Conference Circuit: American Archaeology

Thousands of professional, student, and avocational archaeologists are headed to Albuquerque to share ideas, best practices, and knowledge; meet and network in interest groups, panels, symposia, and committees; and celebrate archaeology.

Organization: Society for American Archaeology

Conference: 84th Annual Meeting

Venue: Albuquerque Convention Center

City: Albuquerque, New Mexico

SAA 2019  (opens in a new tab) will begin Wednesday evening with the President’s Forum. Titled “Learning from the Past, Looking Toward the Future: Archaeological Ethics and the SAA,” this opening session will provide an opportunity for SAA members to consider what concerns might inform the process of evaluating and revising the organization’s ethical principles to reflect today’s standards. Also on the agenda:

Fast-paced learning. The meeting’s Teaching Slam is inspired by the popular Three-Minute Thesis competitions. Presenters will offer a three-minute lesson on an archaeological concept, with a focus on audience engagement. The goal of this fast-paced competition is to inspire new teaching ideas for both new and seasoned archaeology teachers.

Safety first. SAA is dedicated to a harassment-free meeting experience for everyone. If an incident were to occur, attendees can report it to people wearing green “Talk to Me” buttons. These “safe authorities” include the SAA president and executive director, as well as any staffer or board member.

Ethical conundrums. The Ethics Bowl is a competition for undergraduate and graduate students where teams from different universities debate solutions to the ethical dilemmas archaeologists face in their day-to-day lives. Each year, hypothetical cases are developed, teams formulate and defend solutions, and judges grade the teams on their responses—all before a live audience.

Head to Twitter  (opens in a new tab) (#SAA2019  (opens in a new tab)), Instagram  (opens in a new tab), and Facebook  (opens in a new tab) for other meeting details.

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