July 1, 2018
International Archaeology Day (IAD), the annual celebration of archaeology begun by the AIA, continues to expand globally. In 2017, more than 500 Collaborating Organizations in two dozen countries organized over 900 events. Follow-up reports indicate that at least 200,000 people attended IAD events around the world. In comparison, the first Archaeology Day in 2011 featured 115 events, 14 Collaborating Organizations, and an attendance of just over 15,000 people.
Although IAD is officially celebrated on the third Saturday in October, Collaborating Organizations hold events throughout the month highlighting the important work they do. IAD events vary greatly by organization and location.
For example, in 2017, the International Archaeological Center of the University of Georgia and Quality Schools International Tbilisi hosted a seminar led by faculty and students at the University of Georgia and a Culture and Community in Casma, Peru, cosponsored a wide array of activities. The celebration of IAD is an important event for the community of NivТn and a step toward reclaiming the region’s historical heritage. Volunteers gathered to tend to the archaeological site at Calavera Grande, and the local community sponsored a campaign to raise public awareness about the preservation of sites in the Casma Valley. Other events included a re-creation of an ancient rite honoring Pachamama (Mother Earth), preparation and tasting of traditional dishes prepared with pre- Hispanic plants, presentations of school projects and artistic work, and Andean and coastal folk dances.
We hope you will celebrate IAD with us in 2018 by organizing a public event in your area or by attending one. Popular events include archaeology fairs, laboratory open houses, classroom visits, special tours of museums and archaeological sites, symposia, conferences, meetings, student presentations, lectures, and much more. Collaborating Organizations and their activities are featured on the IAD website and included in the main IAD calendar. Join us and promote your organization and your event by posting announcements and updates on the IAD blog, and by providing a report with images after your event. Articles can be emailed to Ben Thomas (bthomas@archaeological.org). To read more about IAD 2018, go to archaeologyday.org.
AIA Local Societies are central to the AIA’s mission of promoting public understanding of archaeology in local communities. More than 100 Local Societies, primarily in the United States and Canada, organize events and participate in AIA programs such as the lecture program and International Archaeology Day, and are eligible for Local Society Outreach Grants. The grants help to support Societies’ activities. The Societies and their events that have received the most recent round of awards are:
Athens (Georgia) Society: Sharing Technology for Archaeology
The AIA-Athens Society will host an event on the University of Georgia’s campus that demonstrates several cutting-edge technologies used today in searching for and characterizing archaeological sites. Highlighted tools will include shallow geophysical instrumentation, drones, underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and lidar scanning.
Central Arizona Society: Fall Forum in the Classics and Open Door @ Tempe
The Central Arizona Society will hold two events at Arizona State University. The Fall Forum in the Classics will host middle- and high-school classical language students on campus for a day of classically themed lectures, games, and arts and crafts in November 2018. In February 2019, the Society will participate in Open Door @ Tempe, a university initiative that invites community members to campus for a Societyled workshop on making clay vessels, votive figurines, and cuneiform tablets inspired by the ancient world. Museum of Natural Science and the local Ronald McDonald House. Games from the ancient past, aimed at audiences ages seven and up, will include Lewis chess, senet, the royal game of Ur, checkers, pachisi, mancala, and the Mesoamerican board game of patolli.
Niagara Peninsula Society: Art and Artifacts
In celebration of International Archaeology Day 2018, the Niagara Peninsula Society, located in St. Catharines, Ontario, will bring students from the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) Academy to the Cypriote Museum at Brock University. The Society-sponsored event aims to educate and engage students in the study of archaeology and introduce them to the importance of understanding the past through artifacts. In addition, it offers students a new perspective on higher education, one that creates an experience of belonging and possibility, rather than exclusion.
North Carolina (Triangle Area) Society: The Art and Archaeology of Roman Hairstyles
The AIA’s North Carolina (Triangle Area) Society will host a two-day event in February 2019 featuring a public lecture and workshop on Roman hairstyles led by hairstylist and experimental archaeologist Janet Stephens. Members of the public, students participating in Latin language programs at local schools, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill undergraduates enrolled in the new interdisciplinary course Art and Fashion from Rome to Timbuktu will be encouraged to attend these events.
Orange County Society: Invitations for Lecture and Garden Party Events
The Orange County Society is putting together a special mailing inviting Archaeology magazine subscribers in their area to the Society’s 2018–2019 events. The mailing will highlight their 2018 garden party, which will raise funds for local students to participate in archaeological research.
Pittsburgh Society: International Archaeology Day—Fun for the Entire Family
The Pittsburgh Society is planning its first International Archaeology Day celebration for 2018. The Society is planning events for all ages, including hands-on activities for younger participants, presentations on digital applications in archaeology for advanced students and adults, and a walking tour highlighting classical architectural influences in and around the University of Pittsburgh’s campus.
AIA Societies are always looking for new members. To find out more about how you can get involved and to locate a society near you, go to archaeological.org/societies. If you are not yet an AIA member, please join at archaeological.org/join. Archaeology magazine subscribers can upgrade their membership at archaeological. org/upgrade. And remember that all AIA programs are supported by the generosity of our members and friends. To find out about supporting the AIA and its activities, go to archaeological.org/giving.
AIA programs and activities, serving both archaeologists in the field and the general public, are made possible by the generosity of our members and donors. Dues and contributions help the AIA continue its mission of supporting archaeological research, preserving sites around the globe, promoting outreach, and bringing the world of archaeology to readers like you through its publications and websites. Join today at archaeological.org/join. Archaeology magazine subscribers can upgrade their membership for just $40 at archaeological.org/upgrade.
AIA Local Societies organize many events, including lectures, archaeology fairs, conferences, colloquia and symposia, themed dinners, and even garden parties. Societies and their members are the backbone of the AIA. Become a part of this wonderful network of people who are promoting archaeology and preserving the human past. To learn more about our Societies, visit archaeological.org/societies.
We encourage you to join the AIA. Your membership dues support archaeological excavations and research around the world. To become a member, go to archaeological.org/join. Archaeology magazine subscribers can upgrade their membership—which will include membership in their nearest AIA Local Society—for just $40. To upgrade, go to archaeological.org/upgrade.
