About the SAA Awards
The Society for American Archaeology Awards recognize and honor knowledge and professional achievements at all career levels--from student and early career archaeologists to those who have made lasting contributions to the Society and the profession. The Call for Nominations opens in the fall of each year.
The 2024 Call for Award Nominations is open.
Deadlines and nomination information vary by award.
Round 2 of the Meeting Access Grants (under Travel Awards) will open later in fall 2023.
Prior to any award recommendation being finalized and publicly announced, anyone recommended for an award, scholarship, or grant will be required to certify the following:
(a) I am not and have not ever been the subject of a discrimination or harassment lawsuit or related administrative complaint that resulted in an adverse finding; and(b) I do not have and have not had a current or pending disciplinary action such as suspension or termination of registration, resulting from a Register of Professional Archaeologists’ grievance investigation.
Professional Awards
Student Poster Award (Deadline Extended to March 18)
Nomination/Submission Deadline: 18 Mar 2024
Award Description
This award acknowledges the best student presentation of archaeological research in poster sessions. Student posters will be evaluated as electronic submissions made directly to the Student Poster Award committee.
Who Is Eligible to Submit Nominations or Apply for the Award
All student members of SAA in good standing whose poster abstract has been accepted by the SAA for the upcoming annual meeting are eligible to participate. All co-authors must be students, and the first author must be a member of the SAA. All co-authors receive the award.
Nomination/Submission Materials Required
February 23, 2024. Electronic version of the poster submission must be received by the Committee Chair no later than this date.
Other Special Requirements
Please submit a PDF file of your poster with all names and affiliations covered or removed to preserve anonymity. In addition, in order to be considered for the award, your faculty advisor must send an email in support of your submission to the Committee Chair by the deadline.
Prior to any award recommendation being finalized and publically announced, anyone recommended for an award, scholarship, or grant will be required to certify the following:
(a) I am not and have not ever been the subject of a discrimination or harassment lawsuit or related administrative complaint that resulted in an adverse finding; and(b) I do not have and have not had a current or pending disciplinary action such as suspension or termination of registration, resulting from a Register of Professional Archaeologists’ grievance investigation.
Nature of Award (e.g. monetary, medal, symposium)
The awardee(s) receive a $750 prize from Cambridge University Press. The awardee(s) are also recognized by the SAA through a plaque presented during the business meeting held at the Annual Meeting, a citation in The SAA Archaeological Record, and acknowledgment on the awards page of the SAA Website. All co-authors receive and share the award.
Thank you to Cambridge University Press for their generous gift to make the award possible.
Current Committee Charge
The committee selects student recipients for the Poster Award. The award is presented to recognize excellence in the dissemination of archaeological knowledge through a poster presentation. The award is designed to promote interest and acceptance of the poster in the dissemination of archaeological research, to increase the quality of poster presentations, and to acknowledge recognize excellence in this valuable medium.
Committee Composition
Committee composition is one chair and at least four members.
Term Length
Term length is three years. Individuals ending their terms cycle off the committee at the close of the Business Meeting held during the annual SAA Meeting, and new appointees begin their terms at this time.
Award Cycle
N/A
Committee Chair and End of Term
Colin P. Quinn [2024]
Committee Chair Contact Information
Committee Members and Ends of Terms
Selection or Evaluation Criteria
Committee members evaluate papers anonymously, scoring them on a scale of 1-20 based on the following two weighted themes: presentation of information (40%) and the originality and significance of research (60%). Posters that receive high scores for presentation of information will have excellent graphics with large fonts and images, nice backgrounds, and good readability from at least one meter, precise text, and logical flow to the information. Posters that receive high scores for originality and significance of research should have focused problems, innovative solutions, rigorous methodologies, and contributions to the theme of the session."
Committee Deliberation Process (e.g. dates, venue)
The committee meets electronically after the submission deadline has passed.
2023 Madeleine Gunter-Bassett “Pastoralist Land Use and Mobility in the Horn of Africa: An Archaeological Predictive Model”
2022 McKenzie Alford
2021 Laura Benedict
2020 N/A
2019 Nicolette Edwards
2018 Mark Agostini
2017 Elic M. Weitzel and Daniel Plekhov
2016 Amy N. Fox
2015 Jenna Kay Carlson
2014 N/A
2013 G. Logan Miller
2012 N/A
2011 Alexander Smith and Danielle Raad
2010 Metin I. Eren, Adam Durant, and Christina Neudorf
2009 Susan Mentzer
2008 Brandi Lee MacDonald, R.G.V. Hancock, Alice Pidruczny, and Aubrey Cannon
2007 Bridget Zavala and Jose Luis Punzo Diaz
2006 Ruth Dickau
2005 Ethan Cochrane, Julie Field, and Diana Greenlee
2004 Stacy Lengyel
2003 Stacey Chambliss
2002 Laura Smith, James Jordan, David Johnson, Casey Haskell, and Herbert Maschner
2001 Jonathan Scholnick, Derek Wheeler, and Fraser Neiman
2000 Diana M. Greenlee
1999 Diana Greenlee, Robert C. Dunnell, Terry Hunt, and Michael Pfeffer
1998 Lisa Nagaoka
1997 Anastasia Steffen, Rita Moots Skinner, and Ann F. Ramenofsky
1996 Adam King
1995 Tim Hunt, Mark Madsen, and Carl Lipo
1994 Alanah J. Woody
1993 Cynthia Herhahn
Awardees, Professionals
Until 2007, the Poster Award competition also included an award for the best poster presented by a professional. The awardees in this category are listed below.
2007 Jeffrey A. Ferguson, Jelmer E. Eerkens, and Michael D. Glascock
2006 Robert Hard, Cynthis Muñez, and Anne Katzenberg
2005 James Feathers, Jack Johnson, Silvia Kembel
2004 Andrew Isaac, Mark Muldoon, Keri Brown, and Terry Brown (Overall winner), Sara Bon-Harper, Jennifer Aultman, Nick Bon-Harper, Derek Wheeler
2003 Diana M. Greenlee
2002 Manuel R. Palacios Fest and Jeffrey A. Homburg
2001 Jeffrey Homburg, Eric Brevik, Jeffrey Altschul, Antony Orme, and Steven Shelley
2000 Fraser D. Neiman
1999 Neal H. Lopinot and Jack H. Ray
1998 Shannon P. McPherron and Harold L. Dibble
1997 Judith A. Habicht-Mauche, A. Russell Flegal, Stephen Glenn, and Homer Milford
1996 Clinton C. Hoffman and Stephen H. Lekson
1995 Brenda J. Baker and Maria A. Liston
1994 George R. Milner, James S. Oliver, and Erich Schroeder
Dennis E. Lewarch and Laura S. Phillips (Organizers, Outstanding Poster Symposium)
1993 Virginia Butler and James Chatters
Travel Awards
Student Poster Award (Deadline Extended to March 18)
Nomination/Submission Deadline: 18 Mar 2024
Award Description
This award acknowledges the best student presentation of archaeological research in poster sessions. Student posters will be evaluated as electronic submissions made directly to the Student Poster Award committee.
Who Is Eligible to Submit Nominations or Apply for the Award
All student members of SAA in good standing whose poster abstract has been accepted by the SAA for the upcoming annual meeting are eligible to participate. All co-authors must be students, and the first author must be a member of the SAA. All co-authors receive the award.
Nomination/Submission Materials Required
February 23, 2024. Electronic version of the poster submission must be received by the Committee Chair no later than this date.
Other Special Requirements
Please submit a PDF file of your poster with all names and affiliations covered or removed to preserve anonymity. In addition, in order to be considered for the award, your faculty advisor must send an email in support of your submission to the Committee Chair by the deadline.
Prior to any award recommendation being finalized and publically announced, anyone recommended for an award, scholarship, or grant will be required to certify the following:
(a) I am not and have not ever been the subject of a discrimination or harassment lawsuit or related administrative complaint that resulted in an adverse finding; and(b) I do not have and have not had a current or pending disciplinary action such as suspension or termination of registration, resulting from a Register of Professional Archaeologists’ grievance investigation.
Nature of Award (e.g. monetary, medal, symposium)
The awardee(s) receive a $750 prize from Cambridge University Press. The awardee(s) are also recognized by the SAA through a plaque presented during the business meeting held at the Annual Meeting, a citation in The SAA Archaeological Record, and acknowledgment on the awards page of the SAA Website. All co-authors receive and share the award.
Thank you to Cambridge University Press for their generous gift to make the award possible.
Current Committee Charge
The committee selects student recipients for the Poster Award. The award is presented to recognize excellence in the dissemination of archaeological knowledge through a poster presentation. The award is designed to promote interest and acceptance of the poster in the dissemination of archaeological research, to increase the quality of poster presentations, and to acknowledge recognize excellence in this valuable medium.
Committee Composition
Committee composition is one chair and at least four members.
Term Length
Term length is three years. Individuals ending their terms cycle off the committee at the close of the Business Meeting held during the annual SAA Meeting, and new appointees begin their terms at this time.
Award Cycle
N/A
Committee Chair and End of Term
Colin P. Quinn [2024]
Committee Chair Contact Information
Committee Members and Ends of Terms
Selection or Evaluation Criteria
Committee members evaluate papers anonymously, scoring them on a scale of 1-20 based on the following two weighted themes: presentation of information (40%) and the originality and significance of research (60%). Posters that receive high scores for presentation of information will have excellent graphics with large fonts and images, nice backgrounds, and good readability from at least one meter, precise text, and logical flow to the information. Posters that receive high scores for originality and significance of research should have focused problems, innovative solutions, rigorous methodologies, and contributions to the theme of the session."
Committee Deliberation Process (e.g. dates, venue)
The committee meets electronically after the submission deadline has passed.
2023 Madeleine Gunter-Bassett “Pastoralist Land Use and Mobility in the Horn of Africa: An Archaeological Predictive Model”
2022 McKenzie Alford
2021 Laura Benedict
2020 N/A
2019 Nicolette Edwards
2018 Mark Agostini
2017 Elic M. Weitzel and Daniel Plekhov
2016 Amy N. Fox
2015 Jenna Kay Carlson
2014 N/A
2013 G. Logan Miller
2012 N/A
2011 Alexander Smith and Danielle Raad
2010 Metin I. Eren, Adam Durant, and Christina Neudorf
2009 Susan Mentzer
2008 Brandi Lee MacDonald, R.G.V. Hancock, Alice Pidruczny, and Aubrey Cannon
2007 Bridget Zavala and Jose Luis Punzo Diaz
2006 Ruth Dickau
2005 Ethan Cochrane, Julie Field, and Diana Greenlee
2004 Stacy Lengyel
2003 Stacey Chambliss
2002 Laura Smith, James Jordan, David Johnson, Casey Haskell, and Herbert Maschner
2001 Jonathan Scholnick, Derek Wheeler, and Fraser Neiman
2000 Diana M. Greenlee
1999 Diana Greenlee, Robert C. Dunnell, Terry Hunt, and Michael Pfeffer
1998 Lisa Nagaoka
1997 Anastasia Steffen, Rita Moots Skinner, and Ann F. Ramenofsky
1996 Adam King
1995 Tim Hunt, Mark Madsen, and Carl Lipo
1994 Alanah J. Woody
1993 Cynthia Herhahn
Awardees, Professionals
Until 2007, the Poster Award competition also included an award for the best poster presented by a professional. The awardees in this category are listed below.
2007 Jeffrey A. Ferguson, Jelmer E. Eerkens, and Michael D. Glascock
2006 Robert Hard, Cynthis Muñez, and Anne Katzenberg
2005 James Feathers, Jack Johnson, Silvia Kembel
2004 Andrew Isaac, Mark Muldoon, Keri Brown, and Terry Brown (Overall winner), Sara Bon-Harper, Jennifer Aultman, Nick Bon-Harper, Derek Wheeler
2003 Diana M. Greenlee
2002 Manuel R. Palacios Fest and Jeffrey A. Homburg
2001 Jeffrey Homburg, Eric Brevik, Jeffrey Altschul, Antony Orme, and Steven Shelley
2000 Fraser D. Neiman
1999 Neal H. Lopinot and Jack H. Ray
1998 Shannon P. McPherron and Harold L. Dibble
1997 Judith A. Habicht-Mauche, A. Russell Flegal, Stephen Glenn, and Homer Milford
1996 Clinton C. Hoffman and Stephen H. Lekson
1995 Brenda J. Baker and Maria A. Liston
1994 George R. Milner, James S. Oliver, and Erich Schroeder
Dennis E. Lewarch and Laura S. Phillips (Organizers, Outstanding Poster Symposium)
1993 Virginia Butler and James Chatters
Student Awards
Student Poster Award (Deadline Extended to March 18)
Nomination/Submission Deadline: 18 Mar 2024
Award Description
This award acknowledges the best student presentation of archaeological research in poster sessions. Student posters will be evaluated as electronic submissions made directly to the Student Poster Award committee.
Who Is Eligible to Submit Nominations or Apply for the Award
All student members of SAA in good standing whose poster abstract has been accepted by the SAA for the upcoming annual meeting are eligible to participate. All co-authors must be students, and the first author must be a member of the SAA. All co-authors receive the award.
Nomination/Submission Materials Required
February 23, 2024. Electronic version of the poster submission must be received by the Committee Chair no later than this date.
Other Special Requirements
Please submit a PDF file of your poster with all names and affiliations covered or removed to preserve anonymity. In addition, in order to be considered for the award, your faculty advisor must send an email in support of your submission to the Committee Chair by the deadline.
Prior to any award recommendation being finalized and publically announced, anyone recommended for an award, scholarship, or grant will be required to certify the following:
(a) I am not and have not ever been the subject of a discrimination or harassment lawsuit or related administrative complaint that resulted in an adverse finding; and(b) I do not have and have not had a current or pending disciplinary action such as suspension or termination of registration, resulting from a Register of Professional Archaeologists’ grievance investigation.
Nature of Award (e.g. monetary, medal, symposium)
The awardee(s) receive a $750 prize from Cambridge University Press. The awardee(s) are also recognized by the SAA through a plaque presented during the business meeting held at the Annual Meeting, a citation in The SAA Archaeological Record, and acknowledgment on the awards page of the SAA Website. All co-authors receive and share the award.
Thank you to Cambridge University Press for their generous gift to make the award possible.
Current Committee Charge
The committee selects student recipients for the Poster Award. The award is presented to recognize excellence in the dissemination of archaeological knowledge through a poster presentation. The award is designed to promote interest and acceptance of the poster in the dissemination of archaeological research, to increase the quality of poster presentations, and to acknowledge recognize excellence in this valuable medium.
Committee Composition
Committee composition is one chair and at least four members.
Term Length
Term length is three years. Individuals ending their terms cycle off the committee at the close of the Business Meeting held during the annual SAA Meeting, and new appointees begin their terms at this time.
Award Cycle
N/A
Committee Chair and End of Term
Colin P. Quinn [2024]
Committee Chair Contact Information
Committee Members and Ends of Terms
Selection or Evaluation Criteria
Committee members evaluate papers anonymously, scoring them on a scale of 1-20 based on the following two weighted themes: presentation of information (40%) and the originality and significance of research (60%). Posters that receive high scores for presentation of information will have excellent graphics with large fonts and images, nice backgrounds, and good readability from at least one meter, precise text, and logical flow to the information. Posters that receive high scores for originality and significance of research should have focused problems, innovative solutions, rigorous methodologies, and contributions to the theme of the session."
Committee Deliberation Process (e.g. dates, venue)
The committee meets electronically after the submission deadline has passed.
2023 Madeleine Gunter-Bassett “Pastoralist Land Use and Mobility in the Horn of Africa: An Archaeological Predictive Model”
2022 McKenzie Alford
2021 Laura Benedict
2020 N/A
2019 Nicolette Edwards
2018 Mark Agostini
2017 Elic M. Weitzel and Daniel Plekhov
2016 Amy N. Fox
2015 Jenna Kay Carlson
2014 N/A
2013 G. Logan Miller
2012 N/A
2011 Alexander Smith and Danielle Raad
2010 Metin I. Eren, Adam Durant, and Christina Neudorf
2009 Susan Mentzer
2008 Brandi Lee MacDonald, R.G.V. Hancock, Alice Pidruczny, and Aubrey Cannon
2007 Bridget Zavala and Jose Luis Punzo Diaz
2006 Ruth Dickau
2005 Ethan Cochrane, Julie Field, and Diana Greenlee
2004 Stacy Lengyel
2003 Stacey Chambliss
2002 Laura Smith, James Jordan, David Johnson, Casey Haskell, and Herbert Maschner
2001 Jonathan Scholnick, Derek Wheeler, and Fraser Neiman
2000 Diana M. Greenlee
1999 Diana Greenlee, Robert C. Dunnell, Terry Hunt, and Michael Pfeffer
1998 Lisa Nagaoka
1997 Anastasia Steffen, Rita Moots Skinner, and Ann F. Ramenofsky
1996 Adam King
1995 Tim Hunt, Mark Madsen, and Carl Lipo
1994 Alanah J. Woody
1993 Cynthia Herhahn
Awardees, Professionals
Until 2007, the Poster Award competition also included an award for the best poster presented by a professional. The awardees in this category are listed below.
2007 Jeffrey A. Ferguson, Jelmer E. Eerkens, and Michael D. Glascock
2006 Robert Hard, Cynthis Muñez, and Anne Katzenberg
2005 James Feathers, Jack Johnson, Silvia Kembel
2004 Andrew Isaac, Mark Muldoon, Keri Brown, and Terry Brown (Overall winner), Sara Bon-Harper, Jennifer Aultman, Nick Bon-Harper, Derek Wheeler
2003 Diana M. Greenlee
2002 Manuel R. Palacios Fest and Jeffrey A. Homburg
2001 Jeffrey Homburg, Eric Brevik, Jeffrey Altschul, Antony Orme, and Steven Shelley
2000 Fraser D. Neiman
1999 Neal H. Lopinot and Jack H. Ray
1998 Shannon P. McPherron and Harold L. Dibble
1997 Judith A. Habicht-Mauche, A. Russell Flegal, Stephen Glenn, and Homer Milford
1996 Clinton C. Hoffman and Stephen H. Lekson
1995 Brenda J. Baker and Maria A. Liston
1994 George R. Milner, James S. Oliver, and Erich Schroeder
Dennis E. Lewarch and Laura S. Phillips (Organizers, Outstanding Poster Symposium)
1993 Virginia Butler and James Chatters
Student Fellowship Awards
Student Poster Award (Deadline Extended to March 18)
Nomination/Submission Deadline: 18 Mar 2024
Award Description
This award acknowledges the best student presentation of archaeological research in poster sessions. Student posters will be evaluated as electronic submissions made directly to the Student Poster Award committee.
Who Is Eligible to Submit Nominations or Apply for the Award
All student members of SAA in good standing whose poster abstract has been accepted by the SAA for the upcoming annual meeting are eligible to participate. All co-authors must be students, and the first author must be a member of the SAA. All co-authors receive the award.
Nomination/Submission Materials Required
February 23, 2024. Electronic version of the poster submission must be received by the Committee Chair no later than this date.
Other Special Requirements
Please submit a PDF file of your poster with all names and affiliations covered or removed to preserve anonymity. In addition, in order to be considered for the award, your faculty advisor must send an email in support of your submission to the Committee Chair by the deadline.
Prior to any award recommendation being finalized and publically announced, anyone recommended for an award, scholarship, or grant will be required to certify the following:
(a) I am not and have not ever been the subject of a discrimination or harassment lawsuit or related administrative complaint that resulted in an adverse finding; and(b) I do not have and have not had a current or pending disciplinary action such as suspension or termination of registration, resulting from a Register of Professional Archaeologists’ grievance investigation.
Nature of Award (e.g. monetary, medal, symposium)
The awardee(s) receive a $750 prize from Cambridge University Press. The awardee(s) are also recognized by the SAA through a plaque presented during the business meeting held at the Annual Meeting, a citation in The SAA Archaeological Record, and acknowledgment on the awards page of the SAA Website. All co-authors receive and share the award.
Thank you to Cambridge University Press for their generous gift to make the award possible.
Current Committee Charge
The committee selects student recipients for the Poster Award. The award is presented to recognize excellence in the dissemination of archaeological knowledge through a poster presentation. The award is designed to promote interest and acceptance of the poster in the dissemination of archaeological research, to increase the quality of poster presentations, and to acknowledge recognize excellence in this valuable medium.
Committee Composition
Committee composition is one chair and at least four members.
Term Length
Term length is three years. Individuals ending their terms cycle off the committee at the close of the Business Meeting held during the annual SAA Meeting, and new appointees begin their terms at this time.
Award Cycle
N/A
Committee Chair and End of Term
Colin P. Quinn [2024]
Committee Chair Contact Information
Committee Members and Ends of Terms
Selection or Evaluation Criteria
Committee members evaluate papers anonymously, scoring them on a scale of 1-20 based on the following two weighted themes: presentation of information (40%) and the originality and significance of research (60%). Posters that receive high scores for presentation of information will have excellent graphics with large fonts and images, nice backgrounds, and good readability from at least one meter, precise text, and logical flow to the information. Posters that receive high scores for originality and significance of research should have focused problems, innovative solutions, rigorous methodologies, and contributions to the theme of the session."
Committee Deliberation Process (e.g. dates, venue)
The committee meets electronically after the submission deadline has passed.
2023 Madeleine Gunter-Bassett “Pastoralist Land Use and Mobility in the Horn of Africa: An Archaeological Predictive Model”
2022 McKenzie Alford
2021 Laura Benedict
2020 N/A
2019 Nicolette Edwards
2018 Mark Agostini
2017 Elic M. Weitzel and Daniel Plekhov
2016 Amy N. Fox
2015 Jenna Kay Carlson
2014 N/A
2013 G. Logan Miller
2012 N/A
2011 Alexander Smith and Danielle Raad
2010 Metin I. Eren, Adam Durant, and Christina Neudorf
2009 Susan Mentzer
2008 Brandi Lee MacDonald, R.G.V. Hancock, Alice Pidruczny, and Aubrey Cannon
2007 Bridget Zavala and Jose Luis Punzo Diaz
2006 Ruth Dickau
2005 Ethan Cochrane, Julie Field, and Diana Greenlee
2004 Stacy Lengyel
2003 Stacey Chambliss
2002 Laura Smith, James Jordan, David Johnson, Casey Haskell, and Herbert Maschner
2001 Jonathan Scholnick, Derek Wheeler, and Fraser Neiman
2000 Diana M. Greenlee
1999 Diana Greenlee, Robert C. Dunnell, Terry Hunt, and Michael Pfeffer
1998 Lisa Nagaoka
1997 Anastasia Steffen, Rita Moots Skinner, and Ann F. Ramenofsky
1996 Adam King
1995 Tim Hunt, Mark Madsen, and Carl Lipo
1994 Alanah J. Woody
1993 Cynthia Herhahn
Awardees, Professionals
Until 2007, the Poster Award competition also included an award for the best poster presented by a professional. The awardees in this category are listed below.
2007 Jeffrey A. Ferguson, Jelmer E. Eerkens, and Michael D. Glascock
2006 Robert Hard, Cynthis Muñez, and Anne Katzenberg
2005 James Feathers, Jack Johnson, Silvia Kembel
2004 Andrew Isaac, Mark Muldoon, Keri Brown, and Terry Brown (Overall winner), Sara Bon-Harper, Jennifer Aultman, Nick Bon-Harper, Derek Wheeler
2003 Diana M. Greenlee
2002 Manuel R. Palacios Fest and Jeffrey A. Homburg
2001 Jeffrey Homburg, Eric Brevik, Jeffrey Altschul, Antony Orme, and Steven Shelley
2000 Fraser D. Neiman
1999 Neal H. Lopinot and Jack H. Ray
1998 Shannon P. McPherron and Harold L. Dibble
1997 Judith A. Habicht-Mauche, A. Russell Flegal, Stephen Glenn, and Homer Milford
1996 Clinton C. Hoffman and Stephen H. Lekson
1995 Brenda J. Baker and Maria A. Liston
1994 George R. Milner, James S. Oliver, and Erich Schroeder
Dennis E. Lewarch and Laura S. Phillips (Organizers, Outstanding Poster Symposium)
1993 Virginia Butler and James Chatters
Scholarships: for undergraduate and graduate student scholarships, see the Cheryl L. Wase Memorial Scholarship, Matthew Tobin Cappetta Archaeological Scholarship, Student Excellence in Archaeology Scholarships, and Native American Scholarships.