Journal of Field Archaeology

Journal of Field Archaeology is a peer-reviewed academic journal specializing in archaeological field methods, excavation reports, and methodological innovation. Founded in the 1970s, it emphasizes empirical fieldwork across global regions and integrates interdisciplinary approaches from related institutions and projects. The journal regularly publishes articles by researchers affiliated with museums, universities, and research centers engaged in excavation, survey, and conservation.

History

The journal originated amid debates contemporaneous with Lewis Binford's processualism, the recognition of field techniques advanced during projects like the Chaco Canyon excavations and the influence of scholars associated with University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, British Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution. Early editorial networks included contributors connected to the Society for American Archaeology, the European Association of Archaeologists, and field directors from major excavations at sites such as Çatalhöyük, Mohenjo-daro, Pompeii, Knossos, and Hattusa. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the journal reflected methodological shifts influenced by work at Stonehenge, Göbekli Tepe, Tikal, Mesoamerican Ballgame sites, and the aftermath of conservation initiatives tied to ICOMOS and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Editors and authors have included personnel linked to Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Oxford University, University of Chicago, and regional centers such as the British School at Athens and the American Schools of Oriental Research.

Scope and Content

The journal focuses on excavation reports, survey results, experimental archaeology, and methodological advances used in field projects in contexts from Paleolithic cave sites like Lascaux and Altamira to Neolithic settlements such as Jericho and Bronze Age urban centers like Mycenae and Babylon. Articles address stratigraphic analysis practiced at sites including Pompeii and Herculaneum, remote sensing deployments exemplified by work near Angkor Wat and Mesa Verde, and geoarchaeological studies reminiscent of research at Tell Brak and Çatalhöyük. Contributions often intersect with specialists from institutions such as the Max Planck Society, CNRS, Smithsonian Institution, and the Getty Conservation Institute, and engage datasets comparable to those used in projects at Stonehenge Riverside Project, Çatalhöyük Research Project, Aksum fieldwork, and excavations at Teotihuacan. The journal publishes case studies on conservation strategies influenced by campaigns at Pompeii Conservation Project, technological reports involving GIS and LiDAR as in studies at Maya cities, and methodological critiques referencing fieldwork traditions linked to Mortimer Wheeler and Kathleen Kenyon.

Editorial Structure and Publication Details

The editorial board typically comprises academics and field directors associated with universities such as University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Yale University, University College London, and research institutions like the British Museum and the Smithsonian Institution. The publisher, based in collaboration with established academic presses and commercial publishers, distributes quarterly issues containing refereed articles, technical notes, and review essays. Special issues have been guest-edited by scholars affiliated with projects such as the Çatalhöyük Research Project, the Tikal Project, and the Jericho excavations, and have included contributions from archaeologists connected to the Society for American Archaeology, the European Association of Archaeologists, and the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. Submission procedures align with standards practiced by journals overseen by editorial boards at Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed in bibliographic services and databases commonly used by archaeologists and related scholars, similar to coverage in indices like Scopus, Web of Science, and disciplinary aggregators that serve researchers at institutions such as Harvard University, Princeton University, and Stanford University. Library cataloging and discovery linkages place the journal in collections alongside serials from the British Museum Press, the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, and major university presses. Abstracting in international services supports discoverability for field reports comparable to those published about Çatalhöyük, Pompeii, Tikal, and Mohenjo-daro.

Impact and Reception

Scholars cite the journal for methodological contributions to excavation strategy and field survey, referencing work that complements influential monographs and articles by figures associated with Lewis Binford, Mortimer Wheeler, Kathleen Kenyon, and contemporary teams from Max Planck Institute and major university departments. Reviews in outlets connected to the Society for American Archaeology and the European Association of Archaeologists have noted the journal's role in disseminating field methodologies used at high-profile sites including Stonehenge, Göbekli Tepe, Pompeii, and Teotihuacan. Its articles inform training in field schools run by organizations such as the British School at Rome, the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, and the Institute of Archaeology, University College London.

Category:Archaeology journals Category:Academic journals