Tag: motherhood

Archaeologists-Who-Happen-to-be-Mothers

Kathryn Killackey, archaeological illustrator.
Kathryn Killackey, archaeological illustrator. Photo by Andrew Roddick.
Professor Nicky Milner, directing excavations at Star Carr.
Professor Nicky Milner, directing excavations at Star Carr.
Dr. Karen Holmberg, visiting scholar at NYU & volcano fetishist.
Dr. Karen Holmberg, visiting scholar at NYU & volcano fetishist.
Dr. Burcu Tung, directing excavations at Çatalhöyük.
Dr. Burcu Tung, directing excavations at Çatalhöyük. Photo by Scott Haddow.
Dr. Rebecca Wragg Sykes, honorary fellow at Université de Bordeaux, Laboratoire PACEA,
Dr. Rebecca Wragg Sykes, honorary fellow at Université de Bordeaux, Laboratoire PACEA

I initially started this photo essay with a long, considered discussion of motherhood in archaeology, how hard it is to fight against the structural forces that inhibit fieldwork and childcare, and how I have benefitted from incredible friends and colleagues who have acted as role-models and mentors. But in the end I deleted it. You don’t need me wittering on–just look at these archaeologists-who-happen-to-be-mothers.

Many of them hesitated to send photos, as it is an incredibly revealing act to expose what is perceived as a major hinderance to women’s careers. Even so, several of them also stated that they did so because they thought it was important to make this visible, to make it normal. I’m happy to say that this is only a small sample of the women I know who are archaeologists & mothers, so there is a great diversity of experience, support and wisdom that I’m lucky to receive.

Me at 27 weeks, surveying in Oman.
Me at 27 weeks, surveying in Oman.

I’m deeply grateful to these women and collecting these photos was a perfect way to start my maternity leave. If you’d like to contribute your own photos, please send them my way (clmorgan at gmail) or post them in the comments.

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