Kickstarter Campaign Now Live
Our Kickstarter campaign is officially live. This is it. We're asking for €9,500 to build the first public version of PastForwardHub, a global career platform and community for archaeologists.
The campaign runs until January 10, 2026. We're using an all-or-nothing funding model, which means we only get the funds if we reach our goal. Right now, we have 28 backers who've pledged €2,082. That's 22% of our target, but we need your help to get there.
Why We're Doing This
More than half of all archaeologists report job insecurity and unstable compensation. Years of training lead to short contracts, unclear career paths, and little support. There's no centralized place to access career resources or connect with the global community. We've lived this reality ourselves, and we know it needs to change.
PastForwardHub will offer a member directory where you can create a profile and search for colleagues by region, topic, or project type. A job board for positions, grants, and field opportunities worldwide. Community channels to meet peers and share ideas. An event calendar for workshops on skills and career development. A resource library with templates, guides, and mentoring programs.
This is the first platform of its kind on a global scale, built specifically for archaeologists. It's not another social network. It's a working environment designed to help our community thrive.
What Your Support Funds
The €9,500 will cover development costs for the member directory, job board, event calendar, and resource library. It will pay for software licenses, GDPR-compliant tools, and legal expenses. We'll run beta testing with over 200 archaeologists and integrate their feedback before launch.
If we exceed our goal, we'll expand features, hire support staff like web developers and writers, improve translations and accessibility, and create a small fund for community archaeology projects. Every euro beyond the minimum helps us build something better.
Why Kickstarter
We chose Kickstarter because we want to stay independent. Community funding means no external agendas, no corporate interests pushing us in directions that don't serve archaeologists. Your support keeps the platform focused on what the community actually needs.
We're also keeping it 100% digital. No physical rewards, minimal environmental footprint. We believe in building sustainably, and that starts with how we fund this project.
How You Can Help Right Now
Visit our Kickstarter page and back the project. Every pledge counts, no matter the amount. Share the campaign with colleagues, friends, and anyone who cares about archaeology and cultural heritage. When our community thrives, the stories of our past are researched, preserved, and shared with everyone.
We've already been featured in the EAA Newsletter and presented at the 31st Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists. The archaeological community is starting to recognize what we're building. Now we need your support to make it real.
We're being transparent about the challenges ahead. €9,500 is the absolute minimum to launch. If we fall short, we'll continue from personal budgets and pursue grants, but progress will be slower. We want to move faster. We want to deliver this platform to you as soon as possible, and that requires your backing.
Thank you for considering supporting PastForwardHub. This is for all of us who've struggled to build stable careers in archaeology. Let's build something better together.