Advocacy

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.

News, Issues, and Initiatives

AIA Supports Letter to Congress Advocating for Omnibus Lands Bill

November 12, 2010

Joining with its partners in the Cultural Resources Preservation Coalition (CRPC), the AIA is encouraging the 111th Congress to pass a bipartisan Omnibus Lands Bill.

Eleven AIA Members Testify at Cultural Property Advisory Committee Meeting on October 12, 2010

October 26, 2010

A full account of the public portion of the October 12, 2010, Cultural Property Advisory Committee Meeting regarding Greece’s request for a bilateral agreement to restrict the importation of archaeological materials to the U.S.

Eleven AIA Members testify at Cultural Property Advisory Committee Meeting on October 12, 2010

October 26, 2010

On October 12, 2010, the Cultural Property Advisory Committee of the State Department held a public hearing on Greece’s recent request for a bilateral agreement intended to curb the import […]

Preserving Archaeology in Greece: Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) to Consider Establishing A Bilateral Agreement to Protect Greek Archaeological Heritage

October 26, 2010

Thanks to your response, the AIA sent in hundreds of letters to the U.S. Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) on your behalf. CPAC met October 12, 2010 to consider the Memorandum of Understanding with Greece.

Understanding the U.S. Border: Archaeologists, Law Enforcement, and the Preservation of Cultural Heritage

August 19, 2010

An overview of how law enforcement works to protect cultural heritage.

Italy MOU Review

May 8, 2010

Thanks to your response, the AIA sent in hundreds of letters to the U.S. Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) on your behalf. CPAC met May 6-7, 2010 to review the Memorandum of Understanding with Italy.

CPAC Hearing, Washington, D.C.: A Personal Account

May 6, 2010

The State Department’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee met on May 6, 2010, to consider renewing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the U.S. and Italy in 2001 and extended in 2006. Read AIA First Vice-President, Elizabeth Bartman’s personal account of the meeting.

AIA Urges Protection of Iraq’s Archaeological Heritage

March 22, 2010

As the prospect for war in Iraq gains momentum, archaeologists have become increasingly concerned about the fate of that country’s archaeological sites, antiquities, and cultural property.

Open Declaration on Cultural Heritage at Risk in Iraq

March 22, 2010

The extraordinary global significance of the monuments, museums, and archaeological sites of Iraq (ancient Mesopotamia) imposes an obligation on all peoples and governments to protect them. In any military conflict that heritage is put at risk, and it appears now to be in grave danger.

Recovering Iraq’s Past – NEH Iraq Initiative

March 22, 2010

In the face of the recent destruction and looting of Iraq’s archaeological sites, museums and libraries, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced an initiative aimed at the preservation and documentation of “cultural resources in Iraq’s archives, libraries, and museums.

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The AIA is North America's largest and oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to archaeology. The Institute advances awareness, education, fieldwork, preservation, publication, and research of archaeological sites and cultural heritage throughout the world. Your contribution makes a difference.