Founded in 1879, the AIA was chartered by the United States Congress in 1906, in recognition of its role in the development and passage of the Antiquities Act, which Theodore Roosevelt signed into law that year. Today, the AIA remains committed to preserving the world's archaeological resources and cultural heritage for the benefit of people in the present and in the future.

Current News, Issues, and Initiatives

Journey to Iraq
From the President, C. Brian Rose, July/August 2009
Good news from Baghdad and beyond

U.S.-China Agreement Signed
A new Memorandum of Understanding was recently inked by the United States and the People’s Republic of China. The five-year agreement--supported by the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA)--outlines steps designed to stem the flow of illicitly excavated or exported artifacts from China to the U.S. Nicole Albertson at AIA’s ARCHAEOLOGY office talked with Sebastian Heath, AIA’s vice president of professional responsibilities, and Robert Murowchick, director of the International Center for East Asian Archaeology and Cultural History at Boston University and a trustee of the AIA, about the China MOU.

AIA Statement on Attachment of Cultural Objects
The Archaeological Institute of America has issued the following statement concerning cultural objects on loan to U.S. institutions and calls for Congressional action to assure the security of international loans and exhibitions from attachment.

AIA Endorses UNESCO Underwater Convention
On January 8, the AIA Governing Board approved the following motion endorsing the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage: The Archaeological Institute of America endorses the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001) and its Annex, and urges ratification of the same by the United States Government at the earliest practicable moment. It further encourages the timely adoption of the Convention and Annex's Articles, Rules and Principles into the laws, policies, professional standards and guidelines of all programs involved in the management of underwater cultural heritage. Accordingly, all members individually and through the local societies of the Institute are urged to make their support of the Convention and Annex known by communications to the appropriate governmental authorities.

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.

Archaeology Watch Archives Click on any of the links below for in-depth coverage from the AIA website, the American Journal of Archaeology, and ARCHAEOLOGY.
AIA Policies and Statements Threats to Cultural Heritage Hague Convention Museum Acquisition Policies AIA Troop Lecture Program UNESCO Convention/CPIA Legal Cases 1906 Antiquities Act United States	Afghanistan China Cyprus Greece Iraq Italy Turkey Other Countries and Regions Underwater Heritage

External Links

Click here for links to professional societies, non-governmental organizations, and governmental agencies involved with preserving cultural heritage