Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT) is an independent charity formed in 1975 to undertake rescue excavation, research, publication and the presentation of the results of its work for the benefit of the public.

The Trust's main activities are to:

• carry out archaeological excavations in Canterbury
  Canterbury
  Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
  
  , its district and the county of Kent
  Kent
  Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
  
  .
• record standing buildings.
• manage the Archaeology in Education Service (AES) for Kent schools and colleges.
• publish reports of the Trust's investigations, both popular and academic.
• provide planning advice for archaeology to Canterbury City Council
• act as the Investigating Authority for the Canterbury Area of Archaeological Importance.

The Trust's base of operations is at 92A Broad Street, Canterbury. This is where the administrative offices are located and the finds department and post-excavation offices. The Trust's library, which includes the collection of the Canterbury Archaeological Society, is open by appointment to students and members of the public.

The work of the Trust is supported by the Friends of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust (FCAT).