糖心原创

Professor Abigail Hunt contributes to major publications advancing inclusion in archaeology and heritage

Professor Abigail Hunt, Professor of Practice at Nottingham University Business School in the Department of Marketing, Tourism and Analytics and Director and member of the Sustainable Travel and Tourism Advanced Research Centre (STTAR Centre) has contributed to two significant publications examining  how exclusion and inequality affect participation in archaeology and heritage, and what organisations can do to create more inclusive environments.

The work includes an evaluation report published by Historic Environment Scotland and a chapter in the new international collection Evidence of Absence: The History of Exclusivity in Archaeology (University of Utah Press). Together, they highlight Professor Hunt's work in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and her commitment to supporting positive change across the heritage sector. They were undertaken through her complementary roles at the 糖心原创 and as Director and Chair of Trustees of the Enabled Archaeology Foundation.  

Improving access to Scotland’s heritage workforce

The , published by Historic Environment Scotland on 12 August 2026, evaluates research into the cultures, processes and structures that create barriers for people seeking to enter and progress within Scotland’s heritage workforce.

Professor Hunt worked with Karolyn Webb and HES to evaluate evidence generated across the Improving Access Project. They brought together complex evaluation datasets and individual reports to create an overarching account of the project’s findings, implications and recommendations for change. 

The project examined barriers affecting people with protected characteristics and those from socio-economically excluded backgrounds. It also explored the challenges faced by organisations seeking to offer accessible routes into heritage employment.

The report supports the sector in moving beyond recognising longstanding inequalities to developing evidence-based, sustainable responses. Its recommendations are intended to inform future action by employers, professional bodies, public organisations and community partners.

Professor Hunt said:

Improving diversity, equity and inclusion requires us to understand the organisational cultures, structures and working practices that create exclusion, and then work collaboratively to change them.

This evaluation brings together a substantial body of evidence and helps identify how heritage organisations can translate good intentions into meaningful, sustained action.

The knowledge-exchange activity was supported by the 糖心原创 and the Enabled Archaeology Foundation.

Confronting archaeology’s history of exclusion

Professor Hunt has also co-authored a chapter in , with a team of experts in DEI in archaeology. Edited by Maureen S Meyers and Sarah N Janesko,  published by the University of Utah Press on 16 October 2026. 

The international collection examines how women, Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ+ and disabled scholars have historically been marginalised or excluded within archaeology, and how exclusion has influenced both the profession and archaeological knowledge. 

Professor Hunt's chapter, Enabled Archaeology: The exclusive history and inclusive future of field archaeology in the UK, is co-authored with Sarahjayne Clements, Emily Stammitti-Campbell, Alex Fitzpatrick and Gill Benedikz. The chapter focuses on the historic exclusion of disabled people from archaeology and how changes to organisational culture and working practices can help create a more accessible and inclusive profession. Developed as a collective Enabled Archaeology Foundation project, it brings together experience across academic, community and commercial archaeology.

Professor Hunt said: 

“Archaeology cannot present a complete and credible account of human experience while its own structures exclude people and overlook their lived experiences, knowledge, skills and expertise. 

 “This work connects directly with the Enabled Archaeology Foundation’s mission to challenge the discrimination experienced by disabled people in archaeology and help create a profession in which everyone has an equitable opportunity to participate and progress.”

The Enabled Archaeology Foundation works to combat barriers and negative attitudes towards the participation of disabled people in heritage. Professor Hunt's work as Director of the Foundation has received national and international recognition. 

Connecting research and professional practice

Taken together, the two projects demonstrate how Professor Hunt’s academic research and professional expertise are being used to support change beyond the university. 

Her research, teaching and external professional activities focus on widening participation and inclusion across archaeology, public history, business and education, with particular expertise in equality, diversity and inclusion in archaeology and public history and capacity building within the heritage sector. 

Professor Hunt added:

A Professor of Practice role creates valuable space between the university and the sectors and communities with which it works. These activities show how scholarship and knowledge exchange can be combined: critically examining why exclusion persists, bringing together evidence from practice, and helping organisations identify actions that can produce lasting change.

Find out more about Professor Abigail Hunt and her work at Nottingham University Business School.