August 25, 2025
Your experience matters! Join our letter writing campaign to save a place you love.
If you appreciate the cultural heritage of Cameroon, Colombia, Türkiye, and/or Afghanistan, YOU can help preserve the past this month. Colombia and Türkiye have recently requested that the U.S. renew the bilateral agreement that protects their cultural resources from being illegally imported into the United States, while the government of Cameroon is seeking U.S. import restrictions on archaeological ethnological materials. The Cultural Property Advisory Committee will also review the emergency import restrictions placed by the U.S. in 2022 on archaeological and ethnological material from Afghanistan.
Write a Letter of Support
If you’ve previously traveled to Cameroon, Colombia, Türkiye, or Afghanistan or enjoyed museum exhibits or presentations from scholars from those countries, your experiences can help the U.S. Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) with its upcoming deliberations that will help safeguard archaeological sites and objects there.
Note: the September 8, 2025 deadline to submit letters of support is approaching fast!
Scroll down to see our letter templates.
What is the U.S. Cultural Property Advisory Committee and how can I help?
The U.S. Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) makes recommendations to the President about cultural property agreements between the United States and nations seeking to protect their archaeological objects from looting and illegal export. In some cases, conflict or intense criminal activity prevent countries from entering into agreements. In those situations, the United States can take unilateral action to impose import restrictions on cultural property from that country. Before recommending that agreements be signed or renewed, CPAC reviews written testimony from constituents. This is where you come in! Your experiences can provide the committee with valuable input as they consider import restrictions and arrangements that will protect vulnerable and irreplaceable archaeological sites.
Further information from the State Department about how to submit letters via regulations.gov for the upcoming CPAC meeting is available.
To submit comments: For general comments, use regulations.gov, enter the docket [DOS-2025-0203-0001], and follow the prompts.
Learn more about the cultural heritage of Türkiye!
Join AIA’s VP of Cultural Heritage, Dr. Ömür Harmanşah, and the head of ARIT Ankara Office, Dr. Elif Denel, on a panel discussing the cultural heritage of Türkiye and what YOU can do to support its preservation with the upcoming US CPAC meeting on Wednesday, September 3 at 12 PM EST.
List of Panelists
Register for the webinar here!
STEP 1: Introduce yourself and talk about your connection to Cameroon / Colombia / Türkiye / Afghanistan
EXAMPLES:
Dear Members of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee,
SAMPLE 1: I am a member of the Boulder Society of the Archaeological Institute of America, as well as an avid international traveler and museum goer, and archaeological enthusiast. Although I am now an investment banker, I developed a love of the past at an early age. I have traveled to Cameroon / Colombia / Türkiye / Afghanistan on three occasions, both as an individual traveler and as a member of an organized tour group. These vital cultural experiences are unforgettable….
SAMPLE 2: I am writing as President of the Dallas/Fort Worth Society of the Archaeological Institute of America, with its 100 members of academics, archaeological professionals, teachers, and the interested public. As enthusiasts of the ancient past, we enjoy learning about new archaeological research through our society lectures and are avid travelers….
SAMPLE 3: I am an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, who has participated in fieldwork and study tours in Cameroon / Colombia / Türkiye / Afghanistan; I am also an avid student of ancient art. These experiences have highlighted for me the critical importance of archaeological context in our understanding of the ancient world from objects large and small….
SAMPLE 4: I am a faculty member at Swarthmore College who has been conducting archaeological fieldwork in Cameroon / Colombia / Türkiye / Afghanistan for over two decades. Over these years, I have trained more than one hundred American students in the techniques of archaeological excavation and have introduced students to the cultural heritage of the country through organized tours to well preserved museums and sites….
STEP 2: Share your experiences to illustrate what Cameroon / Colombia / Türkiye / Afghanistan are doing to protect their archaeological heritage and to encourage cultural exchange
GIVE THEM SOME SPECIFICS—Examples:
SAMPLE 1: [Include specific stories or memorable cultural experiences about your travels: Were sites well protected (did you see guards or notices about the collection of archaeological material)? Were the sites well presented to the public (what did you learn from the signage or local guides?). Also mention cultural value of lectures you’ve heard by Cameroonian / Colombian / Turkish / Afghan archaeologists or scholars with research projects in Cameroon / Colombia / Türkiye / Afghanistan.]
SAMPLE 2: [Include specific examples of recent AIA lectures that have addressed recent fieldwork in Cameroon / Colombia / Türkiye / Afghanistan; personal stories of the cultural experiences your members have gained by visiting well protected sites and museums in that State, etc.]. These can be compiled from society members into a single letter and attached to individual names (e.g. Local member Sarah Peterson recalls, “…”; Jorge Gomez writes, “…”).
SAMPLE 3: [Include specific examples or stories about fieldwork experiences; a memorable site or museum visit; public lectures you have heard about Cameroonian / Colombian / Turkish / Afghan archaeology by Cameroonian / Colombian / Turkish / Afghan archaeologists or academics with research projects there; or a moment that led to your awareness of the importance of archaeological context]
SAMPLE 4: [Include specific examples or stories about successful collaborations or looting activity connected to your fieldwork; a memorable site or museum visit; a student comment (‘the experience was life-changing’).]
STEP 3: Express your support for the bilateral agreement
Examples:
SAMPLE 1: I strongly support the efforts of the Cameroonian / Colombian / Turkish / Afghan government to impose import restrictions on archaeological materials coming to the U.S. This is one pragmatic step that we can take to support Cameroon’s / Colombia’s / Türkiye’s efforts to sustain and protect its cultural heritage.
SAMPLE 2: We strongly support the efforts of the Cameroonian / Colombian / Turkish / Afghan government to impose import restrictions on archaeological materials coming to the U.S. Through such restrictions, we can help to prevent the destruction of irreplaceable knowledge about the ancient world.
SAMPLE 3: I strongly support the efforts of the Cameroonian / Colombian / Turkish / Afghan government to impose import restrictions on archaeological materials coming to the U.S. Through such restrictions, we can help Cameroon / Colombia / Türkiye / Afghanistan to protect its cultural heritage and prevent the destruction of irreplaceable knowledge about the past.
That’s it! To submit your letter go to regulations.gov, enter the docket [DOS-2025-0203-0001], and follow the prompts. All submissions are due by September 8 by 11:59 PM EST.
