Archaeology Magazine - July/August 2020 - 6

FROM THE PRESIDENT

ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE
AGE OF PANDEMIC

he coronavirus has challenged us all, but the Archaeological Institute of America
(AIA) is meeting those challenges with the help of committed professionals,
dedicated staff, and inspired enthusiasts in creative ways.
Advocacy for archaeology, cultural heritage, and the protection of sites is needed now
more than ever. The AIA was founded in 1879 to help preserve sites in the southwestern
United States that were being looted at an alarming rate. In 2020, the AIA's advocacy
for American archaeology continues with our recent support of increased funding for cultural resources and National Conservation Lands under the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM). This funding aims to continue BLM's collaboration with State Historic Preservation Offices in the western part of the country to inventory and monitor cultural resources
within the more than 35 million acres of National Conservation Lands, nationally significant
places so designated for their outstanding historic, cultural, ecological, and scientific value.
While most summer excavation seasons have been
canceled, AIA professionals like Dr. Kim Shelton of
the University of California, Berkeley, have set up virtual field schools. Shelton excavates the sites of Nemea
and Mycenae in Greece. This summer she will remotely
provide students with scanned archival material such
as field notebooks, photos, and drawings of finds. The
A cake model of the Colosseum
students will first format this material into database
created by the Macri family
entries for a publication-ready catalog and then learn
how to evaluate the stratigraphy and assemblages within trenches. Working in teams, as
archaeologists do in the field, they will collaborate to identify archaeological phases across
the sites that will then be interpreted based on chronology and features. This will give
Shelton's remote field school students valuable experience working with older excavation
material, which is something nearly all archaeologists do.
Similarly, as the coronavirus crisis has forced the cancellation of the AIA's spring lecture
series, archaeology enthusiasts in AIA societies like the one in Spokane have turned to technology, hosting five lectures and discussions on the topic "Revealing Pompeii" through live
webinars. The AIA also launched its successful "Build Your Own Monument" competition
in April and May, challenging young people, families, and adults to use materials they had
on hand to re-create iconic archaeological monuments from around the world (above). The
creative ingredients of this contest are themselves artifacts of the quarantine-cardboard
toilet paper rolls, cereal boxes, food including bread, beans, cheese, and matzo, and even
a wasp's nest. Some 25,000 people visited the competition's website (archaeological.org/
build-your-own), which showcases how archaeology can educate, entertain, and inspire,
even at a time of uncertainty.
ArchAeology magazine is a publication of the AIA. By subscribing, you are supporting
our work and our mission to excavate, educate, and advocate. Thank you.

Archaeological
Institute of America

OFFICERS
President

Laetitia La Follette
First Vice President

Elizabeth S. Greene
Vice President for Cultural Heritage

Brian Daniels
Vice President for Outreach and Education

Laura Rich
Vice President for Research and Academic Affairs

Thomas Tartaron
Vice President for Societies

Connie Rodriguez
Treasurer

David Seigle
Executive Director

Rebecca W. King

GOVERNING BOARD
Elie Abemayor
David Adam
Deborah Arnold
Jeanne Bailey
David Boochever
Thomas Carpenter
Jane Carter, ex officio
Arthur Cassanos
Larry Cripe
Joshua Gates
Elizabeth M. Greene
Julie Herzig Desnick
Mark Hurst
James Jansson
Morag Kersel
Mark Lawall
Gary Linn
Jarrett A. Lobell, ex officio
Kathleen Lynch
Richard MacDonald
Tina Mayland
H. Bruce McEver
Barbara Meyer
John Papadopoulos
Sarah Parcak
Kevin Quinlan, ex officio
Betsey Robinson
Kim Shelton
Thomas Sienkewicz
Patrick Suehnholz
Maria Vecchiotti
John Yarmick
Past President

Jodi Magness
Trustees Emeriti

Brian Heidtke
Norma Kershaw
Charles S. La Follette
Legal Counsel

Mitchell Eitel, Esq.
Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP

Laetitia La Follette

Archaeological Institute of America
44 Beacon Street * Boston, MA 02108
archaeological.org

President, Archaeological Institute of America
6

ARCHAEOLOGY * July/August 2020

http://www.archaeological.org/build-your-own http://www.archaeological.org/build-your-own http://www.archaeological.org

Archaeology Magazine - July/August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - July/August 2020