Section 1—Structure

The Society shall have the following committee structure:

  1. Subcommittees of the Board facilitate the work of the Board.
  2. Standing committees are established in the Bylaws. They facilitate the operation of the Society and perform other tasks as requested by the Board.
  3. Advisory committees are established by the Board. They advise the Board and provide service to the Society.
  4. Task forces are established by the Board. They perform specific activities for a defined term.
Section 2—Formation and Operation

Except as otherwise specified in the Bylaws, the Board shall create and dissolve each committee or task force; designate charges; and establish policy with regard to budget, size, type of membership, and term. Except as otherwise specified in the Bylaws, the President shall appoint chairs of committees and task forces with the advice and consent of the Board, and shall appoint members to committees and task forces. The names of the members of all committees and task forces shall be published to the membership.

Section 3—Standing Committees

The chair of each standing committee shall be appointed at the first meeting of the Board following the close of the Annual Business Meeting of the Society. No member of a standing committee shall hold elective office in the Society at the time of appointment to the standing committee. The standing committees of the Society are as follows:

  1. The Nominating Committee shall nominate candidates for each elected position that will become vacant after the next Annual Meeting. It shall be composed of five members, including at least one previous member of the Board who shall serve as the chair. A quorum shall consist of three members of the committee and the chair. Two members of the Nominating Committee shall be elected by the Full Members each year. The other two members and the chair shall be selected by the Board at their first meeting following the close of the Annual Business Meeting of the Society.
  2. The Bylaws Committee shall review proposed amendments to the Bylaws, prepare recommendations to the membership on proposed amendments, and advise the Board and membership on matters related to the Bylaws. It shall be composed of at least three members, including at least one previous member of the Board who shall serve as the chair.
  3. The Publications Committee shall advise the Board and editors on policies concerning scholarly and professional publications of the Society. It shall be composed of at least seven members, including a chair and at least two Student Members, as well as the editors of the Society’s publications who serve ex officio with voting rights.
  4. The Committee on Ethics shall advise the Board on ethical issues pertinent to the Society. It shall propose amendments, as necessary, to the SAA Principles of Archaeological Ethics, review proposed amendments, and prepare recommendations on proposed amendments to the Board. It shall be composed of at least seven members, including a chair and at least two Student Members.
  5. The President’s Advisory Board shall provide advice to the sitting President about the operation of the Society. It shall be composed of all past Presidents of the Society who are willing to serve. Each President, upon completion of office, shall become the chair of the President’s Advisory Board for the ensuing two years.

Section 4—Vacancies in Elected Positions  

  1. A vacancy of any elected position on a Society committee shall be filled by appointment by the Board for the remainder of the unexpired term.


Archaeologists Share What they Do

The Archiving the Archaeologists series is an oral history project of video interviews of archaeologists near retirement or already retired. Listen to real archaeologists reflect on their careers, how and why they became archaeologists, and their contributions to the discipline on the SAA YouTube channel.

Is the Past in Your Future?

Aimed at high school students, the Is the Past in Your Future?  [PDF 1.1 MB] brochure from the SAA provides brief information about a career in archaeology.

The National Historic Preservation Act

The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 is a federal law that protects archaeological resources in the United States. The What is the NPHA? [PDF 1.3 MB] fact-sheet from SAA helps explain the NHPA. It includes common misconceptions about the law and explains the Section 106 review process, which is particularly important to historic preservation.

Be an Archaeology Education Coordinator

If you are an SAA member interested in serving as your area's Archaeology Education Coordinator, please contact [email protected].

SAA Education and Outreach Awards

SAA gives out several archaeology education and outreach-related awards each year: the Distinguished Achievement in Public Archaeology Award, the Excellence in Public Archaeology Programming Award, the Outstanding Public Archaeology Initiative Award, the Binford Family Award for Teaching Scientific Reasoning in Archaeology, the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology Award for Archaeology And Education. Learn more about these awards, nominate a worthy individual or project, and view the past honorees!


Archaeology Education Newsletter Archive
1990-Present

SAA's archaeology education newsletter started as the Public Education Committee's print newsletter Archaeology & Public Education (A&PE). Running from 1990 to 1998, it featured news, events, and K-12 lesson plans aimed at expanding awareness of archaeology and heritage issues. It switched to a web format from 2000 to 2004. After a hiatus, it returned as Public Archaeology Notes (PAN) in 2016, managed by SAA's Archaeology Education Coordinators as a way to share news across regions.

Educational Videos

Looking for video content for your classroom? The SAA YouTube channel has short informational videos on a wide variety of topics, long-form interviews with archaeologists, and publicly-available online seminars.

State Archaeology Celebration Poster Contest

Does your state have an annual archaeology celebration? Submit a poster to the SAA State Archaeology Celebration Poster Contest! Learn more about the award and the submissions process.

SAA Committee on Repatriation

The Committee on Repatriation tracks national legislation, testifies at hearings when necessary, and represents SAA in discussions and negotiations on repatriation issues.

JOIN TODAY!

Join to lend your voice and your numbers to our efforts to ensure the archaeological record will exist for future generations.


Race, Inequality, and Decolonization

Please visit a selection of items on topics of race, inequality, and decolonization from The SAA Archaeological Record, Advances in Archaeological Practice, American Antiquity, and Latin American Antiquity.


Online Learning Archive

SAA members, log into the Member Center to access 30+ hours of free continuing education recordings. This is an exclusive member benefit.

Publicly-Available Recordings

Everyone can enjoy and learn from these events. See SAA's Continuing Education playlist on YouTube for publicly-available recordings of past lectures.

Have a Request?

The seminars we offer on-demand will change over time. If there is a past online seminar recording you'd like to view, please let us know at [email protected]. We can't guarantee that we can meet your request, but your input will help us make decisions about what to offer next.

Download the SAA Principles of Archaeological Ethics

In 1996, the SAA Executive Board adopted its Principles of Archaeological Ethics, and in 2016, membership voted to add a Principle No. 9. In 2018, the SAA Board created a series of task forces which culminated in a 2024 update to the Principles, which were adopted overwhelmingly by members on the January 2024 ballot. Download the most current SAA Principles of Archaeological Ethics [PDF 183 KB] to print or use for classrooms or training.