BAJR Beginnings

BAJR was a creation of David Connolly and was born out of a realization that although the world of archaeology can be a wonderful place to be, it can equally create very real problems for those who wish to pursue it as a career. “At the end of the 1990s I was experiencing this very problem and was not in the best of places, both mentally and physically. Once in the not too distant past, the world was my oyster; I worked my way around the Middle East and Central Asia in winter and the UK circuit during the summer. But these halcyon days were not to last and I became trapped in an ever decreasing spiral of work dependence, an all too common malaise of the peripatetic jobbing archaeologist.”

Around 1997 David became aware of a newsletter called the Digger which was a ‘tell it like it is, no holds barred’ publication, doing the rounds of the site hut. Reading this suddenly made him very aware that he was far from alone in experiencing difficulties. “This led to many discussions about all the associated employment problems such as poor wages and unregulated conditions that archaeologists were trying to cope with. My then wife, Maggie suggested that I do something positive with this knowledge and take a stand. So in August 1998 my little website became a platform to announce employment opportunities within the profession.”

David Connolly (not a rock star, honest!) and a trusted total station taking recordings and measurements during archaeological survey work.

The Growth of BAJR

With a new drive that we can all do something positive to change our lives became the foundation stone of BAJR. It was envisaged as a resource for collecting any archaeological jobs that were on the grapevine and also to act as a means to stay in touch and communicate.

“BAJR existed in a time before social media and mobile internet. Connection was via dialup modems and field archaeologists would normally use the computer at their local library to check BAJR for jobs and then print any out to share around. Seeing the valuable role that BAJR was now playing in the employment process, archaeology companies were increasingly emailing job adverts for inclusion onto the website. BAJR was fast becoming a popular method of finding staff, not just for digging teams, but for other roles as well.”

Due to the growth of BAJR, it was becoming a natural aggregator where archaeological contractors could see and be seen on the basis of pay and conditions for jobs. To help with this process, the BAJR grading system began in the mid 2000s. These grades never sought to replace CIfA levels or even attempt to subvert them; but became a way for all contractors and employees to know exactly what was expected from their job in a more nuanced grading.

BAJR consults annually on each financial year’s pay scale. The choice to advertise or not, is always in the hands of the contractor and everyone is free to pay less than the grade recommendations, however, we stand firm that those that do decide to pay less than the absolute minima will not be able to advertise on BAJR.

BAJR Today

Founded on the same campaigning principles as the radical Digger newsletter, the British Archaeological Jobs & Resources – BAJR has grown into one of the most recognizable and trusted sources of archaeological employment opportunities and advice in the United Kingdom. BAJR ( pronounced Badger) has continually evolved in an effort to embrace the ever-changing environment that surrounds us all.

Employment is at the heart of BAJR

One aspect that remains core to the website is the provision of advertising. BAJR will continue to protect the lowest grades of workers within the industry, while providing a new platform to encourage trainees and internships, within a strictly formalised system to prevent misuse of less skilled staff as a means to cut costs.

The beating heart of BAJR is to provide decent jobs with proper remuneration for hardworking Archaeologists. BAJR is also a place for news, training resources, industry guides and directories of commercial companies, specialists, clubs and associations.

You will find us working with CIfA and PROSPECT (among many other organisations) to promote best practice, to ensure fair pay and to push for better.
Whether it is the RESPECT campaign, ENABLED archaeology, advising on Benchmarking the profession or the biennial Poverty Impact Report – we are here for you. The Independent Voice of Professional Archaeology in the UK ( and sometimes beyond!)

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