The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America's oldest society and largest organization devoted to the world of

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

. AIA professionals have carried out archaeological fieldwork around the world and AIA has established research centers and schools in seven countries. As of 2019, the society had more that 6,100 members and more than 100 affiliated local societies in the United States and overseas. AIA members include professional archaeologists and members of the public. The AIA has established many archaeological organizations and protected many historical sites in the world. The AIA has hosted an Annual Meeting every year for over 120 years, where archaeologists present their latest work. The institute also has established scholarships for students and awarded archaeologists for their contributions to archaeology. The institute publishes a scholarly journal, the '' American Journal of Archaeology'' (''AJA'') and the magazine ''

Archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

''.

History

The Archaeological Institute of America was founded in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

in 1879 by

Charles Eliot Norton Charles Eliot Norton (November 16, 1827 – October 21, 1908) was an American author, social critic, and Harvard professor of art based in New England. He was a progressive social reformer and a liberal activist whom many of his contemporaries c ...

with his colleagues and friends. They formed the society "for furthering and directing the archaeological and artistic investigation and research". Norton was the AIA's first president. The institute subsequently expanded its reach through the establishment of schools of archaeology around the Mediterranean and in the southwestern United States.

Publications

The '' American Journal of Archaeology'' (''AJA'') is the AIA's peer-reviewed academic journal, and ''

'' is the popular magazine issued by the institute. The ''American Journal of Archaeology'' was founded in 1885; the second series began in 1897. The AJA is published four times a year by the Archaeological Institute of America and the

University of Chicago Press The University of Chicago Press is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including ''The Chicago Manual of Style'', ...

. The chief editors of the magazine are Emma Blake of the University of Arizona and Robert Schon of the University of Arizona. The journal presents original studies of the various peoples and material cultures of the Mediterranean and related regions, including

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

(Egypt and Sudan),

Western Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...

(Caucasus), and Europe, from prehistory to late antiquity and beyond. The AJA encourages work that explores the cultures of the

ancient Mediterranean The history of the Mediterranean region and of the cultures and people of the Mediterranean Basin is important for understanding the origin and development of the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Canaanite, Phoenician, Hebrew, Carthaginian, Minoan, Gre ...

along with other regions and periods and discusses the reasons for their continuing significance in the present. Also addressed in the journal are the history of the discipline, archaeological methodologies, and theoretical approaches. The Archaeological Institute of America has continuously published ''Archaeology'' since 1948. The magazine engages and entertains readers through vivid stories, surprising narratives, and inspiring images, bringing people of the past into our lives in the present. The magazine and website of the American Institute of Archaeology contain news of recent archaeological discoveries. The magazine is available at newsstands or on the website.

Governance

The Archaeological Institute of America is governed by the Council. The Executive Committee holds at least four meetings annually. All representatives must be AIA members who know AIA rules, work throughout the year and vote on issues, and attend meetings. The Governing Board prepares and approves the organization's annual budget and oversees its investments and donations, also conducting fundraising activities. The board meets three times a year and consists of seven governors elected by the Council and twenty-four to thirty governors. There are three types of trustees, representing different constituents of AIA: General Trustees, Academic Trustees, and Society Trustees. Laetitia La Follette was the chair from 2020 to 2023, and Elizabeth S. Greene was the first vice president from 2020 to 2023.

Scholarships and honors

The AIA offers scholarships for young academic members and funds several students for excavation, research, publication, and site preservation. Its numerous awards recognize archaeologists and individuals and communities who have made outstanding contributions to the field and heritage conservation.

Presidents

Former presidents of the AIA *

1879–1889: Charles Eliot Norton (November 16, 1827 – October 21, 1908) was an American author, social critic, and professor of art based in New England. He was a progressive social reformer and a liberal activist whom many of his contemporaries considered the most cultivated man in the United States. *

Seth Low Seth Low (January 18, 1850 – September 17, 1916) was an American educator and political figure who served as the mayor of Brooklyn from 1881 to 1885, the president of Columbia University from 1890 to 1901, a diplomatic representative of t ...

1890–1896 * John Williams White 1897–1902 * Thomas Day Seymour 1903–1907 * Francis Willey Kelsey 1908–1912 * Harry Langford Wilson 1913 (died February 1913) * F.W. Shipley 1913–1917 * James Childester Egbert 1918–1921 * Ralph Van Deman Magoffin 1922–1930 * Louis Eleazar Lord 1931–1936 *

William Bell Dinsmoor William Bell Dinsmoor Sr. (July 29, 1886 – July 2, 1973) was an American architectural historian of classical Greece and a Columbia University professor of art and archaeology. Biography He was born on July 29, 1886, in Windham, New Hampshire ...

1937–1945 * Sterling Dow 1946–1948 * Hugh Hencken 1949–1951 * Kenneth J. Conant 1952 * Henry T. Rowell 1953–1956 *

George E. Mylonas George Emmanuel Mylonas (Γεώργιος Εμμανουήλ Μυλωνάς, 9 December 1898, in Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey) – 15 April 1988, Greece) was a prominent Greek and Aegean archaeologist. Early life While a student in Athens during th ...

1957–1960 * Jotham Johnson 1961–1964 * Margaret Thompson 1965–1968 * Rodney S. Young 1969–1972 *

James B. Pritchard James Bennett Pritchard (October 4, 1909 – January 1, 1997) was an American archeologist whose work explicated the interrelationships of the religions of ancient Palestine, Canaan, Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. Pritchard was honored with the Go ...

1973–1974 * Frederick R. Matson 1975–1976 * Robert H. Dyson, Jr. 1977–1980 * Machteld J. Mellink 1981–1984 * James R. Wiseman 1985–1988 *

Martha Sharp Joukowsky Martha Sharp Joukowsky (2 September 1936 - 7 January 2022) was a Near Eastern archaeologist and a retired member of the faculty of Brown University known for her fieldwork at the ancient site of Petra in Jordan. Early life and education Martha Sh ...

1989–1992 * James Russell 1993–1994 * Stephen L. Dyson 1995–1998 * Nancy C. Wilkie 1999–2002 * Jane Waldbaum 2003–2006 *

C. Brian Rose Charles Brian Rose is an American archaeologist, classical scholar, and author. He is the James B. Pritchard Professor of Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania in the Classical Studies Department and the Graduate Group in the Art and Archa ...

2007–2010 * Elizabeth Bartman 2011–2013 * Andrew M. T. Moore 2014–2016 *

Jodi Magness Jodi Magness (born September 19, 1956) is an archaeologist, orientalist and scholar of religion. She serves as the Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She previ ...

2017–2019:

(born September 19, 1956) is an archaeologist, orientalist, and scholar of religion. She serves as the Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

. She previously taught at

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...

.
Laetitia La Follette
2020–2022: Laetitia La Follette was elected to a three-year term as chairman of the Archaeological Institute of America. She got her Ph.D. from Harvard, studying classics. She earned a master's degree in art and archaeology and a doctorate from Princeton University and is an associate professor and head of the Department of Art and Architectural History at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She studies the material culture of the ancient Mediterranean and the preservation of its cultural heritage. She has edited The Culture of Negotiation: Legacy, Ownership, and Intellectual Property.

Site preservation program and grants

As tourism and archaeology become more closely linked, archaeologists and site managers must consider the behavior and needs of visitors when deciding how to preserve and present sites. This requires consideration of issues such as how tourism will affect archaeological sites and impact research. In 2009, The Archaeological Institute of America partnered with the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) to develop a set of guidelines for people interested in organizing trips to archaeological sites.

International Archaeology Day

International Archaeology Day has been celebrated annually on the third Saturday of October by the AIA and is held throughout the month. This archaeological activity is suitable for all ages and interests. The event features archaeologist's lectures, tours of archaeological sites, and archaeological fairs. IAD Scavenger Hunt is an online Scavenger Hunt game published by AIA, and the ArchaeoDoodles Contest is a doodle event held by AIA in which participants create illustrations and graphics using 15 words or phrases recommended by AIA to help update AIA's list of terms and definitions.

Felicia A. Holton Book Award

The Felicia A. Holton Book Award, also known as the Holton Award, has been awarded annually to "a writer who, through a major work of non-fiction, represents the importance and excitement of archaeology to the general public". It is named after journalist and writer Felicia A. Holton, who co-wrote ''Koster: Americans in Search of Their Prehistoric Past'' with archaeologist

Stuart Struever Stuart McKee Struever (born 1931) is an American archaeologist and anthropologist best known for his contributions to the archaeology of the Woodland Period in the US midwest and for his leadership of archaeology research & education foundations. ...

in 1979. In 2020 it was won by Australian historian and writer Billy Griffiths, for his 2018 work ''Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia'', and in 2014 by British archaeologist

Joyce Tyldesley Joyce Ann Tyldesley (born 25 February 1960) is a British archaeologist and Egyptologist, academic, writer and broadcaster who specialises in the women of ancient Egypt. Life Tyldesley was born in Bolton, Lancashire and attended Bolton Scho ...

for ''Tutankhamen's Curse'' (''Tutankhamen'' in the US).

References

External links

*
American Journal of Archaeology
(AJA)
Archaelological Institute of America, Walla Walla society records at the Whitman College and Northwest Archives, Whitman College.
{{Authority control Archaeological organizations Boston University Pre-Columbian studies Non-profit organizations based in Boston Organizations established in 1879 Classical associations and societies