A new themed issue of Advances in Archaeological Practice , published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA), argues that the long‑standing “leaky pipeline” metaphor obscures the real and active barriers faced by women, minority scholars, and LGBTQIA+ communities in archaeology.
In the issue’s opening article, Sarah Kurnick, Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Samantha Fladd, Assistant Professor at Washington State University, assert that the loss of women and marginalised scholars is not the result of passive attrition but of persistent structural problems, including harassment, discrimination, sexism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism.
Kurnick and Fladd write that gender inequality comes at a significant social cost, so it is important to understand why it persists and the effects it has. Archaeologists shape how we understand the past, and these narratives can either reinforce or challenge present inequalities, so the discipline's contemporary practices matter far beyond academia. To imply that those who have left academia ‘leaked out’ undermines those who choose alternative paths and shifts the blame away from systemic barriers.
Why the “Leaky Pipeline” falls short
The metaphor, originating in the 1970s within the U.S. National Science Foundation, suggests a linear, passive flow of talent through academia. But, scholars argue, this framing minimises accountability and fails to reflect the lived experiences of women and underrepresented groups.
For many communities, especially Indigenous peoples, the term “pipeline” also carries colonial and environmental trauma. “Pipes allow flow without intervention,” say Kurnick and Fladd. “But the exclusion we see in archaeology is anything but passive.”
Findings from the Themed Issue
The collection of new research papers documents multiple forms of systemic inequity across the discipline:
These patterns collectively diminish research productivity, limit access to collaborations, and reduce the number of women training future generations of archaeologists.
Underlying causes and barriers
The issue highlights multiple interacting factors that contribute to the exclusion of women in archaeology, including:
Recommendations for change
Authors propose several practical, immediate steps the discipline can take:
A call for greater accountability
Kurnick and Fladd warn of escalating political challenges, noting that recent efforts to label diversity‑focused research as “problematic” risk reinforcing exclusion. “Upholding only one specific form of humanity suggests that those who do not fit majority categories are somehow lesser,” they say, “The loss of certain individuals stems from active exclusion, not passive leaking. We can, and should, do better.”
Advances in Archaeological Practice
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Beyond Leaky Pipelines: Feminist Inequality Critiques in Archaeology
2-Mar-2026