Challenges Facing Kent's Archaeology: The Archaeology Research Group Fieldwork Forum

In 2025 the Archaeology Research Group (ARG) is proposing to host its annual fieldwork forum with the theme of Challenges Facing Kent’s Archaeology. The ARG have proposed a number of themes, which will be used to recruit speakers and discussion topics for the day. However, we want to hear from those active in Kent’s archaeology about the challenges they see facing the county.

The themes proposed by the ARG are:

• Unnecessary damage: Irresponsible metal-detecting and night-hawking (Working with metal detectorists theme)

• ‘Can We help?’ Volunteering with commercial units (Getting more volunteers, especially young people)

• Funding a local group: Problem in commissioning and paying for specialist services (Local Groups and Expertise)

• ‘We can’t take anymore’: Depositing finds and field archives in Kent Museums (Storage of Excavated Items)

• ‘Clearing the backlog;: Salvaging, Archiving and Publishing unreported sites and finds from the 1950s to the 1980s. (The publication backlog/Storage of excavated items)

• Is there still a place for the Volunteer?: Strengths and Weaknesses of the Amateur Archaeologist (Getting more volunteers, especially young people)

• Should KAS be setting up a Museum of Kent Archaeology and History (Museum Displays/Storage of excavated items)

In this vein, please email the KAS’s curator and ARG secretary Andy at andy.ward@kentarchaeology.org.uk with your ideas. These will be pooled together by the ARG committee to form the programme for the day.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and together, approaching these challenges.

Best Wishes

Andy