Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Getting Your Feet Wet: Barriers To Inclusivity In Underwater Archaeology And How To Break Them, Ashley Lemke, Nicole Grinnan, Jay Haigler

Cambridge University Press Open Access Agreement Publications

There is a lack of broad representation in archaeology generally, and in a specialized field such as underwater archaeology, this issue is only exacerbated. Underwater archaeological sites are often “out of sight, out of mind,“” creating a general lack of awareness of underwater cultural heritage and career prospects in many communities. Coupled with a lack of education and the additional demands of working in a submerged environment (e.g., scuba diving), there is a striking lack of diversity in underwater archaeology. Overall, underwater archae-ologists are a largely homogeneous group, particularly along the lines of race and wealth—categories that often overlap. In …