Past Events

Mary Brown, MA, RPA, TRC and Office of Contract Archaeology

Mary Brown is an artist and archaeologist living in Placitas, New Mexico. She has been a professional artist for over 20 years. Her work hangs in public spaces and the homes of collectors and families across the United States. Mary believes in the power of art to inspire thoughtful curiosity and nurture mindfulness. Mary is also a Registered Professional Archaeologist with an M.A. in Anthropology, and combines her two passions, art and archaeology, to produce interpretive archaeological illustrations. Her illustrations transcend the gap between human and artifact by visually interpreting the context and data of archaeological discovery in a way that is meaningful and relatable. Mary believes pairing art and archaeology provides a powerful tool for public education. Visually representing past lives allows the viewer to understand artifacts and sites not just in terms of data, but also in terms of the human experience, which she believes collectively holds far more similarity than difference.

Illustration and archaeology share a long history. Illustrations often provided the only visual documentation of artifacts, landscapes, and sites. Though technological advances in photography have largely supplanted traditional illustration, the practice of visually interpreting data beyond statistical graphs is still critically important. This seminar introduces the art of interpretive archaeological illustration and discusses its value to archaeology, as well as information on processes, techniques, and getting started. Information included in the seminar is helpful for those with artistic interests who wish to incorporate them into their archaeology career, and anyone exploring new methods of public outreach.

1. Define interpretive archaeological illustration
2. Identify the benefits of visually interpreting data
3. Describe basic processes and techniques used to visually interpret data
4. Outline how to start incorporating interpretive archaeological illustration into the workplace and careers

Christopher Dore, PhD, RPA, Heritage Business International

Dr. Dore has conducted archaeological expert witness work for over 20 years as a part of his work portfolio. He is a Certified Forensic Litigation Consultant, a professional member of the Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA), and the vice-president of FEWA’s southwest region. Dr. Dore is a co-author of the SAA’s Professional Standards for the Determination of Archaeological Value and has published in legal journals. He has served as an expert witness on high-profile cases nationally that have included criminal looting and artifact trafficking, but also fraud, insurance claims, hazardous waste liability, professional qualifications and performance, and plagiarism.

Unfortunately, archaeological resources continue to be damaged and looted. Archaeologists are on the front line in documenting damage to sites and in calculating the value of this damage according to the methodology defined in the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA). Archaeologists may end up defending their damage assessments and valuations in the legal system as a fact or expert witness through reports, depositions, and testimony. This presentation will outline the law, regulations, standards, and steps required in valuing damage to archaeological sites and, most importantly, discuss how to avoid the common, critical mistakes that are made by archaeologists. These mistakes lead to stressful cross-examination of the archaeologist, acquittal of the accused, and reductions in sentences for those convicted of archaeological crimes.

1. Describe the process to calculate archaeological value under ARPA.
2. Prepare for the legal process following the submittal of an archaeological damage assessment and valuation.
3. Explain the basic qualifications and role of scientific expert witnesses in the U.S. legal system.
4. Review some of the problems commonly found in archaeological damage and valuation reports.

Kaitlyn Davis, MA, RPA, University of Colorado, Boulder and US Forest Service

Kaitlyn Davis is an archaeologist with 10 years of experience including cultural resource management, community collaboration, public lands management, and academic research. She is interested in community-based archaeology, public archaeology, artifact sourcing, paleoethnobotany, geoarchaeology, and landscape archaeology. She especially values community-based collaborative archaeology, having worked in consultation with the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes, the Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) Tribe, the Santa Fe South Cooperative Association, the Friends of Fort Owen, and collaborating for 6 years with the Pueblo of Pojoaque. She has done archaeological projects for the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Parks Service, New Mexico State Land Office, Archaeological Conservancy, and Montana State Parks, and is currently employed by the Forest Service. She has supervised the crews and planned the logistics for multiple projects. These crews have ranged from volunteers of all ages and experience levels to university and federal employees. She currently is finishing her PhD at the University of Colorado.

Pascale Meehan, PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder

Pascale Meehan has over 16 years of archaeological experience in academic and cultural resource management settings. Her interests include ethnohistory and archaeology, community-based archaeology, and intercommunity and international archaeological engagement. She has worked on archaeological projects in coastal Peru, Mexico (the central Mexican highlands, the Yucatan peninsula, and coastal Oaxaca), and Canada (coastal British Columbia). This work has included projects based in dense urban environments as well as in rural and remote areas, each presenting unique safety concerns and considerations. She has planned and supervised projects under these different circumstances and has worked with crews of varying levels of age and experience. She currently works as an archaeologist with Sources Archaeological & Heritage Research Inc. based in Vancouver, BC.

Davis and Meehan coauthored a publication in Advances in Archaeological Practice’s special issue on Health and Wellness in Archaeology, specifically focusing on safety considerations for first time field directors (such as graduate students).

Graduate schools provide students opportunities for fieldwork and training in archaeological methods and theory, but they often overlook instruction in field safety and well-being. We suggest that more explicit guidance on how to conduct safe fieldwork will improve the overall success of student-led projects and prepare students to direct safe and successful fieldwork programs as professionals. In this seminar, we draw on the experiences of current and recent graduate students as well as professors who have overseen graduate fieldwork to outline key considerations in improving field safety and well-being and to offer recommendations for specific training and safety protocols. While discussing these considerations and recommendations, we will use both domestic and international field project examples, as well as those involving community collaboration. The resources and recommendations provided in this seminar will be especially useful for projects whose crews are comprised at least partially of students, interns, or volunteers.

1. Protecting and registering your project (e.g. medical and liability insurance, legal considerations, etc.)
2. Outlining information to share with your crew (e.g. acknowledgement of risk forms, code of conduct agreements, info packets)
3. Introducing other considerations for structuring a safe project (e.g. equipment, scheduling, and communication)

Laure Dussubieux, PhD, Field Museum

Laure Dussubieux is a chemist specialized in the determination of the compositions of ancient artifacts made from synthesized or natural glass, ceramic, stone or metal using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). She obtained her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Orléans, France, in 2001. Her research directly informs hypotheses about ancient and modern trade and exchange, technology, and their relationship to the development of social complexity around the world. She is a Senior Research Scientist at the Field Museum where, since 2004, she has managed the Elemental Analysis Facility.

Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been used in the field of archaeology for close to three decades to measure the composition of ancient objects. It combines an analytical technique able to determine a wide range of elements with concentrations in the range of the ppm (parts-per-million) or lower with a quasi-nondestructive sampling approach. Indeed, one of the more interesting features of LA-ICP-MS is the use of laser ablation as a sample tool that leaves traces on the object that are invisible to the naked-eye. It is used for inorganic materials such as obsidian, synthetic glass, ceramic and metals. This analytical technique is used to understand ancient technology and determine the provenance of raw materials and the circulation of finished goods. After a description of the instrumentation and of the experimental conditions that are used, we will compare this technique with other well-established techniques such instrumental neutron activation analysis and x-ray fluorescence. We will discuss different case studies involving ancient glass, ceramic and metals to show how LA-ICP-MS can advance archaeological research.

1. Describe the basic principles of LA-ICP-MS
2. Compare LA-ICP-MS with other techniques used for elemental composition
3. Explain the different ways it can be used (with advantages and limitations)
4. Discuss the different questions that can be addressed with this analytical technique

Dan Sandweiss es un arqueólogo con más de cuatro décadas de experiencia en investigación sobre clima, cultura y adaptaciones marítimas en América Latina, principalmente en el Perú. Ha recibido financiamiento de National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society, NASA, Heinz, FERCO y otras agencias. Ha evaluado muchas propuestas y participado en una variedad de comités de selección para becas y subsidios. Actualmente es el director del comité de selección para los H y T King Becas para la Arqueología de las Américas Antiguas de la SAA.

Dan Sandweiss is an archaeologist with over four decades of experience researching climate, culture, and maritime adaptations in Latin America (mainly Peru). He has received grants from the National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society, NASA, Heinz, FERCO, and other agencies. He has reviewed many proposals and participated in many grant selection committees. Currently, he is the chair of the SAA’s selection committee for the H and T King Grants for Archaeology of the Ancient Americas.

Conseguir una beca o subsidio puede impulsar su carrera: provee los fondos necesarios para realizar su investigación y da una línea impresionante para su curriculum. Sin embargo, simplemente pidiendo el dinero no es suficiente, aún si es un/a arqueólogo/a brillante con un proyecto importante. Postular exitosamente a una beca o subsidio es un arte. En este seminario revisaremos algunos puntos básicos. Hablaremos de cómo definir el propósito de su investigación, encajar con los intereses de las agencias financiadoras, cómo hacer un presupuesto y cómo descifrar las pautas de la agencia usando como modelo un concurso de beca o subsidio típico en la arqueología.

Este seminario online se imparte solo en español. La SAA utiliza un lenguaje inclusivo.

Getting a grant can be a career-booster: you get the funding to do your research and nice line on your CV. However, just asking for money isn’t enough, even if you are a wonderful archaeologist with a great project. There is an art to successful grant applications. In this seminar, we will review some of the basics. We will talk about defining your research problem, finding a fit to funders, budget basics, and how to decode grant guidelines using a typical archaeology funding source as a model.

This online seminar is delivered in Spanish only. The SAA uses inclusive language.

1. Definir su propósito de investigación
2. Decidir dónde postular
3. Entender cómo se evalúan las propuestas
4. Desarrollar el presupuesto

1. Define a research problem
2. Decide where to apply
3. Understand how proposals will be evaluated
4. Develop a budget