Quick Links:  Hotels  •  Registration  •  Purchases  •  Student Workshop  •  Field Trips  •  Reception  •  Banquet  •  Behavioral Expectations  •  Abstract Submissions  •  Student Competition  •  Schedule of Events

2023 MAC annual meeting logo

Online Registration closes on October 5th.

If you miss this date, you can still register in person at the meeting. 

Bowling Green, Kentucky (October 12–14, 2023)

Western Kentucky University 
Eva and Jim Martens Alumni Center
292 Alumni Ave, Bowling Green, KY
270.904.0480

 

Meeting Organizers and Contact Information

David Pollack  David.Pollack@wku.edu

A. Gwynn Henderson Gwynn.Henderson@wku.edu

Darlene Applegate Darlene.Applegate@wku.edu

Jay Stottman Jay.Stottman@wku.edu

 

Conference Theme

This year's theme for the conference will be Engaging With Communities. Archaeologists engage with a host of communities – descendants, landowners, the public - in both formal and informal contexts. This engagement enhances our research and makes a difference in the lives of the people with whom we work. Papers and posters addressing the many ways we engage with communities are particularly welcomed. 

 

Want to help sponsor the meeting?

You can help support the annual meeting or MAC, Inc. overall here (https://www.midwestarchaeology.org/support).

 

Hotel and Parking

Hotels

Conference Hotel is:

Hyatt Place Bowling Green
1347 Center St, Bowling Green, KY 42101
270.467.0001
Rate is $109/night -Single or Double. Block rate closes September 25th.
https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/kentucky/hyatt-place-bowling-green/bnazg?corp_id=G-WKAR

 

Also have a small block of rooms at the Staybridge:

Staybridge Suites Bowling Green, an IHG Hotel
680 Campbell Ln, Bowling Green, KY, 42101
270.904.0480
Rate is $109/night for a Single and $129/night for a Double
https://www.staybridge.com/redirect?path=asearch&brandCode=SB&localeCode=en&regionCode=1&hotelCode=BWGSB&checkInDate=11&checkInMonthYear=092023&checkOutDate=15&checkOutMonthYear=092023&rateCode=6CBARC&_PMID=99801505&GPC=ARC&cn=no&viewfullsite=true

 

Parking and Directions

Parking is available adjacent to the Hyatt Place.  For those you are staying at the Hyatt Place, parking is free.  For others it is $2/hour or $10/day. We are working with the hotel to validate the parking for those not staying at the hotel.

From I-65: Exit 22, toward Bowling Green (0.3 mi), Turn slight left onto US-231 N/ Scottsville Rd. Continue to follow Scottsville Rd (1.6 mi), Stay straight to go onto US-231 Bus N/Scottsville Rd. Continue to follow US-231 Bus N (2 mi), Stay straight to go onto Broadway Ave (0.3 mi), Broadway Ave becomes E 12th Ave (0.2 mi), Turn left onto Chestnut St (0.1 mi), Take the 1st right onto E 13th Ave (0.3 mi), Turn left onto Center St (0.09 mi), Hyatt Place hotel and Alumni Center will be on the right.

 

Registration Steps and Options

Regular registration must occur prior to submission of abstracts. Regular registration rates are in effect until September 18th and should be purchased online through the MAC website. Late registration rates start on September 19th and after October 4th all registration must be done in person at the meeting with on-site rates. 

A digital version of the meeting program with abstracts will be available as a pdf file on the website and on a downloadable app.  One paper copy of the meeting program is included with the registration fee when purchased online. No extra paper copies of abstracts will be available at the meeting.  

Registration fees include meeting workshops (some with lunch), coffee breaks, reception appetizers (cash bar), and the banquet.

Registration Steps

  1. Look through and decide which registration option from the list below is most appropriate for you.

  2. Make sure you are logged into your MAC user account (or create a new account if you don't have one yet) and visit your My Account page.

  3. On your My Account page:

    • Scroll down to the MAC Annual Meeting banner and click on the Start Your Registartion button to complete the MAC Presidential Task Force anti-harassment policy certification (see Behavioral Expectations section below). 

    • Return to your My Account page to purchase your registration. Make sure to submit your meeting preferences before you Add to Cart.

    • Submit abstracts to symposia and presentations (for MAC members only) from your My Account page after your registration purchase has been completed.

    • Double check or edit your "My Meeting Preferences" for receptions and workshops.

Registration Type Online Early
Price*		 Online Late
Price*		 On-site
Price*
Regular MAC Member** $130 $150 $150
Retiree MAC Member** $95 $110 $110
Student MAC Member** $60 $75 $75
Non-MAC Member $160 $175 $175
Student non-MAC Member $85 $100 $100
Attendee Guest (does not include banquet) n/a n/a $45
Single Day (does not include banquet) n/a n/a $60
Single Day for Students only (does not include banquet) n/a n/a $20

* Early price registration is available to purchase online through the MAC website through September 18th, 2023. Online late price registrations will take place between September 19th and October 4th. After October 4th, registrations and other purchases will be on-site only.

**Current members of MAC are eligible to make presentations (paper, poster) at the Annual Meeting. If you are not a current MAC member but wish to make a presentation, you must first become a member of MAC, Inc.

 

Other Purchases Online
Price		 On-site
Price
Ticket for Banquet* n/a $30
Vendor Table $30/table n/a

* The Banquet (Friday night) is included in meeting registration price except for Attendee Guests and Single Day registrants. To participate, the banquet ticket must be paid for separately for these categories.

 

Reception at the Kentucky Museum

Thursday October 12, from 5 to 7 pm. 

Cash bar and munchies will be offered. The First Farmers of the Barren River Region exhibit will be highlighted, and KAS staff will be on hand to answer questions about the work we did at the nearby Holt site, which is the focus of the exhibit.

Please indicate whether you plan to attend the reception while you are setting your My Meeting Preferences. This is not required for attendance, but helps the organizers make sure there will be enough appetizers. 

See Recommended Exhibits Summary for information about the exhibits to visit while at the museum. 

 

Student Workshop/Roundtable

"You're an Archaeologist. Now What? Specialization in Archaeology"

The field of archaeology is full of specializations. Through training and experience, archaeologists become experts in different subdisciplines. In this interactive discussion-based workshop, participants will have the opportunity to engage in conversation with experts and learn what it takes to become a specialist in various areas, such as environmental archaeology, curation, human skeletal analysis, and cultural resource management.

Friday, October 13 11 am - 1 pm

Format: Rotating roundtable luncheon with a facilitated discussion at the end. Lunch will be provided for student participants who register in advance. Lunch is free for the first 40 registrants.

Register for the roundtable in the My Meeting Preferences form. 

 

Public Archaeology Session

Elizabeth Reetz, Jay Stottman, and Gwynn Henderson are planning a KAS-sponsored forum that will consider public education in archaeology in the 21st century. We are hoping that it will be scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, Oct 13. We plan to have five panelists and a moderator.  The forum will last 2 hours (including 20 min of Q&A), after which we will adjourn to continue talking at the adjacent Mexican restaurant or the bar spot in the conference hotel.

 

Planned Field Trips 

South Union Shaker Village

896 Shaker Museum Road, Auburn, KY 42206

Between 1807 and 1922, a communal religious sect called the Shakers occupied this 6,000-acre farm not far west of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Within the confines of this vast plantation, the group constructed a village that boasted over two hundred buildings, including massive dormitories, subsidiary shops and outbuildings, barns and stables, and a mill complex that was unequaled in the region. The site maintains and interprets nine original Shaker structures on nearly 500 acres of farmland.

 

Saturday afternoon, October 14, 2023

*Participants are responsible for their own transportation.
Discounted entrance fee payable to South Union Shaker Village the day of the tour. https://www.southunionshakervillage.com/

[Please sign up ahead of time in your My Meeting Preferences so we know how many people to expect]

 

Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave, KY 42259

Rolling hills, deep river valleys, and the world's longest known cave system. Mammoth Cave National Park is home to thousands of years of human history and a rich diversity of plant and animal life, earning it the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.

Throughout the modern history of Mammoth Cave, discoveries of some of the earliest ancient Indigenous people have been found throughout the cave. These early cave explorers left cane reed torches, mussel shells, gourd bowls, and woven sandals in the cave, mined minerals from cave walls, and left cave art.

Tours have limited capacity, all tours are $6 each - Participant are encouraged to sign up when they register to ensure your spot. 

 

Saturday afternoon, October 14, 2023

Lantern Tour hike w/ Gothic addition, 12:30pm-6:30pm - max. 20 participants, - A 3.5-mile hiking tour that covers the broad history of precontact and early historic exploration of Mammoth Cave. (moderate level hike)  THIS IS FULL

Historic Entrance to Olives Bower hike, 12:30pm - 2:15pm - max. 20 participants, - A 1.5-mile hiking tour to the popular Rotunda and saltpeter mining works and the historic Mushroom Beds and Olives Bower formation.  (moderate level hike)

Historic Tour route / w Pensicola Ave. addition, 12:00pm - 4:30pm - max. 15 participants, - A 2-mile hiking tour that introduces Mammoth Cave history through a toured route that many experience today, with a side trip into Pensicola Avenue to learn about African American history and historical uses beyond mining and tours.  (moderate level hike)

McCoy Hollow and MACA-44 Surface Hike, 12:00pm - 4:00pm - max. 12 participants, - A 5-mile trail hike that takes participants across the park's surface landscape in the rugged northwest quadrant, with off-trail overland hiking to rockshelters in the area.  (strenuous level hike)

 

Sunday, October 15, 2023 (If interest, a tour of Salt’s Cave is planned)

Salts Cave caving trip, 9:00am - 3:00pm - max. 10 participants, - A 3-mile caving trip into Salts Cave, to learn about precontact lifeways and uses of the cave environment. (strenuous level caving experience) 

*Participants are responsible for their own transportation. 
https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm

 

Banquet

The banquet and a cash bar will be on Friday night. An abbreviated MAC, Inc. business meeting will take place toward the end of the dinner.  We will close the evening with a local bluegrass/regional music live band. The Bowling Green region is famous for its own particular brand of bluegrass and a certain kind of tuning/strumming.

Tickets to the buffet banquet are already included with all full 3-day registrations. That's right! When you register for the full annual meeting, you get a FREE banquet dinner plus entertainment! Please indicate diet restrictions and your intention to attend the banquet on My Meeting Preferences. 

Those attending with one-day registration can add the banquet separately ($30) while on site.  

 

Behavioral Expectations

To help prevent incidents of harassment in any form at our annual meetings, the MAC anti-harassment Presidential Task Force has established a policy requiring all annual meeting registrants to certify that they are not currently cited or censured under Title IX, by the Register of Professional Archaeologists, or by any other adjudicating body, or subject to a current restraining or no-contact order issued by a judicial authority. Registration for the annual meeting will not be possible without this certification step being completed. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact the MAC President.

 

Abstract Submissions

Papers on all topics of interest to midwestern archaeologists, precontact to historic, are welcome. This year, the conference theme is Engaging With Communities. Archaeologists engage with a host of communities – descendants, landowners, the public - in both formal and informal contexts. This engagement enhances our research and makes a difference in the lives of the people with whom we work. Papers and posters addressing the many ways we engage with communities are particularly welcomed. 

Papers will generally be 15 minutes in length, but symposia organizers may propose other formats. Abstracts should be no more than 150 words. Symposium organizers will submit an abstract for each symposium online through the MAC website. Symposium submissions must include the symposium title, symposium abstract, and a list of all symposium presentations by contributor(s). Symposium organizers create a unique key code and provide it to presenters – presenters then use this code in their individual submissions.

After you have registered for the meeting, MAC members can start their submission from your My Account page.

Paper and Poster Abstract Submissions:

*Special note on the use of images of human remains: The MAC recognizes that images of human remains have the potential to be offensive and unsettling to some members of our community and those communities with whom we work. MAC policy encourages presenters NOT to use photographs of human remains but that if essential, line drawings are preferred. We ask that presenters please indicate on their abstract submission that your presentation will include any such images of human remains. We will mark these with an asterisk in the program and on the conference app. We also request that presenters disclose at the beginning of their presentations if such images are included. These measures are intended to create a more respectful environment for all.

Submission deadline extended to 11:59 pm (EDT), Monday, September 18, 2023.

All paper and poster presentation submissions will be done online through the MAC website.

  • Each individual submission must include the following: Title, Author(s) (with institutions), and Abstract Text. Each presenter may submit multiple presentations; there is no limit to the number of co-authorships. *If a presenter has conflicting presentations (scheduled at the same time), it is their responsibility to find someone to read their papers.
  • Abstracts are limited to 150 words in length.
  • If your presentation is part of a symposium, you must also include the symposium Key Code provided by the symposium's organizer.
  • Poster dimensions should not exceed 3 feet (36 inches) wide by 4 feet (48 inches tall).

Symposium Abstract Submissions:

Submission deadline has been extended to 11:59 pm (EDT), Monday, September 18, 2023.

Symposium organizers will submit an abstract for each symposium online through the MAC website.

  • Each submission must include the following: Symposium Title, Symposium Abstract Text, and List of all Symposium Presentations with Author(s). 
  • Symposium organizers must create a unique Key Code and provide it to their presenters.
  • Abstracts are limited to 150 words in length.

Visit your My Account page now to start your submission.

 

Student Paper Competition

The Midwestern Archaeological Conference Student paper competition was created to promote scholarly excellence among students conducting archaeological research in the midwestern U.S.  The MAC student paper competition was created to promote scholarly excellence among students conducting archaeological research in the Midwestern U.S.  Awards will be decided by the MAC student paper committee based on intellectual merit and methodological execution.

  • The graduate winner receives a cash prize of $150 plus books solicited by the conference organizer from willing vendors.   
  • The undergraduate winner receives a cash prize of $150 plus books solicited by the conference organizer from willing vendors.  In addition, the undergraduate faculty advisor receives a free MAC membership for one year (only one advisor can be designated per student).

Eligibility:

Anyone currently enrolled in a degree granting institution may apply. Papers must be single authored and be submitted by the competition deadline.

How to Apply:

Email your paper as a pdf or word document to the chair of the MAC Student Paper Competition Review, Katherine Sterner (ksterner@towson.edu), with the subject heading: MAC Student Paper Competition by 11:59 PM EDT on Friday, September 29, 2023.  The paper presented at the conference must have the same content as the manuscript submitted to the competition review committee.  The submitted manuscript must be no more than 10 double spaced pages of text with 12 pt. font.  Accompanying figures, tables, and references cited must be placed on separate pages at the end of the paper and will not count toward the 10 page limit. Papers over 10 pages in length will not be read or otherwise included in the competition.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE:  Friday, September 29th

All submitted manuscripts must include a cover letter with the paper title, abstract, the student’s name, and the degree-granting program and their current status in that program. Undergraduates wishing to designate an advisor must also include the name and affiliation of the advisor. 

The winners of the Competition will be announced at the Annual Business Meeting of the Midwest Archaeological Conference. The winner(s) will receive their prize(s) the following day. The Committee reserves the prerogative to defer the Competition and award in the event of a shortage of entries.

 

Preliminary Schedule of Events

Additional details will be posted when available

Thursday, October 12th

Afternoon:

Symposia, Contributed Papers, and Posters

Evening: 
Reception at Kentucky Museum (6-8 pm)

Friday, October 13th

Morning and afternoon: 
Symposia, Contributed Papers, and Posters

Evening
Banquet - TBD

Saturday, October 14th

Morning:
Symposia, Contributed Papers, and Posters

Afternoon:
Field Trips