Registration Closed!
Introductory Sedimentology for Archaeology [Foundational Skills]
When: January 23, 2025 3:00-4:00 PM ET
Duration: 1 hour
Certification: RPA-Certified
Pricing
Individual Registration: Individual Registration: Free to SAA members; $69 for non-members
Group Registration: Group Registration: Free to SAA members; $89 for non-members
Dr. Garrison has recently retired from the University of Georgia where he taught geology and archaeology for 32 years. Archaeological sedimentology played a central role in his teaching and research, which encompassed the study of both terrestrial and lacustrine/marine sediments. From 1990 to 1992 he worked as a Marine Archaeologist at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and served as research faculty at Texas A&M University from 1979 to 1989. Dr. Garrison received his PhD. from the University of Missouri and both his B.S. and M.A. from the University of Arkansas.
A significant portion of any archaeological site is often in the dirt, aka “sediments.” Even until the mid-to-late 20th century, sediments were simply discarded and ignored at many excavations. Sediment analysis, or sedimentology, is largely the province of geoarchaeology. In many European geoarchaeological programs it is the central focus. In U.S. and Canadian geoarchaeological programs sediments are important but not the only focus – stable isotopes, eDNA, etc. – are key elements of study as well the petrographic characterization of lithic materials. This seminar will focus exclusively on the “dirt” and how best to use it for archaeological ends. Color, texture, parent material, micro-and- macro inclusions will be discussed as well as important instrumental methods that assist in our understanding of sediments.
1. Learn what sediments are and how they differ yet make up all soils.
2. Learn the basic steps in the characterization and study of sediments.
3. Appreciate the necessity of sedimentological study in archaeology, writ large.
Registration Closed!
The Craft of Public Writing: How to Share Archaeology with Nonspecialists [Foundational Skills]
When: December 17, 2024 2:00-3:00 PM ET
Duration: 1 hour
Certification: None
Pricing
Individual Registration: Free to SAA members; $69 for non-members
Group Registration: Free to SAA members; $89 for non-members
Dr. Alex is the archaeology and biological anthropology editor for SAPIENS, a digital magazine produced by anthropologists for the public. As a freelance writer, she has published more than 140 popular science stories for outlets including Discover, Science, Archaeology, Atlas Obscura, and Smithsonian. Bridget has taught anthropology and science communication at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena City College, and Harvard University.
Dr. Alex earned her Ph.D. in archaeology and human evolutionary biology from Harvard. Supported by the National Science Foundation, the Fulbright Program, and other awards, her research focused on the spread of Homo sapiens and extinction of other humans, such as Neanderthals, over the past 200,000 years. More broadly, she used biogeochemical methods like radiocarbon dating to reconstruct the chronology and biogeography of past human groups. This methodological expertise allowed her to work and publish on diverse archaeological contexts including Paleolithic Eurasia, Stone Age Africa, Iron Age Near East, Moche South America, and Teotihuacan-era Mesoamerica.
Great research is not enough. Archaeologists must effectively communicate their work to non-archaeologists, including scholars in other fields, funding agencies, journalists, and diverse publics. However, few archaeologists are trained to write for non-specialists. This seminar will provide a foundation for researchers who want to write or create content for diverse audiences. After reviewing the challenges and opportunities of public communication, the seminar will deliver technical and artistic guidance on the craft of public writing. The session will discuss story structure, audience characterization, and the qualities of engaging, accessible prose. By analyzing exemplary models from public-facing pieces, the instructor will distill elements that make pop-science writing effective and sometimes beautiful. Participants will develop their public writing skills and learn the steps to publishing with popular media outlets. They will also compose (and come away with) short descriptions of research ready to share with public audiences.
- Review potential risks and rewards of public communication
- Discuss elements of public writing, including structure, story-telling, and accessibility
- Summarize the process of writing for popular media outlets from pitch to publication
Registration Closed!
From Principles to Practice: Ethical Foundations and Training in Archaeology [Deeper Digs]
When: December 04, 2024 2:00-4:00 PM ET
Duration: 2 hours
Certification: RPA-certified
Pricing
Individual Registration: $99 for SAA members; $149 for non-members
Group Registration: $139 for SAA members; $189 for non-members
Katherine (Katie) Chiou is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Alabama. Her research spans foodways past and present, social inequality, plant domestication, applied ethics, and responsible conduct of research. Her current ethics project, funded by the NSF Ethical and Responsible Research Program, probes the effectiveness of case-study-based training in developing ethical decision-making competencies and works to diversify ethics education. Since 2017, she has served on the SAA Committee on Ethics, organizing the SAA Ethics Bowl. She also serves as the current Chair of the RPA Ethics Committee.
- Understand the historical development and core principles of archaeological ethics.
- Develop skills in ethical reasoning and decision-making through scenario analysis and case studies.
- Cultivate strategies for promoting ethical cultures within professional archaeological practice.
Registration Closed!
Indigenous Archaeology in Practice [Foundational Skills]
When: November 22, 2024 1:00-2:00 PM ET
Duration: 1 hour
Certification: RPA-certified
Pricing
Individual Registration: Free to SAA members; $69 for non-members
Group Registration: Free to SAA members; $89 for non-members
John A. Torres has been a professional anthropologist and archaeologist for over 30 years. The bulk of his research has been in Southern California, the Great Basin and the American Southwest. Professor Torres is of Chicano and Navajo descent and is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Since his return to Southern California in 2014 he has been teaching in the Inland Empire and is currently full-time Associate Professor of Anthropology and Indigenous Archaeology at Mt. San Jacinto College. He is also the Supervisory Archaeologist for the Kizh Nation, Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians.
resources. These new Tribal Cultural Resources not only include, archaeological sites, features and objects, but also tribal stories, landscapes, medicine collection areas, hills, caves, waterways, etc. The impact has not only added to the interpretation of archaeological data, but some tribes have created their own CRM enterprises to collect, analyze, and curate the material culture of their ancestors directly. This program will explore how this reborn paradigm has impacted archaeology, tribe vs archaeologist relations and the resources themselves.
- Recognize what Indigenous Archaeology is.
- Identify potential conflicts between archaeological methods and Indigenous cosmologies.
- Formulate ways that Indigenous knowledge can better our interpretation of the archaeological record.
Registration Closed!
Ground–Penetrating Radar Applications to Archaeology [Deeper Digs]
When: November 15, 2024 2:00-4:00 PM ET
Duration: 2 hours
Certification: RPA-certified
Pricing
Individual Registration: $99 for SAA members; $149 for non-members
Group Registration: $139 for SAA members; $189 for non-members
Dr. Leslie is a geoarchaeologist and lithic specialist, whose work focuses on the pre-contact and historical period archaeology of Northeastern North America. While much of his archaeological work has included a focus on southern New England pre-contact archaeology, he also regularly conducts geophysical and remote sensing archaeological investigations throughout the United States. In addition to his work with TerraSearch Geophysical, where he is the Principal and co-owner, Dr. Leslie is also the Director of
Archaeological Research at Heritage Consultants, LLC, a Principal Investigator with R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, and a Research Scientist with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Connecticut. Through this work in Cultural Resource Management, and with academic partners, Dr. Leslie's work includes numerous cemetery investigations, as well as magnetometry, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV or drone) surveys, soil coring, and geochemical applications to historic preservation projects.
2. Participants will learn appropriate methods of GPR survey, and sediments/field conditions amenable to survey.
3. Participants will gain understanding of various archaeological and geological features that can be imaged through GPR survey.