The world stands at yet another inflection point, with new global trends emerging that are affecting all of us – including archaeologists and how we practice archaeology. What are they, and how do we think they are set to re-shape our field in 2025?
DigVentures was born from a mission to enable more people to take part in real archaeological research. Our founding ethos was rooted in the need to create a channel for archaeology that stays relevant in an ever-changing world, and can respond as society’s needs and interests change.
In order to do this we have always kept our eyes on the future, and on the transformative ideas emerging in the wider creative and cultural industries, art forms, tech, communications, economics and social theory – including through forums like Remix Summit.
Last year, we started DV Trends – a series of free, online panel discussions – to create a space for talking about how these wider, world-changing innovations might apply to UK archaeology.
We’ve already covered topics like Archaeology and Collective Intelligence, Audience Development for Archaeologists, and the Archives Crisis.
This year, we’ll be covering trends like Archaeology and AI, Future Leadership, and more.
Sign up to the DV Trends Newsletter, and we’ll send you a simple digest each month of one big trend affecting archaeology, including insight, opinion, and best practice inspiration – plus invites to join us for a live Q&A with a panel of leading thinkers.
So what are the biggest trends we think will be re-shaping archaeology in 2025?
As we get ready for our first DV Trends event of the year, we thought we’d share the trends that we think look set to influence archaeology in 2025 – and long into the future.
1. Renewable Infrastructure
Archaeology is ingrained in the clean energy transition and net zero projects, including innovative concepts like energy islands. Does this present new opportunities for public engagement and how we talk about archaeology and climate?
2. Leadership and the Archaeology Workforce
Where do we need to innovate and change to be future-proof? As universities announce more closures, we continue to face workforce challenges. But there’s lots that archaeologists can learn from the important conversations about governance and leadership models that are already happening in the wider cultural sector.
3. Impact Focus
Social Value and public benefit has become a primary driver in archaeology, succeeding placemaking and wellbeing initiatives. Is widespread adoption finally coming?
4. Nature Recovery
As action to make landscapes more resilient takes place on ever-larger scales, joined up thinking about the interplay between natural and cultural heritage becomes more and more important. Is archaeology positioned strongly enough at the core of this emerging future, both in terms of funding and as a driver for UN SDGs?
5. Immersive Storytelling
As public appetite for immersive experiences grows, how can archaeology adapt its narrative approaches and embrace hybrid experiences?
6. Cultural Heritage Capital
The Cultural Heritage Capital conversation is continuing to get traction with policymakers. One to watch.
7. AI beyond intellectual property and workflows
There are lots of conversations happening around the use of AI at work, and the ethics of AI, with intellectual property, environmental impact, and data colonialism being especially important. But there is even more to consider: AI is also already having an impact on access to information, how people engage with culture, and how we interface with the public. How will archaeologists approach these topics?
8. Open Science Evolution
Traditional open data concepts face new challenges and opportunities in the age of generative AI and platform business models. How does Open Science work for archaeology?
9. And finally… space archaeology?!
This might be a wild card, but one of the things that caught our eye was an article about humanity’s quest for space resources. What can we learn from Ray Bradbury’s prescient The Martian Chronicles, which envisioned archaeologists as space pioneers?
What do you think the trends will be?
In 2025, DV Trends will be covering many of these topics, with some of the best minds in archaeology lined up to share their insights, opinions, and best practice inspiration.
And we’re always interested in hearing what others are thinking about too – so do get in touch if you’ve spotted something you think we should cover in DV Trends.
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