The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America's oldest and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology with nearly 250,000 members and subscribers belonging to more than 100 local AIA societies in the United States, Canada, and overseas, united by a shared passion for archaeology and its role in furthering human knowledge. Click here to learn more

110th AIA & APA Joint Annual Meeting
Save the date! The 110th Annual Meeting will be held January 8-11, 2009, at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Hotel.

Annual Meeting Schedule
The searchable paper abstracts and session schedule are now online. You may also utilize our online scheduling tool. See our special events and tours pages for more information about exciting activities at the Annual Meeting.

Annual Meeting Public Lecture
Richard Hodges of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology will present the Public Lecture--"From Atticus to the IMF: Archaeology and issues of social responsibility in southern Albania"--at the Annual Meeting on Thursday, January 8, from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. The lecture and the following opening night reception will be at the museum.

Tours at the Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting Tours are now available for registration! Sign up today.

9th Annual Archaeology Fair
The 2009 Archaeology Fair will be held 10:00am-3:00pm on Saturday, January 10, at the Philadelphia Loews Hotel. Bring the family for a day of inter-generational and educational fun! Archaeologists, museum educators, and other experts will lead hands-on activities and give exciting demonstrations. Admission is free!

AIA Selects Easter Island as its Second Site Preservation Project NEW
The Archaeological Institute of America has selected Easter Island's Rapa Nui sculptures in Chile as its second site preservation project. With a $94,000 grant from the organization's AIA Site Preservation Task Force, the Easter Island Statue Project will develop stone preservation techniques to arrest the rapid deterioration of these statues as a result of the fragile nature of their volcanic stone, climate change and tourism. The Easter Island Statue Project is directed by UCLA archaeologist Jo Anne Van Tilburg and co-directed by Cristián Arévalo Pakarati.

Shop the AIA & Archaeology Store!
Looking for a gift? We have a fine selection of T-shirts, hats, and mugs, as well as our stuffed jaguar! You can also order ARCHAEOLOGY and American Journal of Archaeology issues you might have missed, plus our ARCHAEOLOGY books and other AIA publications. Give ARCHAEOLOGY, the gift that will be treasured all year! Click here to take advantage of our special offer: First gift subscription (six issues): $21.95, each additional gift subscription (six issues): $15.00. Click here for regular subscription and renewal information.

Temple of Athena at Assos: 2008 Report
Dr. Nurettin Arslan, director of the Assos Excavations, describes the goals and results of three weeks of fieldwork on the restoration and new presentation of the Temple of Athena this past August and September, a project funded by the AIA's Site Preservation Program.
Download PDF

Outreach and Education's October 2008 Blitz
This past October was a busy, exciting month for the AIA's Outreach and Education Department. Activities included participation in the inaugural celebrations of the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston on October 4 and the Second Annual AIA-MOS Archaeology Fair at Boston's Museum of Science on October 10 and 11. In Palm Coast, Florida, AIA co-sponsored the Second Annual Maya at the Playa conference October 2-5. Finally, the Santa Fe Archaeology Festival, held on November 1, helped AIA re-connected with the American Southwest, where the Institute supported fundamental research a century ago.

AIA Classroom Excavations Video
Archaeologist and teacher Shelby Brown, former AIA Vice President for Education, presents an overview of our classroom excavation projects in our new videos by Mel Metcalfe. You can view these videos through our own AIA website or on our YouTube site: www.youtube.com/ArchaeologyTV

Membership Survey
The AIA is working towards improving the benefits provided to professional members. With this goal in mind, we invite you to take our survey. Participants will be entered into a drawing for one of ten free one-year AIA memberships including a year's subscription to ARCHAEOLOGY, our award-winning popular magazine.
Please take our survey now

Harrison Ford on Archaeology's Importance
On the eve of the DVD launch of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, actor Harrison Ford noted, "I joined the Board of the Archaeological Institute of America because I recognize that it is important to understand our past in order to truly appreciate different global cultures both past and present. This allows us to become better citizens in the global community. For almost 130 years, AIA has used the excitement and sense of discovery that archaeology provides to inspire people to gain that understanding and create a better future."
Click here for our complete Indiana Jones coverage

Hague Convention Ratified
The United States Senate voted on September 25 to give its advice and consent to ratification of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The statement of the AIA, the Lawyers' Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation, the U.S. Committee for the Blue Shield, and others urging Senate ratification can be downloaded here.

October Issue of AJA Available!
Andrew Stewart's study of the classical revolution--the so-called Severe Style--continues with a reexamination of finds and a summary of current theories on the origins and significance of the style. He concludes that the totality of the evidence seems to support the contention that the Tyrannicides of Kritios and Nesiotes, dedicated in 477/6, did inaugurate the Severe Style and that the Greek victories of 480-479 B.C. somehow did inspire it, at least in part.
Go to the AJA website

Beyond Stone and Bone
ARCHAEOLOGY's contributing editor Heather Pringle has written articles including "Medieval DNA, Modern Medicine," "Profiteers on the High Seas," and "Hitler's Willing Archaeologists." And, in a forthcoming issue, she'll examine the use of archaeology in making the case against Saddam Hussein and his cohorts in their genocide against the Kurds. Pringle has also assumed another role--the ARCHAEOLOGY website's "blogger-in-residence" with her weekly installments of Beyond Stone and Bone, which offers discussion, analysis, and insights on recent discoveries and issues in archaeology.
Click here for the latest installment

Join AIA Tours for Splendors of Libya!
March 14-29, 2009
Travel to Libya with the AIA and discover some of the greatest Greek and Roman sites and art found in anywhere in the world. Explore the splendid, ancient Greek city of Cyrene with tour leader Susan Kane, who is director the Cyrenaica Archaeological Project. Admire the magnificent ancient Roman Imperial city of Leptis Magna plus the wonderful Roman theater of Sabratha and much more. In addition to Greco-Roman sites, you will explore Jewish, Christian and Islamic culture and history. Enjoy special meetings with local and international scholars.

Site Preservation Grant Program
Archaeologists today not only research and excavate, but also embrace the ongoing responsibility for the protection of sites and artifacts. With its Site Preservation Grant Program, the AIA will now share the responsibility for safeguarding the world's archaeological heritage by supporting the conservation of ancient monuments and the preparation of management plans for long-term maintenance of sites.
Click here for more information and application

Support the AIA, Give Now!
Your gift can be used to benefit the Institute in many ways, including our Annual Fund, our Education programs, or helping to save archaeological sites around the world through our Site Preservation Fund.
Please click here to support the Institute's programs

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