This survey aims to build a basic profile of professional archaeology in Australia and to define key archaeology learning and training issues. The survey targets demographic, employment and professional activities data. Unlike the United Kingdom and the United States, there has been no comprehensive information of this type collected for the archaeological profession in Australia.

This survey is being carried out under the auspices of the Australian Joint Interim Standing Committee on Archaeology Teaching and Learning (JISCATL) which includes representatives from Australian universities, professional associations, Indigenous groups, industry groups and public sector employers. The survey was designed as one response to a key recommendation of the 2003 Redfern Archaeology Teaching (RAT) Charter to better characterise the status of the archaeology sector in Australia through a "commitment to gathering reliable data for benchmarking of a variety of archaeological activities." These issues are important for improving archaeology teaching and learning outcomes and investigating the connections between graduate skills and those skills utilised in the workplace.

Over 300 completed surveys were returned by the closing date in mid-2005. Results are continuing to be analysed and will be progressively posted on this website as they become available. Preliminary results have been published in the December 2005 issue of Australian Archaeology (see below).

Further information about the project is available from the Project Director Dr Sean Ulm.

Publications/Resources

Australian Archaeology in Profile: A Survey of Working Archaeologists 2005

Ulm, S., S. Nichols and C. Dalley 2005 Mapping the shape of contemporary Australian archaeology: Implications for archaeology teaching and learning. Australian Archaeology 61:11-23.