Archaeological research in Catalonia: projects 2014-2022

Abstract

When trying to understand the development of a scientific field, analysing its capacity of funding attraction is key; in this sense, the study of archaeological research in Catalonia has often been neglected. To address this gap, in this study we examine the funding landscape of Catalan archaeology research by collecting data from public calls during the period of 2014-2022. Our objective is to provide a thorough descriptive analysis that delineates the trajectory of archaeological research funding in Catalonia, thus enhancing our understanding of its current status. Our findings reveal the impact of the 2008 economic recession during the first half of the period, followed by a gradual recovery and a slow increase of the funding from 2019 onwards. However, it is not until 2021 that it will equal or surpass pre-recession levels. Prehistory emerges as the chronocultural period predominantly studied in projects, with a primary focus on site and territory studies, particularly within the Catalan, Spanish and Mediterranean contexts. Most of the projects are financed by the programmes of the Department of Culture of the autonomous government of Catalonia, although the largest volume of financing comes from European research calls. Our research identifies three universities (Universitat de Barcelona [UB], Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona [UAB], and Universitat Pompeu Fabra [UPF]) and two research centres (Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social [IPHES] and Institut Català d’Arqueologia Clàssica [ICAC]) as the primary contributors to archaeological research in Catalonia. Finally, we emphasize the pivotal role of the latter in fostering archaeological research scene in Catalonia.