Past Events

Gillian Wong, PhD, RPA, University of Tuebingen and Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City

Dr. Wong received a PhD in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Tuebingen (Germany), a MS in Anthropology from the University of Utah, and a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Davis. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tuebingen and an adjunct professor of anthropology at Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City. She is a zooarchaeologist who is particularly interested in how large-scale environmental changes affected past foragers on the local-level. She is currently involved in two research projects, one at Langmahdhalde, a Paleolithic site in southwest Germany, and one at Boomplaas Cave in South Africa. Although both projects focus on paleoecology, she uses different methods at each. At Langmahdhalde, she now focuses on traditional zooarchaeological methods and stable isotopes, while at Boomplaas Cave, she is a microfaunal specialist.

This course is designed for archaeologists at any stage in their career (including students and late career stage) who are not specialists in zooarchaeology or who do not work with the quantification units used regularly in zooarchaeology. We will focus on learning about three of the most commonly used quantification units: Number of Identified Specimens (NISP), Minimum Number of Elements (MNE), and Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI). We will learn how to calculate these units and the history of their development, but, more importantly, will also learn how to interpret them and evaluate their use and applicability to research questions. This course will be broken up into lecture, practical, and discussion portions that will give participants the tools to easily and more accurately interpret zooarchaeological studies that use these three units. Additionally, reference materials, lecture slides, and study examples will be provided to all participants.

1. Explain how NISP, MNE, and MNI are calculated
2. Describe the limitations of each of these quantification units
3. Analyze when it is appropriate to apply each of these quantification units
4. Be able to critically evaluate and understand these units in colleagues' research
5. Be able to discuss how these units apply to and can address specific research questions

Kimball Banks, PhD, RPA

Dr. Banks is a Principal investigator at Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc. He specializes in cultural resource management, Native American consultation, historic preservation law, North American archaeology, and North African prehistory.

Maria Franklin, PhD

Dr. Franklin is a Professor at the University of Texas, Austin. Her expertise is in historical archaeology, black-feminist theory, African Diaspora studies, race, and gender. She served as the chair of the Black Heritage Resources Task Force.

J.W. Joseph, PhD, RPA

Dr. Joseph is co-founder, Director, and Project Manager at New South Associates. He has experience in historical archeology, HABS/HAER documentation, Native American consultation, Traditional Cultural Property studies, and specializes in African-American studies.

Sarah Herr, PhD, RPA

Dr. Herr is the President of Desert Archaeology, Inc. and editor of SAA’s Advances in Archaeological Practice. She specializes in prehistoric and early historic Southwest United States and cultural resource management.

All panelists served on the Black Heritage Resources Task Force.

This session will discuss the findings and recommendations of the Black Heritage Resources Task Force. The Task Force was organized in 2020 and had two goals. The first was to compile and analyze data on SHPO practices with respect to identifying and managing Black cultural resources, implementing diversity initiatives, and consulting with Black stakeholders. The second goal was to provide recommendations to SHPOs on ways to strengthen and improve their objectives, practices, and endeavors related to racial diversity and inclusion. The Task Force was a collaboration between the Society of Black Archaeologists (SBA), the American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA), the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA), and the Society for American Archaeology (SAA). Task Force members belonged to one or more of these organizations and were archaeologists who work or have worked in cultural resource management (CRM), academe, or in a State Historic Preservation Office.

The majority of this session will be a discussion. It is open for attendees to ask questions and for the panelists to receive input on the findings and recommendations of the Task Force.

Sponsored by the Black Heritage Resources Task Force. 15% of each non-member registration will be donated to SAA's Student Excellence in Archaeology Scholarship, which is designed to increase recruitment and retention of under represented students in archaeology. The remainder of the fee is used to keep SAA's Continuing Education program running.

1. Describe how State Historic Preservation Offices treat Black Heritage Resources
2. Explore differences between states and regions in how these resources are treated
3. Recommend how to improve the management of Black cultural resources and consultation 
4. Discuss together how to engage Black stakeholders better across the United States and its territories in the management of their Heritage Resources

Brian Fagan, PhD, Emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara

Dr. Fagan is a Cambridge-trained archaeologist, who spent his early career in East and Central Africa working on the African Iron Age. This research involved extensive fieldwork, also public outreach. Since coming to the United States in 1966, he has specialized in communicating archaeology to both students and general audiences. A combination of large class teaching, textbook writing, also lecturing and writing for general audiences around the world has given him a unique perspective on the challenges of practicing public outreach. His talk will revolve around his long experience in such work during a multi-faceted career.

Effective public outreach is now a central issue in archaeology. The instructor will take attendees on a journey through the day-to-day challenges of lecturing and writing about the past for general audiences. He will use his first-hand experience and examples from around the world to highlight some of the challenges of working full-time on public outreach whether in the classroom or outside it—until recently not a popular activity for archaeologists. How do you write successfully about archaeology for the general public? What are the potential careers for those doing this? This is a seminar that will explore a growing, and often neglected segment of archaeological work.

The Knowledge Series seminars are opportunities to learn from prominent archaeologists as they share their experiences and expertise.

Stephen Dan Humphreys, PhD, RPA

Dr. Humphreys founded American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR), a 501c3 nonprofit, in 2016. AVAR provides American military veterans and service personnel with the opportunity and training to carry out archaeological fieldwork in a way that improves their mental health. Many of the individuals who have participated in the program have diagnosed mental health-related disabilities and as a result, the program has continuously adapted to better serve this population. He holds a Ph.D. in archaeology from Durham University (2020) as well as an MA in Archaeology and Biblical Studies and an MA in Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a National Geographic Explorer with excavation experience in Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Sicily, and the USA.

This seminar will provide practical measures that field excavation directors can implement with minimal additional financial commitment in order to better safeguard the mental health of project participants. The information presented is research-based, and the suggested measures have been gathered, implemented, and refined by American Veterans Archaeological Recovery in their work with military veterans and civilian students since the program's inception in 2016.

1. Understand the commonality of mental health issues in the fieldwork environment, and the need for change
2. Identify elements of the fieldwork environment that are potentially damaging to the mental health of all participants
3. Recognize reasonable, practical methods that can be implemented on field projects to mitigate or eliminate elements of the fieldwork environment that negatively impact mental health

Suanna Selby Crowley, PhD, RPA, HeadFort Consulting, LLC

Also known as "Dr. Dirt" for her domestic and international work in CRM, heritage preservation, and geoarchaeology, Suanna Selby Crowley is an applied anthropologist with a background in digital media, public relations, fundraising, and advocacy. On a mission to make information resonant, Dr. Crowley conducts and supports research and policy initiatives across the hard and social sciences to better communicate the data that impacts our lives—even “breaking the internet” in 2019 with a custom media plan for Harvard
University and the Smithsonian Institution. Originally from Washington, D.C., she is the founder of HeadFort Consulting, LLC, in Greater Boston, and teams with global clients, research collaborations, and individuals to amplify discovery and cultural understanding. Connect with Dr. Crowley on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Archaeology and archaeological resources are in the spotlight as never before. Digital, print, and traditional media raise tremendous awareness for discoveries and cultural data. This enhanced visibility means that researchers and historic preservation professionals need better tools to shape policy on issues such as preservation, repatriation, funding, access, and equity. How can archaeologists become skilled advocates for important research and resources? This workshop will introduce the methods and best practices of cultivating outreach to federal, state, and local policymakers. Learn how to start the conversation, create impact, and follow up with lawmakers for positive change.

1. Explain best practices and approaches to advocacy with federal, state, and local policymakers
2. Describe the structure of a typical advocacy meeting and to outline a conversational script appropriate for federal, state, and local policymakers
3. Highlight the importance of building robust quantitative and qualitative approaches through a case for support and through storytelling
4. Describe the process of building a relationship with policymakers through follow-up and continued partnership