The Illinois Archaeological Survey is a society of professional

archaeologist 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 landscap ...

s and other technical professionals, dedicated to identifying and preserving important archaeological resources throughout the state of Illinois. The survey was founded in 1956 and is one of the oldest professional archaeological societies in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. Beyond it
bulletins, circulars, monographs, and special publications
the survey produces a peer-reviewed academic journal of archaeology entitle
''Illinois Archaeology''
An annual fall

conference A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...

focuses on some of the previous year's more significant archaeological endeavors. The annual business meeting takes place just prior to the conference. The Illinois Archaeological Survey is governed by
board of directors
which convenes at the call of the president, typically three to four times per year. The board is composed of the survey's five elected officers (president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, and editor), who typically serve two-year terms, and eight elected directors, who serve three-year terms. Th
Illinois State Archaeological Survey
is a distinct and separate entity with a similar name, although the Illinois Archaeological Survey was instrumental in joining the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and the Illinois Department of Transportation to form the Illinois State Archaeological Survey. The latter is now housed at the

Prairie Research Institute The Prairie Research Institute is a multidisciplinary research institute charged with providing objective research, expertise, and data on the natural and cultural resources of Illinois. It was established as a unit of the University of Illinois ...

at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.

History

The Illinois Archaeological Survey was conceived at the Urbana Archaeological Conference in January, 1956. The IAS has since been involved in a variety of activities. Illinois' state historic preservation office tasked the IAS with cataloging sites of interest in 1971. During that survey, the IAS, via partnerships with museums and universities, identified more than 25,000 sites, although not all of these have been made public. The IAS has sponsored the Illinois Archaeology Awareness Month, which takes place in September. Illinois celebrated its bicentennial in 2018, and the IAS produced a leaflet highlighting projects in the state beginning in the 1700-1800s. The site includes short videos depicting field work in Illinois.

References

External links

*
''Illinois Archaeology''

''Illinois State Archaeological Survey''
Archaeological professional associations {{US-org-stub