Canals, Cake, and 6H Pencils: Starting Out in Community Archaeology

Variety appears to be one of the only constants within Community Archaeology. Activities range from test-pitting to cake-making, and involve participants of all ages and walks of life. It may be this endless variety that makes our theoretical models often seem inadequate to the task of aiding our understanding of what Community Archaeology is — and how we should be doing it. In this paper I will reflect on my varied experiences starting out in Community Archaeology, particularly during my CBA-Funded Community Archaeology Training placement at the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland in 2012/13. Drawing on this experience, I will share some of the challenges I have experienced and the many questions these have thrown up about the practice of Community Archaeology in the future. Although offering few answers to these questions, I hope to consider the opportunities which may arise in future in addressing some of these complex challenges.