The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America's oldest and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology with more than 8,500 members belonging to 104 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

AIA Executive Director
The AIA Governing Board has appointed Teresa Keller, Chief Operating Officer, to succeed Bonnie Clendenning, who has passed the baton as Executive Director of the Institute, a position she held for nearly five years. In the Spring Newsletter, President C. Brian Rose noted Clendenning—a life member of AIA and member of the Charles Eliot Norton Legacy Society—oversaw a period of “continual growth in membership and programming during her tenure, and we now operate on an exceptionally strong foundation.” Also in the Newsletter, Keller said, “I am honored that Bonnie and the Board have entrusted me with the responsibility of working with our talented staff to lead the AIA to the next level. This is an exciting time in the life of our organization as we continue to strengthen our existing programs and services while developing new and important initiatives in education, outreach, and site preservation.” Rose, Keller, and the Board wish to thank Bonnie for her years of outstanding service and dedication to the AIA.

Iraq Updates NEW
Five years after the ransacking of the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad in April 2003, scholars and law enforcement officials are still assessing the damage from the theft as well as the ongoing plundering of sites. AIA President C. Brian Rose recently led a roundtable discussion about the situation for Salon.com. A transcript and audio file of the roundtable, "Robbing the cradle of civilization, five years later," can be accessed on the Salon.com website here. Meanwhile, on April 27, Syrian authorities handed over more than 700 Iraqi artifacts seized from smugglers, and Iraqi officials are discussing the return of more objects seized by Jordanian authorities. A review of the current situation will appear in the July/August issue of ARCHAEOLOGY.

Expanded Meeting Program—Please give us your input!
Nearly 3,000 people participated in the 2008 Annual Meeting including more than 1,000 AIA members! Our meeting is growing every year, and we plan to increase the number of sessions in 2009. Please take a few moments to give us your opinion on the program expansion by participating in a brief, two-minute survey. Your input is vital to the success of our Annual Meeting. Please click here to begin the survey.

Meet Our Lecturers: An Interview with James Adovasio
Director of the Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute, James Adovasio specializes in prehistory, technology and material analysis, as well as the archaeology of North America, Mesoamerica, and the former Soviet Union. Adovasio recently discussed his research, including his excavation of the Meadowcroft Rockshelter, with AIA Programs Assistant Deanna Baker.

2009 Annual Meeting Submissions
Submission Forms and Submission Information for the 2009 Annual Meeting are now online. We strongly encourage submitters to review the 2009 Call for Papers as significant changes have been made in recent years. Please note that all submissions must be made using the online forms.

Important Award Nomination Deadline!

May 15

• Pomerance Award for Scientific Contributions to Archaeology

For more information, please contact the AIA Director, Programs and Services.

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.

Why do Virtual Heritage?
Now on the ARCHAEOLOGY website, archaeologist and virtual-heritage specialist Donald H. Sanders writes "Those of us in the virtual heritage business who create digital surrogates of the ancient world see many benefits of visualizing the past interactively and in 3D. We understand that the past did not happen in 2D and that it cannot be effectively studied or taught as a series of disconnected static images that, for the most part, represent incomplete remains. It seems obvious to us that you need an interactive, 3D approach if you expect others to get excited about ancient cultures or expect them to grasp the implications of the evidence. But how do we convince archaeologists, who should be embracing our technologies, that it is to their advantage?"

April Issue of AJA Available Online
Cynthia S. Colburn suggests that eastern imports in Prepalatial Crete were used by the Cretan emergent elite to distinguish themselves from the general population of the island and, perhaps, to align themselves with the ruling classes in Eastern centers. Go to the AJA website

Bibliographies Updated!
Our Education Department's bibliographies, available as downloadable pdfs, are intended for a general audience and include a wide variety of topics relevant to archaeology and related fields. We have just posted updated bibliographies, but they are a work in progress and will be edited, updated, and annotated over time. We invite you to send in their own recommendations and favorite titles to education@aia.bu.edu.

Site Preservation Grant Program
Archaeologists today not only research and excavate, as they did in past centuries, 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 the cultural and physical landscapes of sites.
Click here for more information and application

Join AIA Tours for a special trip to Turkey!
October 6–21, 2008
Experience Western Turkey’s ancient wonders in the company of AIA President C. Brian Rose, a most personable and knowledgeable classical archaeologist and travel companion. For first-time travelers as well as repeat visitors to Turkey, this in-depth land tour provides the best opportunity to discover her ancient Greco-Roman sites, magnificent and varied landscapes, delicious Mediterranean cuisine, and fine accommodations.

Coins and Archaeology
Since their first invention in western Turkey in the late seventh century B.C., coins have been struck in precious metals and copper alloys, and since that time they have been lost, buried in hoards, placed in graves, or otherwise left behind for archaeologists to find. When coins are found as part of a scientific excavation, they can make an immense contribution to our understanding of ancient society. In this effort, numismatists and archaeologists can work hand in hand, facilitating discoveries and interpretations that neither discipline could produce in isolation. Read more...

Shop the AIA & Archaeology Store!
Looking for a gift or a back issue? 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.

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