Archaeology is a diverse discipline, it operates through a number of institutional arrangements, each of which has a particular agenda and set of agreed working practices. Diversity might be regarded as a strength, reflecting the dynamism with which archaeological concerns have become a widely used currency in our modern world. But if we accept that diversity exists in a single discipline we might also wonder what defines the common ground; what is it that, at the end of the day, continues to make us all archaeologists?' The second Oxbow Lecture' presents the text of a lecture delivered in 1995 at the Institute of Field Archaeologist's annual Archaeology in Britain Conference , and explores the current state and priorities of British archaeology.