An Unexpected Twist- My First Year at University

 I am just a couple of weeks away from finishing my first year of university! Now that is a scary thought...

I thought I would take some time to reflect on what this year has been like, and where archaeology now stands in this strange covid world.

I am sure I was following in the footsteps of many prospective university students before me when I created a fantastical image of what university life would be like. I would get up early, take my cute flask of tea to lectures and pop between the library and department before going down to the Student Union bar in the evening. Alas, that was not to be.

While I loved Manchester as a city, I did not get on well with it in the broody late autumn, especially with increasingly strict rules on what venues were allowed to open. With a looming November lockdown, I made the decision to temporarily go back home to my family (and my cat!). I had intended to return in December but was advised not to. And then the January lockdown happened and pretty much all Arts students across the country were studying remotely.

And this is how I have spent the last few months. In all honestly, I have actually really enjoyed it. Many of my closest friends have been at home too, so we have stayed in contact and met up when allowed. And at home, I have had ready access to my parents garden and my mum's much better cooking. All in all, I've not really wanted to go back to halls. So I have decided to stay at home until my exams are over, by which time (hopefully) more of the restrictions will be lifted and I can go 'be a tourist' in Manchester. 

But right now the world of archaeology, especially academically, is under threat. This is coming appearant on multiple fronts. The government's plans to 'Build Back Better' (a phrase that carries memories of A-Level history) requires 'cutting back on red tape'. This is being presented as cutting back on beaurocracy, but in reality, will undoubtedly loosen the requirements for archaeological investigations to go ahead before development. This is a scary thought, as most archaeology is paid for by developers- both the archaeological record that can never be replaced and jobs are at stake. 

In addition to this, the world of academia is getting increasingly difficult to navigate. Two major archaeological departments, Sheffield and Chester, are threatened with closure. This is not to take into account the government's recent announcement that there will be a nearly 50% cut to the budget for many Arts courses, including archaeology. This is absolutely devastating news. The archaeology sector is already facing a jobs crisis, and this added pressure on universities abilities to teach new archaeologists will only add to this problem. 

Archaeology is the story of all of us. We are all shaped by it every day, and there is so much more that it has to offer. Through archaeology, we can see how past communities dealt with pandemics, climate change, social injustice and so much more.

Humanity deserves to have its stories protected for the future. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you have the time, please sign the petition to save Sheffield's archaeology department. The board of directors vote on 25th May. (https://www.change.org/p/university-of-sheffield-save-sheffield-s-archaeology-department)