The Archaeological Centers Coalition cares about making archaeology a better science. As a collective of archaeological institutions across the United States, we imagine a renewed discipline where the exclusionary narratives and practices propagated through archaeological research–in the past and still–no longer hamper the advancement of this vibrant field. 

By identifying, acknowledging, and responding to archaeology’s ingrained biases, the Archaeological Centers Coalition mobilizes leading US archaeological institutions to address oppressive and discriminatory practices in the discipline. Together, we aim to catalyze the transformation and expansion of archaeological training, research, and public-facing engagement, as well as support the conservation and vitality of contemporary heritage practice globally

Our work expands the positive impact of inclusive practices on the scope, quality, and relevance of archaeological research. We recast the stories that are being told within and about archaeology, and support institutions’ efforts at substantive change. To do this, we advance four key areas of impactful institutional change:

- The culture of archaeology, including increased access to archaeological knowledge and experiences;

- Post-secondary and K-12 curriculum, professional training and faculty development;

- Capacity building and community engagement; and,

- The administration and financial sustainability of our research centers in this work.

We are a community of archaeology institutions formed in 2020 in response to the urgent calls for increased accountability surrounding issues of diversity, inclusion, and systemic racism in the discipline.

Recognizing that the challenges facing archaeology as a field of study will take many years to address, the ACC emerged from conversations between the Society of Black Archaeologists (SBA), the Indigenous Archaeology Collective (IAC), the Wenner-Gren Foundation, SAPIENS, and the Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies (CIAMS).  These discussions indicated that institutions of archaeological training, including departments, centers, and institutes, have an important role to play in bringing about positive change in the discipline.

The work of the ACC reimagines how archaeologists are trained in order to transform the stories archaeologists tell and who tells them. Our activities include public-facing webinars and a podcast series as well as discipline-centered examinations of roadblocks to increased diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. As a first step, we have carried out surveys on the culture and hidden costs of archaeological field schools, as well as developed recommendations for recognizing the labor and outputs of engaged archaeology in tenure and promotion, which we see as central to the dismantling of the barriers already noted.