We believe that world archaeology must be rewritten more equitably, with a greater contribution from South Asia, whose archaeology is some of the richest in the world, yet whose archaeologists are often underrepresented in international publishing, research agendas, funding and networks. To achieve this, we have formed a diverse and expansive global coalition of partners, including a gender-balanced team of academic and professional experts working across the South Asia, staff from Durham University’s Department of Archaeology, and Antiquity―a world-leading archaeology journal.
Building on a 2021-22 British Academy-funded writing workshop programme, we have secured further funding through the Antiquity Trust, which shares our ambition to tackle entrenched regional inequalities in publishing that have created significant gaps in international voice for South Asian scholars and their research.
Rewriting World Archaeology: South Asia is a mentoring programme for early career researchers (ECRs) from South Asia in 2023-24, designed to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to access and publish in academic journals, develop and lead bold research agendas, prepare grant applications, and share their results with the public. The programme will seek to significantly advance the careers of these ECRs, strengthen their ability to rewrite the archaeology and heritage of South Asia, and to have a major and lasting impact on world archaeology.
The programme consists of structured group meetings combining online resources and workshops, and individual mentoring sessions. The team brings together established researchers, heritage professionals and journal editors from South Asia and Durham University with ECRs from a variety of countries and institutions in South Asia. The programme will work towards and in-person workshop in Kathmandu, bringing together all participants to support article writing for subsequent submission to, and publication in, journals such as Antiquity.
To apply for a place on the programme, ECR applicants should first read the Call for Applications and About the Programme documents, then complete the online application form and send a copy of their 2-page CV via email to armineh.kaspari-marghussian@durham.ac.uk
Rewriting World Archaeology of South Asia - Call for Applications
Rewriting World Archaeology of South Asia - Application Form Guidance
Rewriting World Archaeology of South Asia - About the Programme
Heritage Partnerships Research Group
The Antiquity Trust
Image Above: Global inequalities in publishing: cartogram representing territory size proportional to the number of scientific and technical journal articles published in 2016. Source: World Mapper. License.
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