October 18, 2019
Over 1,200 events around the world will celebrate discovering the past on the 9th annual International Archaeology Day (IAD) this October, with a majority of the events occurring on Saturday, October 19. The celebration is organized by the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) and features events put on by hundreds of collaborating organizations around the world from Malta to Myanmar, from Colombia to Croatia, and everywhere in between. This year’s event sponsors are the U.S. National Park Service and Nationwide.
Celebratory public events often provide opportunities to get a hands on look at archaeology and are searchable by location on the IAD website—www.archaeologyday.org. Events range from family friendly archaeology fairs, to lectures, exhibits, ancient technology demonstrations and even guided canoe trips and pub crawls.
Archaeology Day has expanded by a thousand percent in the eight years since it was first celebrated, with the number of events increasing every year. When asked why International Archaeology Day continues to be so successful, AIA Senior Programs Coordinator Meredith Langlitz replied, “It’s natural for people to be curious about and excited by human accomplishments throughout the ages. Archaeology Day offers a fun environment in which participants can meet archaeologists and explore the past in creative ways. I am constantly impressed by the innovative events our collaborators across the globe put together to make archaeology come alive for audiences who don’t always know that archaeology is not just something that happens in exotic places, but can also be used to tell the stories of their local communities. We’ve come a long way since we started Archaeology Day, but we definitely have more work to do to ensure that Archaeology Day events are available to everyone.”
In addition to physical events, archaeology enthusiasts have been participating through an online ArchaeoMadness bracket-style competition that on International Archaeology Day will crown just one out of sixteen famous early archaeologists as the winner of this year’s popular vote. In the coming months, the IAD blog will chronicle many of the celebrations with event reports and images from around the world.
About the Archaeological Institute of America
Founded in 1879, The Archaeological Institute of America is North America’s oldest and largest archaeological organization. Today, the AIA has over 200,000 members and over 100 local societies in the United States, Canada, and overseas. The AIA exists to promote archaeological inquiry and public understanding of the material record of the human past worldwide by promoting research; advocating for preservation of the world’s archaeological heritage; and educating people of all ages.
International Archaeology Day Blog
