Thanks to the generous bursary from the Landscape Research Group, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the CIfA 2023 Conference in person. I believe these bursaries are invaluable to early-career archaeologists like myself. The conference was well-organised; I especially benefitted from the Mapping Archaeological Careers session where it was possible to see the different paths along which I might develop my career. This session also provided an open forum to discuss the main issues and obstacles by those wishing to advance their career in archaeology.
I also benefitted greatly from the QGIS session held by CBA Studios and Cambridge Archaeological Unit, who have developed a guidebook and easy-to-follow exercises for those looking to learn GIS proficiency. GIS is a highly marketable archaeological skill that I never received training in as part of my formal education, so I deeply appreciated the scope for learning a new skillset.
Finally, two talks acted as a reminder that archaeology can be a wonderful tool for recounting personal histories for the benefit of local communities. I saw how forensic archaeological fieldwork combined with desk-based research was able to restore the identities of WWI soldiers enshrined at the Menin Gate, as well as how ESRI GIS ‘story maps’ were used to retell the story of Harry Yates’ five-day flight from Lympne, England, to Cairo in 1919. Seeing archaeological research being used in this way has given me a new appreciation for our field.
