archaeological institute of america tours

Archaeological Institute of America – Los Angeles Society

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Activities in Los Angeles County

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. The Los Angeles Chapter is an independent organization created and managed by AIA members to advance the Institute’s mission of promoting public understanding and appreciation of archaeology and our shared humanity within local communities.

The Los Angeles Society was chartered in 1903

We plan and organize events of general interest relating to archaeology in and around Los Angeles Area (from Santa Barbara to Orange County and Riverside). Activities include conferences, lectures, field trips, local tours, symposia, film festivals, study groups and much more!

1997 Outstanding Local Society Prize winner.

We participate in and promote the AIA’s national and international initiatives like the annual lecture program and International Archaeology Day celebrations.

We offer field school scholarships to local students.

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Member Spotlight

The latest BYLAWS of the Los Angeles Society to the Archaeological Institute of America are now online! Click here to download.

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Zominthos, Crete

Explore the serenity of the highlanders on the route between Knossos and Ideon Cave on Minoan Crete.

Ferrycarrig, Ireland

Digging the Lost Town of Carrig explores the Ferrycarrig Ringwork, one of the most historically significant sites in Ireland.

Achill Island, Ireland

The Achill Archaeological Field School is developing an understanding of the archaeology of Slievemore, the island's largest mountain.

Pompeii, Italy

Follow the Venus Pompeiana Project (VPP) as it resumes study of the Sanctuary of Venus at Pompeii.

Johnson's Island, Ohio

Join archaeologist David Bush beyond the "dead line" at a Civil War POW camp on western Lake Erie.

Jodensavanne, Suriname

Follow excavation in Suriname, South America, of this settlement established by Sephardic Jews fleeing from the Inquisition in the 1660s.

Blackfriary, Ireland

Follow excavations at the Black Friary, the site of a 13th century, late medieval, Dominican Friary in the town of Trim in the Boyne River Valley.

Cahal Pech, Belize

Recent excavations have suggested that Cahal Pech is one of the earliest Maya settlements in Belize.

El Carrizal, Mexico

Get in on the survey and excavation of El Carrizal, a Formative Period site in Veracruz, Mexico.

Pisa Wreck, Crimea

Join the Black Sea Shipwreck Research Project as it excavates the Pisa Wreck off the coast of Crimea.

Sagalassos, Turkey

We take you to Sagalassos, a classical city perched high in the mountains of southwestern Turkey.

Hierakonpolis, Egypt

Join us at the City of the Hawk as we reveal more about the dawn of Egyptian civilization.

Tiwanaku, Bolivia

Return with archaeologists to Tiwanaku, the mysterious site high in the Andes.

Elden Pueblo, Arizona

Join Forest Archaeologist Peter Pilles as he excavates Elden Pueblo.

Yucatán, Mexico

Editor Kristin Romey explores sacred Maya cenotes in the Yucatán.

Join our search for the patricians and slaves who lived in Vesuvius' shadow.

Mount Vernon, Virginia

Explore George Washington's post-presidential career as a whiskey distiller at Mount Vernon.

Waka', Guatemala

How did the Maya site of Waka' in the Petén fit into the struggle between two superpowers?

West-Central Belize

Search for the Maya underworld with a special expedition to find untouched caves in the jungle of Belize.

Petra, Jordan

Visit the ancient Nabataean city of Petra and watch as a Great Temple is rediscovered.

Novy Svet, Crimea

Searching for shipwrecks beneath the Black Sea off Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula.

Lott House, New York

Uncover the buried past of a Dutch family living in eighteenth-century Brooklyn.

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Wonders of Ancient Egypt

The oriental institute travel program presents wonders of ancient egypt, led by dr. lanny bell, associate professor emeritus of egyptology november 1 – 17, 2014 including a 5-day farah nile cruise.

Download Tour brochure here

The Oriental Institute tour of ancient Egypt offers a program far beyond the usual tour, calling upon their own in-country staff and colleagues to give you up-to-date information about current research. This specially designed itinerary includes the most important sites from all periods of Egyptian history and several "off the beaten track" gems. One of the highlights of the tour is the visit to Chicago House where you will meet our staff of Egyptologists and hear about their vital work documenting the reliefs and inscriptions of ancient Thebes. The tour begins in Cairo, visiting Sakkara, the amazing Giza Plateau and the Egyptian Museum. We will spend five days in Luxor exploring magnificent temples and tombs. A deluxe Nile cruise brings us to Edfu’s Temple of Horus and Kom Ombo, perched on a spectacular site overlooking the Nile. This fabulous tour ends in Aswan visiting the Nubian Museum, the temples of Kalabsha and Philae and Abu Simbel.

Lanny Bell received his Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught Egyptology and was curatorial assistant at the University Museum for 12 years. During that time he was also Field Director of the University's Theban Tomb Project in Luxor. In 1977 Professor Bell began to teach at the University of Chicago and became Field Director of the Epigraphic Survey of the Oriental Institute. For the next 12 years he spent nine months a year at Chicago House in Luxor. The activities of the expeditions under his direction have ranged from epigraphy to excavation and conservation. Since his early retirement, Professor Bell has been teaching at Brown and Columbia Universities. An expert on the Luxor area, his publications include articles on divine kingship and temple and society in Ancient Egypt, as well as a ground breaking chapter on Luxor Temple in Temples of Ancient Egypt published by Cornell University Press. Professor Bell has also been a consultant for National Geographic magazine and has appeared in its documentary, "Egypt: Quest for Eternity," as well as A&E's presentation, "Mummies: Tales from the Egyptian Crypts." Professor Bell is a very popular lecturer and has twice been appointed to endowed lectureships of the Archaeological Institute of America. He has led numerous tours to Egypt for Archaeological Tours.

For additional information about the tour, call the Oriental Institute on (773) 834-9777 or email [email protected] . For questions about bookings, call Archaeological Tours at (866) 740-5130 or email [email protected] . To join our e-mail notification list for Oriental Institute Travel Programs, please send your name and e-mail address to [email protected] .

View last year tour photos at our Oriental Institute Facebook page.

Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures The University of Chicago 1155 E 58th St. Chicago, IL 60637

ISAC Museum Hours: Tuesday–Thursday, Saturday–Sunday 10:00am–4:00pm Friday 10:00am–8:00pm The Museum will be closed until 2:00pm on June 1, 2024 Visitor Information

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About the AIA

What exactly is the Archaeological Institute of America —the AIA—and why should you be a part of it?

Founded in 1879 and chartered by Congress in 1906, the AIA is North America’s oldest and largest archaeological organization. It includes among its members professional archaeologists, students, and people from all walks of life, all of whom share a passion for understanding the human past. Today, the AIA has 111 societies throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Portland’s AIA society was chartered in 1997.

To promote new research, the AIA provides  fellowships, scholarships, and grants  to support young scholars, undergraduate fieldwork, promote archaeological publications, and to support excavations. The AIA organizes an Annual Meeting at which the results of the latest research are presented and discussed, and publishes the highly respected American Journal of Archaeology . To reach the public, the AIA produces  ARCHAEOLOGY magazine , and the Archaeology website, www.archaeology.org , with exclusive features and reviews, daily archaeological headlines from around the world, and our Interactive Digs, which actually take you into the field.

The AIA’s other outreach programs include AIA Tours , with in-depth land tours and small-ship cruises to archaeological sites worldwide, all led by experts.  Society Outreach Grants provide AIA local Societies with a means to expand public awareness through archaeology fairs, workshops and other events. The AIA also organizes International Archaeology Day , which now reaches over 100,000 people each October through hundreds of events across the globe.  The AIA has long been a powerful voice against looting and the illicit trade in undocumented antiquities and for the preservation of archaeological sites, monuments, and artifacts; since 2007, the AIA has been awarding Site Preservation Grants , and is currently supporting projects across five continents.

You may join the AIA as a regular member or student member . New memberships are reasonably priced, and include subscription to ARCHAEOLOGY magazine. An AIA membership allows you to apply for all AIA scholarships, fellowships, and grants. It also gives you a powerful networking forum with those in your field.

Become a member today!

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Officers and contact information

President: Thomas Landvatter, Assistant Professor, Classics Department, Reed College ([email protected])

Vice President: Karen Carr, Associate Professor Emerita, Department of History, Portland State University ([email protected])

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Archaeological Institute of America

Milwaukee society.

The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), founded in 1879, is the oldest and largest international archaeological organization. It is a membership organization that provides public outreach, publications and archaeologically oriented activities to scholars, students and enthusiasts who simply want to learn more about the fascinating field that is Archaeology. Over 100 local societies in the U.S., Canada and Europe host lectures and other programs and serve as hubs for archaeological outreach within their communities. I’m proud to say that the Milwaukee Society, founded in 1968, is one of the most active.

Membership Information

If you are not already a member of AIA, please consider joining. Your membership in the international organization brings with it membership in your local society—the Milwaukee Society. Your membership dues help to support the activities of both the international organization and the Milwaukee Society and help us sponsor programs featuring both national and local experts who come to Milwaukee to speak directly to us about their field work and research, or who are available through AIA’s virtual platform to speak to the world—including Milwaukee—about their work. Membership dues also help the AIA support students and scholars in the field, the lab and the library and help the AIA advocate for preservation of sites and cultural heritage.

As a member you also receive benefits. Every member receives a subscription to AIA’s colorful, lively and informative Archaeology magazine and has the option of subscribing to the online or print version of AIA’s premier scholarly journal, The American Journal of Archaeology . Members also receive discounts for the AIA’s Annual Meeting, eligibility to present at the Annual Meeting and to apply for AIA’s scholarships and grants, $100 off your first AIA Tour, and other kinds of travel discounts. K-12 educators, active-duty military and students with appropriate ID receive a generous discount on membership dues. Most of all, you have the satisfaction of belonging to a vibrant archaeological community that is actively promoting knowledge of archaeology within the wider world.

The easiest way to join AIA is through their website: www.archaeological.org/join/ .

There you will find further information about different levels of membership dues and the benefits of membership at each level. And when you do join, please pick the Milwaukee Society (society code 532) as your local affiliation. We look forward to welcoming you as a member!

Jane C. Waldbaum , Membership Coordinator

© 2017 Archaeological Institute of America - Milwaukee Society

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE of AMERICA - Jacksonville Society

The Archaeological Institute of America - Jacksonville Society

The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is the world's oldest and largest archaeological organization. The AIA is a nonprofit founded in 1879 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1906. There are more than 100 local societies, like this Jacksonville Society, in the United States, Canada, and overseas. Members include professional archaeologists, students, and enthusiasts, all united by their passion for archaeology and its role in furthering human knowledge.

The AIA promotes archaeological inquiry and public understanding of the material record of the human past to foster an appreciation of diverse cultures and our shared humanity.

The AIA supports archaeologists, their research and its dissemination, and the ethical practice of archaeology.

The AIA educates people of all ages about the significance of archaeological discovery and advocates for the preservation of the world’s archaeological heritage.

Professional archaeologists who are AIA members, have conducted fieldwork worldwide. The Institute has founded research centers and schools in seven countries and maintains close contact with these institutions. AIA Members are dedicated to the greater understanding of archaeology, the protection and preservation of the world's archaeological resources, and the support of archaeological research and publication.

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SEASONAL LECTURES

Our speaker presentations take place at noon, in Building 51 at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, ( 1 UNF Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32224 ).  Email [email protected] to find out if Zoom is offered for each lecture.  The lectures are free and open to the public. After the lecture,  complimentary refreshments may be served in the Physical Anthropology Lab. On Saturdays, parking is free and the staff/faculty/vendor spaces are open to everyone.

2024 MEETINGS & PRESENTATIONS

Alex diaz, master student, florida state university, crafting bones: an analysis of a worked bone assemblage from a mississippian mound complex in northeast florida.

Bone has been used as a medium for crafting both tools and decorative items since our earliest ancestors; however, this important component of material culture has often been overlooked. The analysis of the worked bone assemblage recovered from the excavations at the Mill Cove Complex has the potential to provide insights into the role of worked bone within a unique ritual context. Diaz worked to create a typology using a multi-analytical approach to highlight the relationships between form and function supported by use-wear and macro fracture analysis to provide insights into the manufacturing, use, and discard of the worked bone artifacts recovered from the site. The data gathered from this study has contributed to a better understanding of the role worked bone played within ritual contexts among the pre-contact communities along Florida’s Northeast coast.

Dr. Tate Paulette from North Carolina State University

When beer flowed like wine: beer and brewing in bronze age mesopotamia.

Dr. Tate Paulette studies urban food systems in the ancient world. A native of North Carolina, he holds an MA and PhD in Near Eastern Archaeology from the University of Chicago and an MA in Archaeology from the University of Edinburgh. His research explores agricultural practices, gastro-politics, and state making in the world’s first cities and states, with a focus on Mesopotamia and the Near East. He also studies ancient alcohol, and he has spearheaded a collaborative effort to recreate Sumerian beer using authentic ingredients, equipment, and brewing techniques.  

Dr. Sarah Freidline, University of Central Florida

Recent advances in human origins research: new insights from northern africa to southeast asia.

Dr. Freidline is a biological anthropologist who specializes in paleoanthropology. Her research focuses on the evolution and development of human craniofacial morphology. She applies state-of-the-art methods to interpret craniofacial growth in fossil species ranging from Homo erectus to H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens with the ultimate goal of better understanding the evolution of the H. sapiens face.  Freidline combines geometric morphometric methods and surface histology to quantify macro and microscopic shape changes. Furthermore, as fossil bones are nearly always damaged, a large part of her work consists of virtual fossil reconstruction.  

Sarah received her Ph.D. in 2012 working jointly at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center and the Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA) in Leipzig, Germany. From 2012 to 2020, she worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the MPI-EVA in the Department of Human Evolution.

Dr. Charles Cobb from the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida

Following the metal wake of spanish expeditions in the southeast.

Charles Cobb has been the Curator of Historical Archaeology at the Florida Museum of Natural History since 2014. He also is Director of the Museum’s Randell Research Center located on Pine Island in southwest Florida. He received his PhD in 1988 from Southern Illinois University and was subsequently a faculty member in anthropology at SUNY-Binghamton and University of South Carolina before his arrival at the University of Florida. Cobb has a long-term interest in the history and archaeology of Indigenous cultures of the southeastern United States, with a particular focus on interactions between Native Americans and European colonials. Since his arrival at Florida, he has been developing an online digital database of Florida Museum artifact collections from St. Augustine and Franciscan mission sites. Meanwhile, his field projects have had two emphases: first, addressing the impacts of Spanish expeditions on Native American societies during the 1500s A.D.; second, investigating the widespread abandonment of Indigenous towns in the mid-South during the 1400s A.D. Since 2015, his fieldwork has been carried out in collaboration with the Chickasaw Nation.

MAKE A DONATION

A donation of any amount helps us with speaker presentations. Just click the secure “DONATE” button below to use your credit card or PayPal account.

All of us enjoy the speakers and presentations that showcase the fascinating scope of archaeology in these exciting times of discovery and technological change. Your gift assists with expenses incurred by the visiting scholars and archaeologists at our events. Thank you for your consideration and support! 

AIA MEMBERSHIP

Join the Archaeological Institute of America, the world’s largest and oldest archaeological organization today, and be connected with thousands of other members who share your passion for archaeology!

Connect with thousands of members who share your passion for archaeology.

Participate in local events through an AIA Local Society.

Receive exclusive MEMBER BENEFITS .

Members like you support excavation, preservation, outreach, education, advocacy, and the professional activities of the AIA.

RECENT ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS

ISTANBUL, TURKEY—According to a statement released by  Koç University , a team of researchers led by Adrià Breu Barcons and Rana Özbal of Koç University analyzed pottery recovered from Neolithic sites in the Mediterranean region. “We had some samples with some residues we didn’t really understand,” Barcons said. “We thought maybe they were coming from cooking techniques that thermally alter fat,” she explained. To test this hypothesis, the researchers mixed organic ingredients like olive oil and olive leaves with pottery samples and heated them at different temperatures for various durations. In doing so, they were able to recreate the mysterious residues and record them as two new biomarkers. “These compounds are not normally found in nature and can only be created in high temperature, which means they can be used to prove whether ancient pottery had been in contact with the fire,” Barcons concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in  Journal of Archaeological Science . To read about an innovative method for directly dating animal fat residues on ancient pottery, go to " Carbon Dating Pottery ," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2020.

Prehistoric Campsite Discovered in New Mexico

ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO— KTSM  reports that an 8,200-year-old campsite has been discovered on Holloman Air Force Base in southern New Mexico. The site, known as Gomolak Overlook, has been protected by windblown silt and the formation of sand dunes, said 49th CES cultural resource manager Matthew Cuba. “This site marks a pivotal moment in shedding light on the area’s history and its early inhabitants,” he added. In all, some 400 archaeological sites are known in the region. “The Department of Defense’s stewardship of vast tracts of land, including areas between White Sands National Park and Holloman, inadvertently protects numerous documented and undocumented archaeological resources,” explained Scott Dorton, 49th CES environmental chief. To read about fossilized footprints uncovered in the New Mexico desert, go to " Ghost Tracks of White Sands ."

READ MORE RECENT ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS

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HYBRID - Crouching Tigers, Hidden Elephants

April 13, 2024 @ 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm mdt.

Sponsored by: Archaeological Institute of America

AIA Society: Denver

Lecturer: noel tan, abstract: crouching tigers, hidden elephants.

While a global phenomenon, rock art has been a relatively recent subject of study in Southeast Asia with the number of known sites growing from a handful in the 1960s to over a thousand today. Research accelerated in the last 20 years with better recording and analytical techniques as evidenced by the increased number of papers on Southeast Asian rock art in international conferences and journals since the 2000s. The majority of sites are located from Indonesia and Thailand, where sustained episodes of research have been conducted. New dates from Indonesia challenge long-standing ideas about the ‘origin’ of art while other discoveries shed light on the movements and activities of peoples across this diverse landscape. This lecture presents a survey of rock art across Southeast Asia from the deep past to more modern times and shows how rock art can help us better understand the archaeology of Southeast Asia.

Short bibliography and/or website on lecture topic:

https://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/rock-art-of-southeast-asia/

(includes a bibliography and overview)

Noel Hidalgo Tan is the Senior Specialist in Archaeology at the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts in Bangkok, where he works to promote the archaeology of Southeast Asia by building capacity among regional archaeologists, finding ways to engage the public about archaeological and cultural heritage, and conducting archaeological research. His main research interest is in the rock art of Southeast Asia, where he spent his postgraduate work documenting sites in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. His recent projects include rock art documentation in western Laos and southern Thailand; the protection of regional underwater cultural heritage; archaeology, tourism and the protection of Southeast Asian cultural heritage sites; and developing future capacity in regional archaeology education in Southeast Asia. He is the managing editor of the SPAFA Journal (www.spafajournal.org) and runs an online resource website on Southeast Asian Archaeology (www.SoutheastAsianArchaeology.com) 

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