Dr. Nicole R Grinnan

Archaeologists use the same terms with vastly different meanings, resulting in ineffective communication. Time is of the essence when working with heritage at risk, and standardized language facilitates effective conversations and actions to describe, interpret, and communicate aspects of archaeology in the time of climate change. A panel at the 2022 Society for Historical Archaeology conference was sponsored by the Heritage at Risk Committee to delineate the meaning of the oft-used but rarely defined terms “site,” “resource,” “significance,” “risk,” “triage,” “data,” “audience,” and “sustainability.” The purpose of this article is to take a step toward disciplinary unification to facilitate future dialogue and action through modeling, monitoring, and mitigating heritage at risk.

There is a lack of broad representation in archaeology generally, and in a specialized field such as underwater archaeology, this issue is only exacerbated. Underwater archaeological sites are often “out of sight, out of mind,“” creating a general lack of awareness of underwater cultural heritage and career prospects in many communities. Coupled with a lack of education and the additional demands of working in a submerged environment (e.g., scuba diving), there is a striking lack of diversity in underwater archaeology. Overall, underwater archaeologists are a largely homogeneous group, particularly along the lines of race and wealth—categories that often overlap. In the context of asking broader questions such as “Why are there so few underwater archaeologists of color?” and “How can we do better?” this article outlines the barriers to inclusivity writ large in underwater archaeology and provides solutions for increasing diversity and accessibility in the field, including specific opportunities and resources for underrepresented groups to “get their feet wet.”