Journal profile · ARCHAEOLOGY
Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports
ISSN 2352-409X · eISSN 2352-4103 · Elsevier
Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports: CAS Zone 2 · History (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 1.6 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,910; review about 165 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 553 articles in 2025; indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of History in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Archaeology and ancient environmental studies, Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis, together about 46.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Archeology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports is aimed at all scholars, from anthropological archaeologists to scientific specialists, who are engaged with the application of scientific techniques and methods throughout the entire field of archaeology. The journal focuses on the results of scientific investigations applied to archaeological research questions, problems, and debates of wide interest and, in turn, their significance for understanding behaviors in the past. It also provides a forum, after consultation with the editors, for reviews or debates about important issues or “hot topics” in scientific archaeology and their impacts in the broader field.Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports publishes papers of excellent archaeological science, and both scientific and archaeological aspects of the research should be well represented within all manuscripts submitted to the journal. The majority of our accepted submissions are Research Articles in which a scientific technique sheds light on a clearly defined archaeological research question or debate. Shorter Communications, Reviews, and other article formats are also welcome, but interested authors are encouraged to consult with the editors prior to submitting manuscripts in these formats.Research should be demonstrably contextualized within the region and period of interest (that is, it is situated in the relevant geographic, chronological, historical, etc. contexts) and, ideally, within a topic or question of broad interest or significance to a global audience. Applications of scientific techniques must be underpinned by clear archaeological or methodological research questions and be set within established and/or developing research frameworks. The submission of papers focused around the analysis of single objects or small sample sizes (e.g., a low number of sherds) and papers situated in conservation studies are discouraged, unless of exceptional quality and/or international significance.Submissions within our publishing scope will be considered by an Editor-in-Chief and, after passing desk review, will be reviewed by at least two peer reviewers. Submissions might also be handled by Associate Editors with relevant subject expertise. We aim to reach a first decision within 6 weeks.We welcome suggestions for thematic sets of papers arising from meetings focused on any aspect of scientific archaeology, and we publish Special Issues of high-quality papers deriving from conferences and symposia on the archaeological sciences.We welcome submissions from scholars anywhere in the world and at any career stage, and we especially encourage contributions from early career researchers as well as archaeologists from under-represented communities or countries.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): ARCHAEOLOGY
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 11%); most named United States 16, United Kingdom 12, Mainland China 5, Spain 2, Australia 2 (44 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studiesEarth and Planetary Sciences26%
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologySocial Sciences12.7%
- Cultural Heritage Materials AnalysisArts and Humanities8.2%
- Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology StudiesArts and Humanities7.1%
- Pacific and Southeast Asian StudiesSocial Sciences4.7%
- Geology and Paleoclimatology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences4%
- Building materials and conservationEarth and Planetary Sciences3.7%
- Maritime and Coastal ArchaeologyArts and Humanities3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)History Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | History | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Archaeology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)History Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | History | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Archaeology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)History Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | History | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Archaeology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
AHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.74LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.14LetPub ·
- h-index
- 58OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,715OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.91OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 12.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 40.71%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 524LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,685 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 490 | 302 | 34 |
| 2025 | 553 | 300 | 334 |
| 2024 | 523 | 297 | 1,064 |
| 2023 | 509 | 264 | 1,788 |
| 2022 | 423 | 218 | 2,303 |
| 2021 | 528 | 248 | 4,208 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
165 dayssubmission to acceptance
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 60 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 165 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 10 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,910 / EUR 2,720 / GBP 2,330 / JPY 360,930 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare8 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
- Not considered
- papers situated in conservation studies
Article types accepted7, with length limits
- commentComment: Authors who seek to comment specifically on the content of a recently published article in the journal can submit a Comment (target length of 1000–2000…Length not stated
- extended research articleExtended Research Article: A longer-than-usual research article documenting a very substantial body of original research and making an especially significant co…Length not stated
- original researchJournal of Archaeological Science: Reports publishes the following peer-reviewed article types:Short Communication: A short article succinctly communicating nov…Length not stated
- research articleJournal of Archaeological Science: Reports publishes the following peer-reviewed article types:Short Communication: A short article succinctly communicating nov…main text ≤ 8,000 words
- reviewJournal of Archaeological Science: Reports publishes the following peer-reviewed article types:Short Communication: A short article succinctly communicating nov…Length not stated
- review articleJournal of Archaeological Science: Reports publishes the following peer-reviewed article types:Short Communication: A short article succinctly communicating nov…Length not stated
- short communicationJournal of Archaeological Science: Reports publishes the following peer-reviewed article types:Short Communication: A short article succinctly communicating nov…main text ≤ 3,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Ethical guidelines required Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 2352-409X
- Electronic ISSN
- 2352-4103
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports
What CAS zone is Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports is in Zone 2 of History, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Archaeology; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of History. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.6; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 2.8, h-index 58.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports?
The publisher reports about 165 days (submission to acceptance). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports based?
Of the 44 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 11%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (16), United Kingdom (12) and Mainland China (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports is indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Is Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,910.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .