Abstract
The social positions and employment contexts of archeologists shape the production and dissemination of archeological knowledge. Therefore, demographics have far-reaching impacts for how knowledge is constructed and received in the discipline. In this article we examine these dynamics using the Texas Archeological Society (TAS) and its Bulletin (BTAS) as a case study. We present aggregated data on longitudinal trends in BTAS publications as well as survey results of TAS members and BTAS authors. The BTAS is considered unique: it is one of the oldest, continuously published archeology journals in the United States (first published in 1929) and features editorially-reviewed articles, which may be peer-reviewed if the author prefers. Because the BTAS is a venue for avocational, academic, and professional archeologists, we are able to quantify rates of publication by authors from these sectors and to understand how they correlate with the institutional affiliation, gender, and race/ethnicity of authors. Our findings indicate that over the BTAS's 90-year history, the majority of its authors have been men with a steady increase in authorship by women over most of this period; however, there was a decline in women authors in the period of 2009–2019, compared to the previous decade. Although our sample of TAS members was too small to conduct statistical significance testing, our survey results suggest that authors who are Cultural Resource Management archeologists or retirees with a background in professional archeology are especially likely to be men, while authors who identify as avocationalists, academics, and public sector archeologists have more gender-balanced representation. Contrary to findings in other regions, the BTAS is particularly dominated by male authors who are CRM practitioners, and publications from both men and women from other sectors are less represented. can be posed about the history of Texas archeological practice through analyzing larger demographic trends in TAS membership and in rates of BTAS authorship. What is the current demographic composition of TAS members and how has this changed through time? Are individuals from historically excluded groups represented in the organization as members, including as members in decision-making positions? Who publishes in the BTAS and how does this dictate which research topics or material culture studies are highlighted , and conversely, contribute to the concealment of others? Are there real or perceived barriers that limit participation in TAS and publication in the BTAS? What consequences could these barriers have on the future of TAS, BTAS, and archeology in Texas? And overall, what can these factors and trends reveal about the archeological community in Texas as a whole?