November 1, 2012
The 114th Joint Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) and the American Philological Association (APA) will be held in Seattle, Washington, from January 3 to 6, 2013. The Annual Meeting is the highlight of both organizations’ academic programming and is an important forum for scholars to present new ideas and current research. The four-day program in Seattle will feature over 250 events, including academic sessions featuring about 700 speakers, workshops, roundtable discussions, and poster sessions. Meeting attendees will be a mixture of professionals, graduate and undergraduate students, archaeology enthusiasts, A RCHAEOLOGY magazine subscribers, and members of AIA Local Societies.
Over the last 10 years, the Annual Meeting has experienced tremendous growth in attendance—last year’s record-breaking meeting in Philadelphia had over 3,000 attendees, including more than 600 first-time attendees and a 30 percent increase in international participation—and in the scope of papers presented and topics considered. With an increased focus on professional development, cultural heritage management, new technologies, and other topics of critical importance to the field, the meeting has expanded its appeal. The 2013 meeting will feature several new sessions including a Poster Colloquium, a Graduate Student “Lightning Session,” and dedicated sessions for undergraduate poster and paper presentations.
The Annual Meeting also includes events that are open to the general public. A Public Lecture and Opening Night Reception will be held on Thursday, January 3, 2013.
On Saturday, January 5, the AIA, in collaboration with the Burke Museum in Seattle, will present the 13th Annual AIA Archaeology Fair. The fair is a family-friendly event that encourages people to learn about archaeology by participating in hands-on activities. In the past, fairs have included everything from stone-tool-making workshops to historical reenactments.
We encourage you to join us in Seattle for a stimulating and informative AIA-APA Joint Annual Meeting. To learn more about the event, visit www.archaeological.org/annualmeeting
Over the years the Archaeological Institute of America has collaborated with various like-minded organizations. These joint ventures allow for an open exchange of information and ideas among the organizations, cross-participation in events and programs, and greater opportunities for members to share their research and ideas with diverse audiences. It also enables the AIA to publicize and promote its programs and events to a wider audience. On this page are some recent collaborative efforts.
AIA Participates in 18th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA)
Representatives from the AIA participated in the 18th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) that was held in Helsinki, Finland, from August 29 to September 1, 2012. Last year, at the 17th EAA Annual Meeting, the AIA had a presence in the exhibit hall. This year we increased our participation in the meeting by also presenting papers in two academic sessions. The papers, entitled “Public Engagement Through Archaeology Day” and “Fostering Heritage Stewardship to Preserve Archaeological Sites,” were authored by AIA Programs Department staff members Ben Thomas and Meredith Anderson Langlitz.
In an ongoing effort to further increase collaborative efforts, the AIA published two articles in the EAA newsletter, The European Archaeologist (Issue no. 37: Summer 2012, available at http://e-a-a.org/tea/). We are also listing EAA events on the AIA website and in “Dispatches.” Furthermore, in an effort to encourage greater participation in the AIA Annual Meeting, EAA members are being offered discounted registration rates for the meeting in Seattle and EAA representatives will be in the exhibit hall.
AIA Members to Receive Discounted Registration Rates for WAC 7
As mentioned in the September/October issue, AIA members are eligible for discounted registration rates to attend the seventh World Archaeological Congress (WAC 7) in Jordan from January 14 to 18, 2013. For details and to find out how you can access these special AIA rates, please visit archaeological.org/WAC. The WAC 7 registration fee includes access to all conference sessions and exhibitions, invitations to special receptions, and the ability to participate in a mid-congress excursion to sites in the Dead Sea area.
AIA Joins with SAA and SHA for NCSS
The AIA will once again join the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) and the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) to attend the Annual Meeting of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) in Seattle, Washington, from November 16 to 18, 2012. In 2007, the AIA, SAA, and SHA formed the Archaeology Education Clearinghouse (AEC) for the express purpose of presenting the organizations’ K–12 educational resources to the teachers and educators who attend the annual NCSS meeting. At the 2012 meeting, the AEC will also present a workshop that demonstrates how archaeology can be used to fulfill curriculum requirements and to engage and educate students.
Each year the AIA provides grants to AIA Local Societies to support local outreach and educational activities through the Local Society Outreach Grant Program. These grants are given out twice a year, in the fall and the spring. Six societies received grants in spring 2012 and five of them are using their grants to organize events for National Archaeology Day that highlight society activities and local resources.
The AIA-Boulder Society Archaeology Day events will feature speakers, artifact displays, information tables for local archaeological organizations, a Family Day at the Museum of Natural History, archaeological foods, and an evening program at the Fiske Planetarium.
The AIA-Denver Society will present “Settling the West: Archaeology at the Dry.” The program will examine the daily lives of settlers at “The Dry,” an early 20th-century African-American homesteading community located south of Manzanola, Colorado. One of the goals for the program organizers is to create a traveling exhibition that will be used to present archaeology to children who live in rural areas and often do not have access to archaeological education programs.
The AIA-Toronto Society and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) are joining together to host a full day of programs in celebration of National Archaeology Day on October 20. The museum will host lectures, displays, and family- and child-friendly interactive activities that celebrate the diversity and excitement of archaeology around the world. The central hall of the museum’s ground floor will feature booths and posters as well as interactive interpretative sections. ROM researchers will have displays detailing their current archaeological research and will be on hand to talk to the public and answer their questions. In addition, talks will be delivered by two eminent scholars in the museum’s lecture hall.
The AIA-Western Massachusetts Society will present “Afternoon with an Archaeologist.” This program will introduce students and the public to an archaeological survey of a local site. They will be led on a visit to an historical and archaeological site for surface walking and mapping of surviving above-ground features.
The AIA-Winnipeg Society, in collaboration with the University of Winnipeg, will host an open-house event where members of the community and general public can tour the archaeology laboratories on campus and view relevant exhibits and displays. The University of Winnipeg houses a vast array of artifacts and teaching exhibits related to archaeology in its museum collections.
AIA president Elizabeth Bartman’s letter in this issue encourages A RCHAEOLOGY magazine readers to join the AIA as Society Members and get involved in local community archaeology.
A RCHAEOLOGY subscribers can upgrade to Society Level Membership for just $30. For the full list of benefits and to upgrade your membership, visit archaeological.org/upgrade.
October 20, 2012, is National Archaeology Day! On that day and throughout the month of October, AIA Local Societies and over 100 Collaborating Organizations will host archaeological programs and activities open to all. Please visit www.nationalarchaeologyday.org to learn more about this annual celebration of archaeology and to find an event near you. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/NatlArkyDay and Twitter at @NatlArkyDay.
