This interdisciplinary research network – established by Alex Hale (Historic Environment Scotland), Antonia Thomas and Daniel Lee (UHI) and Kenneth Brophy (University of Glasgow) and funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh – was formed to discuss, observe, explore and expand understandings of the archaeology of the contemporary world, across and beyond Scotland; to enable the development of a research culture to create and inform approaches for Scotland’s contemporary archaeology; and to create avenues of discourse with policy makers, archaeologists, artists and others about the contemporary archaeologies of Scotland.

The organisers posited that contemporary archaeology can be considered in two parts:
- A methodological approach that encourages archaeologists to engage with the contemporary world as a suitable subject for archaeological study, and by exploring traditional and new methodologies;
- It also provides opportunities for archaeologists to develop new theoretical approaches, which it is currently believed their discourse requires.

Over the space of a calendar year (2019) this research network – in which I was a named collaborator – explored, by means of four knowledge sharing workshops in different geographical locations in Scotland, two research questions:
- What are the roles and opportunities for contemporary archaeology in Scotland today?
- How can contemporary archaeology benefit communities and engage with major social issues of the day in Scotland.

Workshop 1: Glasgow, focusing on different encounters with a sense of place within the City;
Workshop 2: Aberdeen, exploring concepts and practices of art/archaeology, graffiti and street art as a material evidence, beyond official narratives, of contemporary archaeology (in collaboration with the Nuart Festival);
Workshop 3: Stromness, Orkney, experiencing a range of historic and contemporary archaeology sites and landscapes across Orkney, including those relating to renewable energy;
Workshop 4: Edinburgh, discussing how to develop this research network to further explore urgent issues within contemporary archaeology.

• https://www.historicenvironment.scot/