my 14th year as a professional archaeologist and I really wanted to give a well-rounded, fair and balanced opinion about my time in the industry. I wasn’t sure, however, whether I should draw on my experience as woman in the profession. Was it something I really needed to talk about in 2016? And is there anything actually to say about this topic? I informally canvassed opinion from my fellow female colleagues and the answer was firm yes, I should. So, I did. 

 

The talk I gave, the themes of which I have summarised below, are based on my own observations, experiences and anecdotes from female colleagues. 

 

As a woman, I don’t believe I have ever encountered direct discrimination within archaeology. That is not to say, however, that have not had issues when working on site with other, non-archaeological, contractors (who are almost always male). As a woman on site, behaviour from my fellow site workers tend to vary being plain scared or bewildered by my presence, to treating me with supreme reverence, and unfortunately, in some cases, trying to deliberately embarrass me with language which would make a docker blush. Colleagues have reported that they feel a lack of respect for their opinions from contractors, and a sense that they have to go the extra mile before they are listened to. The general consensus, however, was that such behaviour tends to settle down after a day or so when they become accustomed to the presence of women. 

 

So, what about the role of women within archaeology itself? Our involvement in the subject goes back a long way, with the likes of Gertrude Bell (also known as the Mother of Mesopotamian), born in the mid-19th century, although our numbers have always been dwarfed in comparison to men. However, there we were, making a difference and contributing actively to the development of the subject, and leaving a lasting legacy. 

 

And where do we stand now in the 21st century? It is worth remembering that commercial archaeology is a comparatively young profession (being born in the 1990s with the changing of planning policy guidance), and as such we are trying to grow up fast. Figures collated for the Profiling the Profession (IFA 2003) reveal that in 2002–3 just 36% of the profession were female, although by 2007–8 this had risen to 41% (IFA 2008). The stats would suggest that the profession is moving the right direction, and I am waiting with interest for up to date statistics to see how they look.

 

Matters such as equality and diversity are difficult ones for all industries and professions to tackle. Men still appear to outnumber women significantly when I attend meetings with people from other disciplines. Female archaeologists are also not immune from factors which impact on all working women, especially those with families. Flexible working arrangements for field archaeologists is not, and cannot practically be, provided, and those wishing to take career breaks will encounter the same problems as others when trying to re-enter the work force after time out. 

 

I’m aware that the above sounds very much like doom and gloom. But I think we have lots of reasons to be positive. Women are staying in the profession and climbing up the ladder in greater numbers, including up to the most senior positions within the largest companies in the UK (including Wessex Archaeology). Commercial archaeology is so much more than just field work and there are opportunities for both men and women who are juggling family and careers to have a role which can provide some level of flexible working. Discrimination on grounds of gender within our own industry seems to be limited and men and women are used to mixing and working alongside one another as equals in all environments. And with the continuing focus on issues such as Equality and Diversity across the construction industry more widely, problems we encounter when working with other contractors will hopefully become a thing of the past. It certainly would be a nice thing to see archaeology actively helping push the agenda forward so in the future it is not a topic which even needs to raised.