VAN DAMME Thomas (320652)

2
nd
Year MA in Maritime Archaeology
Academic Year 2013-2014








Crowdfunding
Archaeology


exploring the potential of crowdfunding
in archaeological research












Sustainable Management
Course Instructor: Thijs Maarleveld
University of Southern Denmark
Table of Contents

1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1
2. What is Crowdfunding? ....................................................................................................................... 2
3. Crowdfunding and Archaeology .......................................................................................................... 4
3.1. Research Methodology ................................................................................................................ 4
3.2. Case Studies .................................................................................................................................. 6
3.3. Quantitative Results ..................................................................................................................... 7
3.4. Observations............................................................................................................................... 10
4. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................ 12
5. Bibliography ....................................................................................................................................... 13


1


1. Introduction

In this assignment I will explore the potential of crowdfunding in archaeology: Has
crowdfunding been used to finance archaeological projects in the past? If so, how successful
was this and what sort of projects was crowdfunding used for? How realistic is crowdfunding
as a business model within the archaeological discipline? How much money can a project
hope to raise? This paper addresses these questions based on primary data gathered from the
original websites of numerous such archaeology-related crowdfunding campaigns.
However, since crowdfunding is quite a recent phenomenon, I will begin by elaborating on
what crowdfunding actually entails, and how it has developed from a small idea to a global
multibillion dollar business model. Then I shall briefly discuss my research methodology
before presenting three representative case studies of archaeological crowdfunding, in order to
give the reader an idea of what a typical crowdfunding project in archaeology embodies. Next
I highlight the quantitative results of my research, followed by some general observations that
are less easily expressed in numbers. The final chapter compiles the results discussed in
previous chapters in order to draw some conclusions regarding the potential of crowdfunding
in archaeology, and to look ahead to what the future may bring.


2


2. What is Crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding essentially works as follows: Someone, be it an individual or a group, wishes
to raise money for a project. They therefore inform others of this project, and encourage
supporters to make a financial contribution. These individual contributions are then pooled to
provide the necessary funding to carry out the project.
In the basic format described above, crowdfunding has of course existed for a long time;
charitable organisations collecting money for disaster relief are an obvious example.
However, recent years have seen a massive surge in crowdfunding initiatives, facilitated by
easy-to-use internet-based crowdfunding platforms that attract unprecedented numbers of
potential backers. On these platforms project creators can set a funding goal, and can present
their project in an appealing format, usually through an entertaining video. For a predefined
period, usually of between 30 and 60 days, funders can then transfer their contributions
through services such as Amazon and Paypal. Finally, when the funding-period is at an end
and the funding goal is successfully met, the crowdfunding platform takes a ca. 5% cut of the
earnings and the remaining money is transferred to the project (Agrawal et al., 2013, pp.23;
Piscitelli, 2013, pp.3637).
This trend was started in 2006 by Amsterdam-based music website Sellaband, which lets
users back their favourite new bands in order to provide money for tours, recording studios,
publishing of CDs and so forth. Three years later, in 2009 Kickstarter was founded in New
York, providing a platform for a broader range of creative projects (Agrawal et al., 2011,
pp.47; Agrawal et al., 2013, pp.34). From these humble beginnings internet-based
crowdfunding has grown exponentially (Figure 1): in 2011 an estimated 1 million successful
projects raised a total of US$1.5 billion on crowdfunding platforms around the world, in 2012
that number grew to at least US$2.7 billion, and in 2013 global crowdfunding is expected to
top US$5.1 billion (Clifford, 2013; Massolution, 2012, pp.1215). Literally any kind of
project can be funded, but most projects are artistic ventures, while most money is raised for
projects in the spheres of games, design and technology. Geographically the vast
majority of projects are started and funded by people in the United States and Europe
(Agrawal et al., 2011; Massolution, 2012, pp.16, 18). Kickstarter is still the market leader, but
according to industry website crowdsourcing.org there are now at least 900 online
crowdfunding platforms (Massolution, 2013).
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Within this online market four general formats have emerged: donation-based, reward-based,
lending-based and equity-based crowdfunding. The first two are the most common and are
often used together, while the latter two are less popular and are only used in commercial
projects (Massolution, 2012, pp.12, 19). Donation-based crowdfunding speaks for itself: the
philanthropic backer donates money, expecting nothing in return. With reward-based
crowdfunding the backer contributes money in return for a predetermined reward. The project
creator decides which rewards he wants to hand out, and the rewards are usually tiered; for
instance a contribution above US$5 might get you a thank you from the entrepreneur, while
a contribution of US$500 or higher will buy you dinner with the project crew. Projects
collecting money to create a consumer product, such as a new type of watch, usually attract
most money by rewarding funders with a copy of their finished product; essentially
contributors buy the product (the watch) before it is produced, thereby providing the money
needed for its production (Piscitelli, 2013, pp.3637).


Figure 1: Google search volume for crowdfunding (100 represents peak search volume). (Agrawal et al., 2013, p.40)
4


3. Crowdfunding and Archaeology

The global recession following the financial crisis of 2007-2008 created a climate in which
traditional funding, such as bank loans, was harder to come by. This trend did not limit itself
to the business world but also had far-reaching effects on scientific research; many funds and
grants were cut, and scientists were often forced to find creative new solutions to their sudden
lack of funding. Although austerity measures were introduced across the board, the heritage
sector was certainly among the worst affected fields (Wilkins & Wilkins, 2012, pp.12). As
we have seen above, it is during this same period of disillusionment with the established
economical system that crowdfunding began to emerge as a viable alternative to traditional
funding. To what extent the rise of crowdfunding may be correlated to the apparent failure of
traditional capitalism is a matter of discussion for economists. What I can say, is that the
evidence clearly shows that entrepreneurs and scientists alike were eager to try crowdfunding
once the opportunity presented itself (Massolution, 2012, pp.1217).
And so we come to the crux of the matter: researchers have been using crowdfunding to
finance their scientific projects for several years now, with apparent success - how viable is
this model for the discipline of archaeology? Even before the recession finding funding for
archaeological research often proved troublesome. And yet the success of numerous
documentaries, television programs such as Time Team and even films like the Indiana
Jones movies prove that archaeology is a very marketable subject; it intrigues the public and
captures peoples imagination. So in a system where the people or the crowd decide what
is worthy of funding, surely archaeology can exert a certain appeal?

3.1. Research Methodology

In order to research this question I first turned to scientific publications. However, published
literature on crowdfunding was sparse, and literature relating specifically to archaeological
projects was rarer still. In a second step I therefore searched the internet for preliminary
research results or discourses on this topic. This approach was slightly more productive: I
found various forums and blogs hosting lively discussions on whether or not crowdfunding
archaeology was ethically acceptable (Rocks-Macqueen, 2011; White, 2012; White, 2013;
Yates, 2013). However, while this is an interesting issue, it does not answer the questions
most people would like an answer to, such as: Has crowdfunding been successfully tried in
5


archaeology? If so, for what kind of projects has it been used? What is the best approach to
archaeological fundraising? How much money can realistically be collected? Wanting to draw
some well-founded conclusions, but faced with a lack of published information, I therefore
collected the primary data myself, analysing as many archaeology-related crowdfunding
campaigns as I could find.
I searched Google and many prominent crowdfunding platforms with the search terms
crowdfunding together with archaeology, heritage or excavation. In doing so I came
on a surprising number of fundraising campaigns somehow related to archaeology, although
not all of them qualified as archaeological research, or as purely crowdfunded. Campaigns
that I therefore rejected for my analysis include:
Students collecting money to pay for their archaeology courses or to participate in a
field school.
Pseudo-scientific sensationalist campaigns looking for signs of alien life or lost
civilisations.
Campaigns to raise funds for documentaries about archaeology.
Campaigns to raise funds for the conservation of archaeological objects.
Campaigns on the website CommonSites since this website allows crowdfunding
but also lets heritage organisations co-fund projects, thereby skewing the results.
Campaigns that were still on-going and had not yet reached their funding deadline.

In the end I compiled a list of 35 archaeology crowdfunding campaigns that met my criteria.
For each campaign I noted which platform it was housed on, in which country the project
would take place, what their funding goal was and how much money they actually managed
to collect, how many financial backers the project had attracted, and whether or not theyd
made a promotional video. In order to compare and analyse the different amounts of funding,
all currencies were converted into euro, based on the exchange rates on the 7
th
of December
2013. A complete list of the information collected, as well as a short description of each
project, can be found in the Appendix on page 16. I believe this list now includes the majority
of all archaeology-related crowdfunding campaigns made to date, and is therefore
representative for the topic at hand.


6


3.2. Case Studies

Before diving into the statistics of these 35 campaigns, I will present three short case studies
in order to give the reader an idea of what an archaeology-related crowdfunding campaign
might entail. The three case studies were chosen to represent the three basic types of
archaeological crowdfunding campaigns encountered:
Type 1: Researchers trying to fund one very specific part of their broader research.
Type 2: Researchers trying to fund their entire research project, but conducting all the
necessary work on a voluntary basis or on a salary provided via external funding.
Type 3: Larger groups trying to fund their entire research project, including the
salaries of the researchers involved.

Type 1 Case Study: Profiling the dead: Learning from mass fatality events
Alison Atkin, student in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sheffield, was
already writing her PhD on Mass Fatality Events when she unexpectedly got the opportunity
to study over 100 skeletons excavated from a Roman Period mass grave in Egypt in 1907.
Most of the bodies showed signs of trauma and the grave pit was therefore dubbed the
executioners trench. While the study fit perfectly in the subject of her PhD, it had not been
included in her original PhD budget. In order to pay for the transport costs, lab fees and
recording materials she therefore started a campaign to collect $500 in crowdfunding on
Petridish. Within 24 hours she had raised $720 for her project (Lindley, 2013).

Type 2 Case Study: The Maeander Project A digital, archaeological landscape
The Maeander Project, presented by Colleen Morgan, a PhD candidate from the University of
California, Berkeley, aimed to do an extensive field walking and ground proofing campaign in
the Turkish Dinar Basin, around the Maeander River. In less than a month the project
successfully raised $5.328 on a $5.000 goal. It should be noted that Ms Morgan has a very
active archaeology blog with lots of readers, which doubtlessly helped her spread word about
the project. The project team, consisting of four PhDs and two master students, worked either
voluntarily or with a salary from their institution, while the money raised by the crowd would
be used to pay for all other daily expenses. However, due to unforeseen circumstances the
project was cancelled after the funding was raised, and all money was returned to the backers
(Rocks-Macqueen, 2011).
7


Type 3 Case Study: DigVentures: Flag Fen Lives!
DigVentures, a UK-based company headed by Lisa and Brendon Wilkins, proudly claims its
project Flag Fen Lives! was the worlds first-ever crowdfunded and crowdsourced
excavation (Wilkins & Wilkins, 2012, p.1). Launched at the end of February 2012, and fully
funded by June of that same year, the company managed to collect over 32.000 in
crowdfunding to do a three-week evaluation of the site. They made a charming video
explaining the sites importance and stressed that the waterlogged Bronze Age site was under
threat due to extensive drainage in the region. The project received a lot of media coverage,
and the companys website and online communities were viewed by over 100.000 unique
visitors. Among the 35 campaigns studied they also managed to attract the most funders; 193
people from 11 countries backed the project. However, DigVentures rewards system is very
different from most other crowdfunding campaigns; instead of sending people thank you
notes or site trinkets, the company lets backers participate on the project for anything from
125 (for a day) to 1.300 (for three weeks). During the Flag Fen project over 130
contributors participated in this fashion (Wilkins & Wilkins, 2012, pp.25). While it has
indeed allowed DigVentures to create two of the biggest archaeological crowdfunding
campaigns ever (Saints & Secrets: the Lost History of Leiston Abbey is the second), the
system bears a lot of resemblance to the very well-established system of paid field schools
that is commonly used in the US (Rocks-Macqueen, 2012). DigVentures calls this model
Social Contract Archaeology - entering into a social contract with as wide a constituency
of funders and stakeholders as possible (Wilkins & Wilkins, 2012, p.1). Indeed they put a lot
of emphasis on the social aspect, trying to get common people involved in heritage and
archaeology, in an explicit attempt to reconnect the paying publics fascination with the past
to our aspirations as archaeologists (Wilkins & Wilkins, 2012, p.6).

3.3. Quantitative Results

The chart on page 9 provides a quick overview of the main crowdfunding results discussed in
this chapter.
Out of the 35 campaigns studied, 16 were entirely successful in funding their project, meaning
they either reached or surpassed their original funding goal. Another 13 were unable to raise
all the money required for their project, but still received some contributions, which they were
allowed to keep. 5 projects raised some money, but were required to refund their backers
8


(Kickstarter uses an all-or-nothing model; if a project hasnt reached its funding goal by the
funding deadline, all money is reimbursed to the backers and the project doesnt get
anything). Finally 1 project didnt manage to raise any money. According to Kickstarter
43.8% of all projects the site hosts are successfully funded (Kickstarter, 2013). With a success
rate of 45.7% (16 out of 35 projects), archaeological crowdfunding therefore appears to
adhere to this general trend, albeit slightly surpassing the industry average.
Among themselves the 16 successful projects were able to raise a total of nearly 140.000, or
an average of about 8.750 per project. If we add to this the sum collected by the projects that
received some of their required funding, the total amounts to almost 150.000, for an average
of about 5.000 per project. However, these numbers are highly influenced by the three best-
funded projects, who together account for nearly 61% (91.000) of the total collected amount.
If these are omitted, the average funding for the remaining 13 successful projects is 3.650.
The three best-funded campaigns were all type 3 campaigns. The largest is the Peru-based
project People Not Stones, which managed to raise 36.000. It is followed by the
DigVenture projects at Flag Fen and Leiston Abbey which managed to raise 32.600 and
22.400 respectively.
The 16 successful projects had an average of 81 backers, with each backer contributing on
average slightly over 100. Nearly 88% of successful campaigns had a promotional video,
while only 68% of unsuccessful projects also had a video.
The 35 campaigns were found on 9 different funding platforms: the two big market leaders
Kickstarter and Indiegogo, lesser known commercial platforms such as RocketHub,
Sponsume, Pozible and GoFundMe, two platforms aimed specifically at scientific research
Petridish and Microryza and finally DigVentures, aimed specifically at archaeology. Due to
the limited sample size it is perhaps premature to draw conclusions regarding which platform
is best for archaeological campaigns. However, some trends can be observed: Kickstarter has
a markedly higher success rate (7 out of 12 projects successful) than Indiegogo (2 out of 9
projects successful), the scientific platforms Petridish and Microryza housed only 3 smaller
projects, but all of these were successful. On the other hand GoFundMe housed 4 larger
projects but none of these got even close to reaching their funding goal.
The vast majority of archaeology-related project creators are nationals of either the US or the
UK, followed closely by citizens from mainland Europe. The money they raise is used to
conduct projects on all six continents, although theres once again a clear concentration of
projects based in the US and the UK.
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0
5.000
10.000
15.000
20.000
25.000
30.000
35.000
40.000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

Crowdfunding Campaigns

1. People Not Stones
2. DigVentures: Flag Fen Lives!
3. Saints & Secrets: the Lost History of Leiston
Abbey
4. Float the Dover Bronze Age Boat!
5. Ancient Roman DNA Project
6. Ancient Australia Unearthed
7. Unravelling the Eleusinian Mysteries
8. DIG IT! Archaeology of Nicaragua
9. The Maeander Project - A digital,
archaeological landscape
10. From the ground up: A publication on
Macedonian Archaeology
11. The SVG Public Archaeology Program
12. Al Baleed - Let's save the Land of
Frankincense
13. Sualti Kultur Mirasi 2013
14. Virtual Prehistoric Worlds
15. Archaeology for Everyone (with the
Bamburgh Research Project)
16. Brownsville Archaeology Festival
17. My Medieval Landscapes PhD
18. 2011 Hippos Excavation
19. The elusive fossil bison of the Grand
Canyon area
20. New Discoveries at Woodrow Ruin
21. Roman Quest Community Dig
22. Finding Common Ground in Israel and
Palestine
23. Prehistoric Kalahari Desert Settlements
24. Profiling the dead: learning from mass
fatality events
25. Maya Archaeology in 2012
26. The Pirro Nord r-evolution: fundraising for
the new excavation season
27. Finding Karakhamun- The Excavation
28. Support my research on Ibadi architectur...
29. Hull House Archaeology
30. The lost city of Paititi: The 2013 Inkari
Expedition
31. Apotropaios - The Archaeology of Averting
Evil in the Home
32. Long-Lost Egyptian Pyramids Found?
33. IRAQI KURDISTAN: An Atlas
34. Shipwreck Andy Gibson Underwater
Archaeology Documentation
35. Rescue Archaeology in Kawit Medellin,
Cebu
Funding goal
Actual crowdfunding (received)
Actual crowdfunding (not received)
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3.4. Observations

While the data discussed above provides a quantifiable means to assess different
archaeological crowdfunding campaigns, certain observations are not so easily put into
numbers. For instance, the general appeal of a project is based on numerous factors such as
the attractiveness of the crowdfunding website, the allure of the promotion video, the
professionalism shown by the project creators, and so forth. All of these factors are difficult to
quantify, but are crucial to whether or not the project will be funded. When browsing the
campaigns it was often painfully obvious why some projects had failed, while others had
flourished. In order to address these issues I have therefore composed a list of five general
rules that can help archaeologists get the most out of their crowdfunding campaigns.

Choose your platform wisely: Different platforms offer different options for crowdfunding.
Have a look at various platforms and then decide which one is best suited to your needs.
Kickstarter will probably give you the highest exposure, but if your project doesnt reach its
funding goal you wont receive any of the funds. Other websites might let you keep your
funds regardless of whether or not your project reached its funding goal, but will take a larger
cut of the profits. Scientific crowdfunding platforms get less exposure but may attract a more
professional public. Some platforms allow video uploads, others do not. Even a platforms
name, such as GoFundMe can come across as unprofessional and demanding. These are all
important considerations to make before you decide on which platform to use.

Set a realistic funding goal: Setting a realistic funding goal is one of the most important
aspects of crowdfunding. An entirely unrealistic funding goal comes across as unprofessional,
and people are not willing to back projects if they dont believe the project can reach its
funding goal (Agrawal et al., 2013, pp.45). A good example is campaign 26 the Pirro Nord
r-evolution: the project is interesting and the project leaders are accomplished academics
with years of experience. However, their funding goal of $45.000 is entirely disproportionate
to the rewards they offer or to the online following they have. As a result the project only
receives $535 or 1.2% of the original funding goal.


11


Present yourself professionally: Everyone endeavours to make their project seem as
interesting and exciting as possible, but be aware to also present yourself as a professional.
People like to know that their money is being put to good use, so present your project in an
understandable manner, outline what their money will be used for, and convince them that
you are competent enough to bring the project to a successful close. Highlight your past
accomplishments or your university experience. It is unsurprising that a project such as
campaign 28 Support my research on Ibadi architectur... doesnt collect a lot of funds; if
youre unable to spell architecture correctly in your project title, why should people believe
youre capable of conducting a $15.000 research project?

Consider rewards carefully: Most crowdfunding is reward-based, and this is no different for
archaeology. However, we can hardly send our backers original artefacts to thank them for
their support, so what can a reward in archaeological crowdfunding entail? Original and
popular rewards among the campaigns I studied included a tour of the archaeological site, a
presentation about the excavation at a school/venue of the backers choosing, official
acknowledgement in the projects final publication, a hard copy of the site plan signed by all
project participants, an original drawing (copy) of one of the artefacts you helped excavate,
and so forth. Be creative, think of what your target audience would like and scale your
rewards proportionally to the funding they provide.

Spread the word: A lot of project creators seem to assume that because their project is now
online, it will automatically reach a lot of people and generate funding. The reality is very
different: while it is true that the crowdfunding platform will attract visitors that may stumble
upon your project, the platforms are still for-profit companies. This means that they will
generally bestow more importance on and highlight campaigns that can generate a lot of
revenue, such as technology or design projects. Projects like archaeological campaigns dont
automatically generate a lot of hype, and project creators must rely on their established
networks to spread the word. Blog about your project, promote it on Facebook, Twitter, email
your friends and family, contact news agencies if you feel your project might interest them,
etc. While a proportionally large amount of initial funding will come from people you know,
this will send a strong signal to the community at large. Having seen that friends and family
believe in you, other funders will be convinced of your competence and will be more inclined
to contribute to your project (Agrawal et al., 2013, pp.5, 29; Piscitelli, 2013, pp.3738).
12


4. Conclusions

During my research I found that a surprising number of archaeology-related crowdfunding
campaigns, at least 35, had already been attempted. Furthermore, nearly half of these had
managed to successfully raise the money required to conduct their research. Some projects
aimed at several hundred euros, while many gathered a few thousand. Three projects stood
out because they collected more than 20.000 each, providing funding for not only research
material but also research salaries. We might conclude that crowdfunding is a clear success,
but how much does this money actually mean? After all, the total of 140.000 raised by the 16
successful projects combined pales in comparison to some traditional grants and funds
afforded to single projects. Furthermore, while groups like DigVentures have been able to
fund their entire projects on crowdfunding, they have been able to do this only once a year, at
exceptional sites and with the aid of paying volunteers. My current conclusion must be that
crowdfunding is not (yet) a sustainable way to conduct large scale archaeology, and that it is
certainly not a sound business model for commercial archaeology.
However, it is extremely useful in various other regards. If done properly keeping in mind
the five rules discussed above it seems to me that it is relatively easy to collect money for
small research projects up to several thousand euros. This could prove remarkably useful to
for instance PhD students, or researchers wishing to conduct preliminary research before
applying for traditional grants. Furthermore, getting traditional funding from an institution is
significantly easier if you can demonstrate public interest in your project, for instance by
showing the success of your crowdfunding campaign. Finally I believe crowdfunding can also
be an extremely powerful tool in informing the community of your work and in raising
awareness and interest for archaeology in general. By giving people the opportunity to
personally fund some exciting new research they feel more engaged and actively involved in
their heritage.
It will be interesting to see what the future brings. Will crowdfunding continue growing,
fulfilling an ever-greater role in archaeology? Or will the public loose interest once the
novelty-value of crowdfunding is gone? Will new crowdfunding models prove even more
useful to archaeology than existing ones? Since it has no geographical constraints, may
crowdfunding help alleviate funding shortages for heritage in third world countries?
Regardless of the various interesting and useful applications crowdfunding has already had in
the past, it is clear that many exciting prospects still lie ahead.
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5. Bibliography

Agrawal, A.K., Catalini, C. & Goldfarb, A. (2013) Some Simple Economics of
Crowdfunding.
Agrawal, A.K., Catalini, C. & Goldfarb, A. (2011) The Geography of Crowdfunding.
Clifford, C. (2013) Crowdfunding Industry On Fire: Trends to Watch [Internet]. Available
from: <http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226302> [Accessed 7 December 2013].
Kickstarter (2013) Kickstarter Stats [Internet]. Available from:
<http://www.kickstarter.com/help/stats> [Accessed 9 December 2013].
Lindley, K. (2013) Adventures in Academic Crowdfunding [Internet]. Available from:
<http://ah.group.shef.ac.uk/Newsletter/?p=771> [Accessed 7 December 2013].
Massolution (2012) Crowdfunding Industry Report. Market Trends, Composition and
Crowdfunding Platforms. crowdsourcing.org.
Massolution (2013) Directory of Sites [Internet]. Available from:
<http://www.crowdsourcing.org/directory> [Accessed 7 December 2013].
Piscitelli, M. (2013) Using Social Networks to Fundraise. Crowdfunding for the
Archaeologist. The SAA Archaeological Record, 13 (4), pp.3639.
Rocks-Macqueen, D. (2011) Crowd Sourcing Archaeology Funds: Tip of the Iceborg or
Passing Fad? [Internet]. Available from:
<http://dougsarchaeology.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/crowd-sourcing-archaeology-
funds-tip-of-the-iceberg-or-passing-fad/> [Accessed 7 December 2013].
Rocks-Macqueen, D. (2012) New Developments in Crowd-sourced funding of Archaeology
[Internet]. Available from: <http://dougsarchaeology.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/new-
developments-in-crowd-sourced-funding-of-archaeology/> [Accessed 7 December
2013].
White, B. (2012) Crowdfunding and archaeological research: should we do it? [Internet].
Available from: <http://www.succinctresearch.com/crowdfunding-and-archaeological-
research-should-we-do-it/> [Accessed 7 December 2013].
White, B. (2013) Looks like archaeologists are promoting crowdfunding after all [Internet].
Available from: <http://www.succinctresearch.com/archaeologists-are-promoting-
crowdfunding/> [Accessed 7 December 2013].
Wilkins, B. & Wilkins, L.W. (2012) Social Contract Archaeology: a business case for the
future.
Yates, D. (2013) Dont try crowd-funding a PhD; OR Your colleagues dont like it when you
ask them for money [Internet]. Available from:
<http://blog.grotesquestoneidols.com/2013/08/dont-try-crowd-funding-phd-or-
your.html> [Accessed 7 December 2013].

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Crowdfunding Campaign Websites [Accessed 7 December 2013]

Project Name Crowdfunding Campaign Website
People Not Stones http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/save-archeological-sites-
empower-entrepreneurs-create-jobs-people-not-stones
DigVentures: Flag Fen Lives! http://www.sponsume.com/project/digventures-flag-fen-lives-1
Saints & Secrets:
the Lost History of Leiston Abbey
http://digventures.com/projects/saints-secrets-leiston-abbey/
Float the Dover Bronze Age Boat! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1989781916/float-the-
dover-bronze-age-boat?ref=search
Ancient Roman DNA Project http://www.rockethub.com/projects/3709-ancient-roman-dna-
project
Ancient Australia Unearthed http://www.pozible.com/project/34565
Unraveling the
Eleusinian Mysteries
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/archaeolink/unravelling-the-
eleusinian-mysteries?ref=search
DIG IT! Archaeology
of Nicaragua
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1488186277/dig-it-
archaelology-of-nicaragua?ref=search
The Maeander Project
A digital, archaeological landscape
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/colleenmorgan/the-
maeander-project-a-digital-archaeological-land
From the ground up: A publication
on Macedonian Archaeology
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/macedonia/from-the-
ground-up-a-publication-on-macedonian-arc?ref=search
The SVG Public
Archaeology Program
http://www.rockethub.com/projects/3949-the-svg-public-
archaeology-program
Al Baleed - Let's save the
Land of Frankincense
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/al-baleed-let-s-save-the-
land-of-frankincense
Sualti Kultur Mirasi 2013 http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sualti-kultur-mirasi-2013
Virtual Prehistoric Worlds http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1616707907/virtual-
prehistoric-worlds?ref=search
Archaeology for Everyone (with
the Bamburgh Research Project)
http://www.sponsume.com/project/archaeology-everyone-
bamburgh-research-project
Brownsville Archaeology Festival http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/casearchaeology/brownsvill
e-archaeology-festival?ref=search
My Medieval Landscapes PhD http://www.gofundme.com/medievalgardensandparks
2011 Hippos Excavation http://www.gofundme.com/NIPatHippos
The elusive fossil bison of the
Grand Canyon area
https://www.microryza.com/projects/the-elusive-fossil-bison-of-
the-grand-canyon-area
New Discoveries at Woodrow
Ruin
http://www.gofundme.com/2s9fm8
Roman Quest Community Dig http://www.sponsume.com/project/roman-quest-community-dig
Finding Common Ground in Israel
and Palestine
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/finding-common-ground-in-
israel-and-palestine
Prehistoric Kalahari Desert
Settlements
http://www.petridish.org/projects/prehistoric-kalahari-desert-
settlements
Profiling the dead: learning from http://www.petridish.org/projects/profiling-the-dead-learning-
15


mass fatality events from-mass-fatality-events
Maya Archaeology in 2012 http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/maya-archaeology-in-2012
The Pirro Nord r-evolution:
fundraising for the new excavation
season
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-pirro-nord-r-evolution-
fundraising-for-the-new-excavation-season
Finding Karakhamun-
The Excavation
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/finding-karakhamun-the-
excavation
Support my research on
Ibadi architectur...
http://www.gofundme.com/cdeoo
Hull House Archaeology http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hull-house-archaeology
The lost city of Paititi:
The 2013 Inkari Expedition
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bduverneuil/the-lost-city-of-
paititi-the-2013-inkari-expeditio?ref=search
Apotropaios - The Archaeology of
Averting Evil in the Home
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1882577321/apotropaios-
the-archaeology-of-averting-evil-in-th?ref=search
Long-Lost Egyptian Pyramids
Found?
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/249744306/long-lost-
pyramids-found?ref=search
IRAQI KURDISTAN: An Atlas http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/608206435/an-
archaeological-atlas-of-iraqi-kurdistan?ref=search
Shipwreck Andy Gibson
Underwater Archaeology
Documentation
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1024224570/sternwheeler-
andy-gibson-underwater-documentation?ref=search
Rescue Archaeology in Kawit
Medellin, Cebu
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rescue-archaeology-in-
kawit-medellin-cebu

Project Name Short Description
Crowdfunding
Platform
Project
Location
Funding
Goal ()
Funding
Raised ()
Funding
%
Number of
Backers
Funding per
Backer ()
Video?
Funds
Received?
People Not Stones
Preserving two extraordinary archaeological
sites and helping the local communities in the
process.
Indiegogo Peru 35.860 36.009 100 146 247 Yes Yes
DigVentures:
Flag Fen Lives!
Excavating the Bronze Age Site of Flag Fen,
threatened by extensive drainage and climate
change.
Sponsume
United
Kingdom
29.880 32.630 109 193 169 Yes Yes
Saints & Secrets: the Lost
History of Leiston Abbey
Excavating at the 14th century ruins of Leiston
Abbey.
DigVentures
United
Kingdom
21.537 22.398 104 133 168 Yes Yes
Float the Dover
Bronze Age Boat!
Making the half-scale replica of the Dover boat
watertight and conducting sea trials.
KickStarter
United
Kingdom
5.975 7.984 134 124 64 Yes Yes
Ancient Roman
DNA Project
Studying DNA of ancient Romans to learn more
about immigrants in the Roman Empire.
RocketHub Italy 4.390 7.442 170 170 44 Yes Yes
Ancient Australia
Unearthed
Australia's new school curriculum requires
teaching about 'Ancient Australia'; this
archaeologist wants to write a book for
teachers/school kids to teach/learn this topic.
Pozible Australia 6.626 6.924 105 81 85 Yes Yes
Unraveling the
Eleusinian Mysteries
Studying the religious site of Eleusis that
flourished from the Early Bronze Age for over
2000 years well into the Roman era.
KickStarter Greece 5.976 5.976 100 19 315 Yes Yes
DIG IT! Archaeology
of Nicaragua
Excavating and publishing 10 areas on the site
of Chiquilistagua.
KickStarter Nicaragua 3.659 4.190 115 76 55 Yes Yes
The Maeander Project
A digital, archaeological
landscape
Field study of archaeology in the Maeander
River region.
KickStarter Turkey 3.658 3.898 107 58 67 Yes No
From the ground up:
A publication on
Macedonian Archaeology
Writing a book on the pottery typology of the
region of Macedonia.
KickStarter Macedonia 3.659 3.846 105 45 85 No Yes
The SVG Public
Archaeology Program
Rescue excavation of sites beneath new airport
construction on Caribbean island.
RocketHub
St Vincent
and the
Grenadines
3.661 2.958 81 26 114 Yes Yes
Al Baleed - Let's save the
Land of Frankincense
Excavating at the ancient port city of Al Baleed. Indiegogo Oman 1.391 2.453 176 75 33 Yes Yes
Sualti Kultur Mirasi 2013
Creating a 3D virtual tour of nautical
archaeology in Turkey.
Indiegogo Turkey 5.856 2.090 36 24 87 Yes Yes
Virtual Prehistoric Worlds
Creating an explorable 3D visualisation of
Bronze Age East Anglia through archaeological
and paleo-environmental data.
KickStarter
United
Kingdom
956 1.553 163 77 20 Yes Yes
Archaeology for Everyone
(with the Bamburgh
Research Project)
Field study of archaeology around Bamburgh
Castle, which has occupation layers spanning
2000 years.
Sponsume
United
Kingdom
11.953 1.328 11 29 46 Yes Yes
Brownsville
Archaeology Festival
Excavating an early 19th-century iron foundry
and introducing the community to its past.
KickStarter
United
States
1.099 1.256 114 45 28 Yes Yes
My Medieval
Landscapes PhD
Writing PhD on 'Parks, Gardens and Designed
Landscapes of Medieval North Wales and North
West Shropshire'.
GoFundMe
United
Kingdom
2.390 944 40 36 26 No Yes
2011 Hippos Excavation
Excavating at the ancient city of Hippos near
the Sea of Galilee.
GoFundMe Israel 3.664 806 22 8 101 No Yes
The elusive fossil bison of
the Grand Canyon area
Determining whether the Grand Canyon had
natural bison populations before the human
introduction of bison in the region.
Microryza
United
States
732 740 101 20 37 No Yes
New Discoveries at
Woodrow Ruin
Excavating at the 550-1130 AD Woodrow Ruin
site.
GoFundMe
United
States
1.975 706 36 20 35 Yes Yes
Roman Quest
Community Dig
Locating and partly excavating a Roman Camp
found on a 250-year old map.
Sponsume
United
Kingdom
1.792 662 37 20 33 Yes Yes
Finding Common Ground
in Israel and Palestine
Excavating in the city of Akko, bringing together
archaeology students from both the Palestinian
and Israeli population.
Indiegogo Israel 10.988 619 6 10 62 Yes Yes
Prehistoric Kalahari
Desert Settlements
Studying prehistoric settlements in the Kalahari
Desert.
Petridish Botswana 366 564 154 18 31 Yes Yes
Profiling the dead:
learning from mass
fatality events
Studying over 100 individuals showing signs of
violent deaths found in a Roman Period
'executioner's trench'.
Petridish Egypt 366 527 144 8 66 Yes Yes
Maya Archaeology
in 2012
Excavating a medium sized Maya city. Indiegogo Belize 3.658 439 12 6 73 No Yes
The Pirro Nord
r-evolution: fundraising
for the new excavation
season
Excavating at one of Europe's oldest prehistoric
sites.
Indiegogo Italy 32.972 392 1 18 22 Yes Yes
Finding Karakhamun-
The Excavation
Excavating the 25th dynasty tomb of the priest
Karakhamun.
Indiegogo Egypt 1.119 194 17 10 19 Yes Yes
Support my research on
Ibadi architectur...
Studying settlement structures and
architectural forms in the Maghreb.
GoFundMe
Lybia,
Tunisia and
Algeria
11.012 127 1 15 8 No Yes
Hull House Archaeology
Conducting a full archaeological study of a
historic house dating to 1810.
Indiegogo
United
States
7.400 37 1 1 37 Yes Yes
The lost city of Paititi: The
2013 Inkari Expedition
Expedition hoping to locate the Inca city of
Paititi in the National Sanctuary of Megantoni.
KickStarter Peru 21.950 10.681 49 57 187 Yes No
Apotropaios - The
Archaeology of Averting
Evil in the Home
Writing a book concerning archaeological
evidence of rituals aimed at averting evil.
KickStarter
United
Kingdom
7.770 1.719 22 35 49 Yes No
Long-Lost Egyptian
Pyramids Found?
Ground proofing sites found on satellite
imagery in order to determine whether they are
in fact of human nature or simply natural.
KickStarter Egypt 10.976 671 6 11 61 Yes No
IRAQI KURDISTAN:
An Atlas
Publishing a thorough atlas of archaeological
sites in Iraqi Kurdistan, documented through
non-invasive surface studies and photography.
KickStarter Iraq 4.070 37 1 3 12 Yes No
Shipwreck Andy Gibson
Underwater Archaeology
Documentation
Documenting a Mississippi steamer with
underwater drawings.
KickStarter
United
States
2.175 29 1 2 15 No No
Rescue Archaeology in
Kawit Medellin, Cebu
Rescue excavation of human mass grave site
underneath basketball court construction.
Indiegogo Philippines 4.381 0 0 0 0 No No
Appendix: Short description and raw data of archaeology-related crowdfunding campaigns.