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The Archaeological Conservancy

The Archaeological Conservancy

@thearchcons.org

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Preserving the past...for the future! We're the only National nonprofit dedicated to acquiring & preserving the most significant US archaeological sites, almost 600 sites in the past 40+ years. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thearchcons

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The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 2h

SITE SPOTLIGHT—Fall is in full swing at the Siemer Archaeological Preserve, 301 acres acquired in 2015. Siemer is in California containing pit depressions and middens—an Achomawi winter village inhabited within the last 1,500 years. The reservoir and domestic trash dumps date to the 20th century.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 5h

ONLINE—Nov 4 (Tue): Archaeology Southwest Café, “Following Their Footsteps: Indigenous Geography and the Anza Expedition.” Free; in-person in Tucson, Arizona, or Zoom.

Read more: buff.ly/em5fe7s

#Archaeology #Southwest #PublicTalk

Archaeology Café 2025-2026 - Archaeology Southwest

The 18th season of Archaeology Cafe is all about trails and foot travel in the US Southwest.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 6h

MAINE & NOVA SCOTIA—Coastal sites under threat: New OA paper models sea-level rise + erosion to guide triage for endangered sites.

Read more: bit.ly/3Lg3m2b

#CoastalArchaeology #ClimateHeritage #Maine #NovaScotia

Characterizing the Erosion of Coastal Archaeological Sites on the Maritime Peninsula Using Survey, Collection Analysis, Excavation, and Modeling | American Antiquity | Cambridge Core

Characterizing the Erosion of Coastal Archaeological Sites on the Maritime Peninsula Using Survey, Collection Analysis, Excavation, and Modeling

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 22h

TEOTIHUACÁN, MEXICO—New reporting in the New York Times spotlights research arguing that Teotihuacan’s murals record a true writing system—likely encoding an early Uto-Aztecan language, ancestral to Nahuatl.

Read more: buff.ly/g7uwmFY

#Teotihuacan #Mesoamerica #Epigraphy #UtoAztecan #Nahuatl

New Crack at an Ancient Puzzle Reignites Debate for Archaeologists

It is clear that the sprawling city of Teotihuacan near Mexico City was a major metropolis of the ancient world, but what do all those glyphs mean?

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 22h

CHESAPEAKE (VA/MD)—Community archaeology of segregated Catholic cemeteries: Open-access study blends geophysics, history, and engagement to document overlooked burial grounds.

Read more: buff.ly/IQUhxJR

#PublicArchaeology #Cemeteries #CommunityHistory

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 1d

LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA—Millersville University archaeologists and students are excavating the c.1725 Galbraith Ordinary—likely the county’s oldest tavern—north of Marietta, uncovering thousands of artifacts that illuminate colonial tavern life.

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Archaeologists unearth Lancaster County's oldest tavern, buried for centuries beneath pasture

Archaeologists recently uncovered the likely remains of Lancaster County's oldest colonial tavern from 1725, revealing thousands of artifacts that offer historically significant insights.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 1d

MONTANA — Montana’s Chinese past isn’t past. Descendants, historians, and community partners are documenting mining camps, laundries, and temples—and pushing back on erasure with new research and interpretation across the state.

Read more: buff.ly/Vh7Fpyh

#Archaeology #ChineseAmericanHistory

Montana’s Chinese past isn’t past - High Country News

A forgotten Chinese cemetery reveals how Missoula buries its past — and why the present is so familiar.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 1d

SITE SPOTLIGHT—The Fast Archaeological Preserve is a 160-acre preserve in northern California donated in 2012. It is 10 sites comprised of rock rings, house depressions, rock stacks, groundstone, projectile points, cores, flakes, midden deposits, petroglyph panels, and a historic road.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 1d

GREAT BARDFIELD, ESSEX (UK)—Archaeologists with Operation Nightingale, DPAA, and Cotswold Archaeology are excavating the 1944 crash site of 2nd Lt. Lester Lowry’s P-47 “Lucky Boy,” recovering thousands of aircraft parts and personal items as they work to bring him home.

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23-Year-Old Pilot Crashed During WWII Training Exercise. He's Remained Missing in Action for Over 80 Years

U.K. archaeologists with Cotswold Archaeology have found over 5,000 artifacts from the fatal crash that killed WWII Pennysylanian Air Force pilot, Lester L. Lowry, on January 26, 1944.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 2d

ONLINE — Dec. 4: SAA seminar, “Crafting Data-Driven Publications in Archaeology.” Learn practical workflows for reproducible analysis, effective data viz, and clearer reporting to strengthen articles and reports. Registration is required.

Read more: buff.ly/thThC8B

Crafting Data-Driven Publications in Archaeology [Foundational Skills]

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 2d

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA—Colonial Williamsburg will host its 28th annual Working Wood in the 18th Century conference, Jan. 22–25, 2026. The theme—United We Sit: Exploring Early American Chairs—features demos, keynotes, and shop talks with master makers and scholars.

Register: buff.ly/yp3Zt11

Working Wood In The 18th Century

The revolution is here. The story of our nation begins in Williamsburg.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 2d

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA—UCSB plans accelerated steps to return Native American ancestors and cultural items, including creating a dedicated Repatriation Office (2024), summarizing 800+ collections (≈135,000 items), and increasing rate of repatriation.

UCSB outlines progress and goals for Native American repatriation

The campus established a dedicated Repatriation Office in 2024 to oversee compliance with federal and state laws and to coordinate closely with Native Nations. The office is charged with summarizing…

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 3d

Looking for your next archaeology read? Explore American Archaeology’s searchable database of book reviews—filter by title, author, or topic to find trusted picks from our editorial archive.

Read more: buff.ly/8KIj4e3

#AmericanArchaeology #ArchaeologyBooks #ReadingList #ArchaeologicalConservancy

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 3d

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA—A 1,900-year-old Roman tombstone—once missing from a museum in Civitavecchia, Italy—ended up in a New Orleans backyard and is now being repatriated with help from scholars and the FBI Art Crime Team.

Popular Mechanics feature: buff.ly/zDLYbLS
AP:

A long-lost ancient Roman artifact reappears in a New Orleans backyard

A family cleaning their backyard in New Orleans discovered an unusual marble tablet with some characters in Latin.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 3d

Purdue University and the Archaeological Legacy Institute have postponed their planned expedition to investigate the “Taraia Object,” believed by some to be Earhart’s Lockheed 10-E Electra.

Read more: buff.ly/7m3tSs0

Project site:

Home - PRF | Archaeological Legacy Institute

Led by Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue is partnering with the Archaeological Legacy Institute for a remarkable joint effort to locate Amelia Earhart’s lost aircraft and help complete the heroic…

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 4d

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C.—USC archaeologists recapped four decades of fieldwork and remote sensing at the 16th-century Spanish town of Santa Elena (a National Historic Landmark). A massive artifact collection is being curated for long-term access in the state repository.

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Parris Island archaeological project spans 40 years

USC professor Chester DePratter has been sorting through archaeological evidence gathered over nearly four decades of investigation at the 16th century Spanish settlement of Santa Elena on…

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 4d

OTTAWA, CANADA—The Vatican Museums will transfer several dozen Indigenous belongings—including an Inuvialuit kayak and ceremonial items—back to communities in Canada via a church-to-church process.
Read more: buff.ly/UIuejRk
CBC coverage: buff.ly/7wbXCfS

Vatican will return dozens of artifacts to Indigenous groups in Canada as gesture of reconciliation

The Vatican is expected to soon announce that it will return a few dozen artifacts sought by Indigenous communities in Canada.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 4d

New high-precision tree-ring radiocarbon dating and strontium isotope analysis pin the felling of Cahokia’s massive “Mitchell Log” marker post to A.D. 1124, right at the city’s peak—and indicate the 11,000-lb bald cypress was transported ~100+ miles

More: buff.ly/foEEobH
PLOS ONE: buff.ly/YuchERa

News - Wooden Marker Post from Cahokia Analyzed - Archaeology Magazine

TUCSON, ARIZONA—A new analysis of the Mitchell Log, the largest marker post recovered from Cahokia, […]

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 5d

ONLINE—Oct. 30: Through a Zuni Lens: Museum Collections & Collaborative Filmmaking. Watch a 15-min film and join a conversation with Zuni leader Octavius Seowtewa and anthropologist Carrie Heitman on ancestral belongings at the Smithsonian. Free; registration recommended.

Read more: buff.ly/qQXsjjN

Through a Zuni Lens: Museum Collections and Collaborative Filmmaking - Crow Canyon Archaeological Center

Carrie Heitman and her team, working in collaboration with Octavius Seowtewa and other Zuni leaders, have spent the last three years making two short documentary films about archaeological and…

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 5d

EPPS, LOUISIANA—New research from Washington University in St. Louis reframes Poverty Point as a periodic gathering place built by egalitarian hunter-gatherers, not a top-down chiefdom.

Read more: buff.ly/HZb5WdF

Why did ancient people build Poverty Point?

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis suggest new explanations for iconic prehistoric sites at Poverty Point in Louisiana.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 5d

TULSA, OK: Archaeologists provided an update on Oaklawn Cemetery investigations into burials linked to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre—sharing progress, next steps for reporting. For the deeper story behind the work, see our feature in the current issue of American Archaeology
buff.ly/UpXyx7B

Archaeologists give update on Tulsa Race Massacre Oaklawn Cemetery excavations

Archaeologists gave an update on the investigation into victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre at Oaklawn Cemetery on Monday.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 5d

CAMBRIDGE, MASS.—Free hybrid lecture tonight, Oct. 29, 6–7 p.m. ET: “Death and Burial in Colonial Cambridge.” Learn how researchers use photography, digital mapping, and GPR to interpret colonial burials and New England’s slavery history. In person or online.

Read more: buff.ly/bAeIBi1

Death and Burial in Colonial Cambridge – Harvard Museums of Science & Culture

Location: Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA

hmsc.harvard.edu

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 5d

TORONTO, ONTARIO—Officials and archaeological experts report evidence of at least five ancestors at the Withrow Avenue site. Indigenous groups are monitoring next steps, and consultations continue.

Read more: buff.ly/Yp97PaB

#Archaeology #CulturalHeritage #Ontario

Officials say ancient remains of 5 people found so far as lengthy investigation continues at Toronto site

City of Toronto officials and archeological experts say they're waiting for a provincial go-ahead to start an intricate excavation on Withrow Avenue.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 6d

OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN—Road work along Pratt Trail (Menominee Park) exposed pottery and features from a Native village (Woodland to Oneota). The city paused construction, brought in CRM specialists, and shared findings with the public.

Read more: buff.ly/RgDKIUm
News release: buff.ly/gLWoq1g

Ancient artifacts unearthed during Oshkosh Pratt Trail project will be focus of Sept. 24 event

Construction crews in Oshkosh uncovered artifacts from 500 B.C., prompting a full-scale archaeological dig.

The Archaeological Conservancy @thearchcons.org · 6d

TEHUACÁN VALLEY, PUEBLA — A newly documented 205-ft scorpion-shaped effigy mound may align with the summer/winter solstices, hinting at community sky-watching tied to farming rituals (A.D. 600–1100).

Read more: buff.ly/vzOARMi
Journal article: bit.ly/4othFPk

#Archaeology #Mesoamerica

200-foot scorpion effigy mound in Mexico may align with the solstices

A 205-foot-long, scorpion-shaped mound in Mexico likely helped Mesoamericans mark the summer and winter solstices, a new study finds.