The UK Archaeological Market Survey Report has just been Published

There are more archaeologists working in 2018 in the UK than ever before. The archaeological market survey report has just been published

6,812 people were employed as professional archaeologists in 2017-18; more than have ever been before, with 13% of them being non-UK EU nationals [...] • The overwhelming majority of income came from private sector clients (83%, a slight increase from 81% in 2016-17) with residential housing as the biggest sector, but infrastructure projects were also important. • Much of this investment is dependent on the planning process having access to expert archaeological advice • Despite this, the sector’s confidence in the future of the market was declining, and had been since 2015 • Brexit and the under-resourcing of local government planning advice were still considered to be major concerns for the sector

Artefact hunters and collectors often claim that archaeologists would not have any work if it were not for them. The logic of that statement is pretty weak. Are 6800 archaeologists all fervent admirers and supporters of Collection-Driven Exploitation of the Archaeological Record?