MAC Membership Renewal for 2020 is now Open! (Start Here)

☛ Editor Position Announcement for the Midwest Archaeological Perspectives 

☛ The latest volume of the journal Indiana Archaeology is now available from the Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA)

☛ First Notice for The Mississippian Conference at Cahokia Mounds on July 8, 2020

☛ In Memorial: James Stoltman

☛ 2019 Indiana Archaeology Month Commemorative Poster and Shirt

☛ MAC member Lynn Goldstein will be this year's recipient of the SAA Lifetime Achievement Award!

☛ Announcing the 2019 MAC University of Notre Dame Press Dissertation Competition and Prize (PDF Flyer)

☛ Raise a glass to G. William "Bill" Monaghan

☛ Visit the Poster Gallery: Women at Work: Acknowledging Women's Legacy in Archaeology

☛ Announcing the MAC Dissertation Competition and Prize

☛ Introducing a new book series Midwest Archaeological Perspectives

Editor Position Announcement for the Midwest Archaeological Conference, Inc. and University of Notre Dame Press Midwest Archaeological Perspectives Monograph Series, MAC, Inc. and UND Press Dissertation Prize

The MAC, Inc. Executive Board and UND Press are now soliciting applications for Editor of the Midwest Archaeological Perspectives (MAP) monograph series, a partnership between the Midwest Archaeological Conference, Inc. and the University of Notre Dame Press.  We seek an experienced editor to continue growth and cultivation of the series, which will begin its fourth year with the onset of the new Editor’s tenure.   We anticipate the successful candidate will begin their term as Editor by October 2020 to ensure a seamless transition. The series editor for the MAC, Inc. and UND Press book series performs duties completely independent of the Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology editorship. This is an unpaid position, although the Editor shall receive copies of MAP series books and, as appropriate, a stipend from UND Press for review work.  The Editor position carries an expected term of three years, potentially renewable by negotiation. 

Details about the series and Dissertation Prize can be found on this page: https://www.midwestarchaeology.org/midwest-archaeological-perspectives

The Editor is responsible for oversight and management of all aspects of the MAP monograph series and selection of dissertation prize recipients.  These activities are accomplished through close interaction with an Editorial Board composed of respected professionals in the archaeology of the Midcontinent, as well as regular consultation and interaction with the UND Press Editor.  The Editor, in consultation with the Editorial Board, manages identification and selection of dissertations and other manuscripts for review, provides oversight and direction for the systematic review and balanced selection of manuscripts for publication, dissertations for the dissertation prize, and is otherwise responsible for efficient and timely work flow.  Further, the Editor has responsibility for Editorial Board member selection and replacement, augmentation of the Editorial Board as appropriate, and the capture of external expertise as may be necessary for the conduct of reviews.  The Editor attends the MAC, Inc. Annual Meeting in October, reports to the MAC, Inc. Executive Board at its annual meeting, and with the UND Press Editor participates in the Awards Ceremony where the Dissertation Prize is conferred.   The Editor is the primary communications conduit for the MAP series.  Editorial work load is variable dependent upon the number of manuscripts and dissertations in various aspects of review, as well as the scheduling of decisions based on review results. 

Letters of interest should be addressed to MAC, Inc. President John Doershuk (john-doershuk@uiowa.edu).  Submissions should indicate prior editorial experience, a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with multiple boards, and other activities pertinent to the position.  Please submit application materials by Jan. 31, 2020

The latest volume of the journal Indiana Archaeology is now available from the Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA) 

Volume 14, Number 1 includes articles about archaeology at:

  • Anderson Mounds
  • Fort Ouiatenon
  • Indiana’s first penitentiary site
  • and in Benton County

Per state statute (Indiana Code 14-21-1-12), one of the duties of the DHPA is to develop a program of archaeological research and development, including the publication of information regarding archaeological resources in the state. This journal is one of the ways that their office continues to address that mandate, and they hope you enjoy reading the interesting articles

First Notice for The Mississippian Conference at Cahokia Mounds on July 8, 2020

This is the first notice for The Mississippian Conference, which returns to Cahokia Mounds this summer and is scheduled for Saturday, July 18. As usual, we hope to have 16  20-minute presentations on current Mississippian research in the Midwest/Southeast. More notices will go out in future months as reminders. Submitters should include their name and how they wish to be listed; title of the presentation; and a short abstract. These should be sent to Lori Belknap (the new site superintendent) Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, 30 Ramey Street, Collinsville, IL 62234, or emailed to her at lori.belknap@illinois.gov.

In Memorial: James Stoltman

In sad news, Dr. Jim Stoltman, retired from UW-Madison, died September 11, 2019. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. 

2019 Indiana Archaeology Month Commemorative Poster and Shirt

The Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (DHPA) is pleased to present the commemorative poster and shirt for Indiana Archaeology Month 2019. 

2019 Indiana archaeology month poster

Poster

This year’s poster highlights Evansville and the fact that it is a persistent place. The Angel Mounds site (12Vg1) was a thriving Native American community a thousand years ago. Today the Evansville area, including Angel Mounds, continues to be an important locale in southwestern Indiana. Long-term occupation of a place is based upon a number of factors and leads to lasting imprints on the landscape.

To obtain a poster, you may either visit the DHPA (at 402 W. Washington Street, Room W274, Indianapolis), pick up a poster at an Indiana Archaeology Month event where the DHPA archaeology staff will be participating, or contact the office at 317-232-6982 for individual posters.
2019 Indiana archaeology month tshirt

Shirt

The design includes the pottery sherd from the Angel site and two historic artifacts recovered from another site in Evansville. The white short-sleeve shirts are 100% cotton and cost $10 each. Quantities are limited. Sizes are small to 2XL. Shirts may be purchased in the DNR Customer Service Center in the Indiana Government Center South, Room W160A, Indianapolis. For mail orders, call 317 232-4200 or 877-463-6367. Each purchase will also include a commemorative poster. DHPA staff will also have the shirts available for purchase at the events they attend during the month.

Check out the Archaeology Month events at calendar.dnr.IN.gov.

SAA Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Lynne G. Goldstein

For her pivotal theoretical and empirical contributions to our field, in the areas of mortuary archaeology, Midwestern prehistory, historical archaeology, archaeological ethics and repatriation, and public engagement, as well as professional and institutional leadership.

View this listing on the SAA website

Announcing the Midwest Archaeological Conference, Inc.
University of Notre Dame Press
2019 Dissertation Competition and Prize

The Midwest Archaeological Conference, Inc. (MAC, Inc.), in cooperation with the University of Notre Dame (UND) Press, announces the 2019 dissertation competition, with the prize being a $500 cash award and the offer of a contract to publish a modified version of the dissertation as a book through UND Press. 

Selection of the winning dissertation will be made by recommendation of the Editor and Editorial Board of the Midwest Archaeological Perspectives book series, a joint MAC, Inc. and UND Press enterprise. Eligible dissertations must have been completed and dated in the three calendar years prior to the year of the award. This is a three year rolling window of eligibility. The first Dissertation Prize was conferred at the MAC, Inc. Annual Business Meeting in 2018. For the 2019 award we will consider a selection of high quality dissertations completed during 2016, 2017 and 2018 (to the degree possible, 2019). Recognizing that all dissertations, even those of high quality, may not be on topics appropriate for conversion to a book for broader distribution to an educated lay audience, review of eligible dissertations will be undertaken based on receipt of judicious and considered recommendations and referrals by members of the Midcontinent archaeological community, including self nominations. While it is hoped that there will be dissertations of both high quality and with content of sufficiently broad interest to be able to confer the dissertation prize annually, this award cycle is not compulsory and is based on the decision and recommendation of the Editors and Editorial Board. Only one dissertation prize will be awarded each year. The offer of a publication contract is coupled with a $500 cash award from UND Press. Announcement of the award recipient will be made at the annual MAC, Inc. Business Meeting, and will be publicized on the organization website.  

Inquiries regarding the prize, as well as recommendations and referrals of completed dissertations produced within the three year rolling window may be made to:

William A. Lovis, Editor, Midwest Archaeological Perspectives (Lovis@msu.edu)

View PDF Flyer Here

Raise a Glass to G. William "Bill" Monaghan

Long standing colleague and friend G. William "Bill" Monaghan passed away in Bloomington IN early on the morning of 28 October from the effects of a massive stroke suffered eleven days previously.  Bill never recovered consciousness, died peacefully, and was in the company of many family members, colleagues, and friends during his final week.  As he wished, Bill was cremated, and no memorial service or other ceremony is planned.

Bill Monaghan was well known as a dominant researcher and personality in the geological, archaeological, and geoarchaeological communities, primarily across the Great Lakes and Midwest, but also in the Northeast, Mid South and Mid Atlantic coastal regions.  While he conducted work as a private firm for much of his career, Bill held several formal positions with the Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology at Indiana University, as well as with the Indiana Geological Survey, and maintained long standing affiliations with Michigan State University and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.  His expertise in geology and geoarchaeology brought him into research associations with numerous private firms, federal and state agencies, historic foundations and trusts, and colleges and universities.  While much of Bill Monaghan's research is found in the so called "gray" literature, he also published extensively in top tier archaeological and geological venues, and was coauthor on two books through Michigan State University Press. When Bill became a widower he spent much of his time in the field and writing.  At his passing Bill had active research projects in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, and Virginia, as well as Oregon(!), and was planning to lead a Geological Society of America field trip at their forthcoming Annual Meeting.

Anyone who worked with Bill Monaghan soon found out that he was consummately data oriented, was direct with his interpretations of his interactions with you, but simultaneously fostered productive exchanges of ideas that effectively bridged the social and earth sciences. Students soon found that he was also a "tough love" mentor, but one who would give as much as a student was willing and able to receive.   While Bill held a PhD in Geological Sciences from Michigan State University (1989), he had an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from MSU (1978) and had also briefly dabbled in Anthropology as a graduate student. His interdisciplinary interest served him well in the bridging arena of geoarchaeology where he made his professional home.

Our community is diminished.  Please raise a glass to Bill, and keep him in your thoughts.

William A. Lovis, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Anthropology
Curator Emeritus of Anthropology
Editor, Midwest Archaeological Perspectives Affiliate, Lithic Michigan State University

Visit the Poster Gallery: Women at Work: Acknowledging Women's Legacy in Archaeology

Announcing the MAC Dissertation Competition and Prize

The Midwest Archaeological Conference, Inc. (MAC), in cooperation with the University of Notre Dame (UND) Press, announces the inauguration of a dissertation competition, with the prize being a $500 cash award and the offer of a contract to publish a modified version of the dissertation as a book through UND Press.

Selection of the dissertation will be made by the Editors and Editorial Board of the newly launched Midwest Archaeological Perspectives book series, a joint MAC, Inc. and UND Press enterprise. Eligible dissertations must have been completed and dated in the three annual years preceding the year of the award. This is a three year rolling window of eligibility. The first award will be conferred in 2018, and we will consider a selection of high quality dissertations completed during 2015, 2016, and 2017. Recognizing that all dissertations, even those of high quality, may not be on topics appropriate to conversion as a book for broader distribution to an educated lay audience, review of eligible dissertations will be undertaken based on receipt of judicious and considered recommendations and referrals by members of the Midcontinent archaeological community. While it is hoped that there will be dissertations of both high quality and with content of sufficiently broad interest to be able to confer the dissertation prize annually, this award cycle is not compulsory and is based on the decision of the Editors and Editorial Board. Only one dissertation prize will be awarded each year. The offer of a publication contract is coupled with a $500 cash award from UND Press. Announcement of the award recipient will be made at the Annual MAC, Inc. Business Meeting, and will be publicized on the organization website.

Inquiries regarding the prize, as well as recommendations and referrals of completed dissertations produced within the three year rolling window may be made to:

William A. Lovis, Editor, Midwest Archaeological Perspectives (Lovis@msu.edu)

(or)

Timothy K. Perttula, Assistant Editor, Midwest Archaeological Perspectives (tkp4747@aol.com)

Introducing a new book series Midwest Archaeological Perspectives

A Book Series edited by William Lovis and Timothy K. Pemula 

The American Midcontinent, stretching from the Appalachians to the Great Plains, and from the Boreal Forests to the Gulf of Mexico, is home to a rich and deep multiethnic past that even after 150 years of exploration continues to fascinate scholars and the public alike. Beginning with colonization by the first Native American big game hunters, through the origins of domestic food production and construction of the largest earthen monuments in North America, and ultimately the entry of multiple colonial empires and their varying interactions with native populations, the story of the region is an exciting one of changing cultural and environmental interactions and adaptive strategies. The diverse environments that characterize the region have fostered a multiplicity of solutions to the problem of survival, ranging from complex sedentary agriculturally intensive societies to those with highly refined seasonal resource strategies keyed to timed movement and social flexibility. 

To explore this region from new and different vantage points the Midwest Archaeological Conference, Inc. and the University of Notre Dame Press are pleased to announce the launching of Midwest Archaeological Perspectives, a unique collaborative book series intended for a broad range of professional and interested lay audiences. The books published in Midwest Archaeological Perspectives will be the most compelling and current works of archaeological narrative and insight for the region, with a temporal scope encompassing the span of human use of the region from the first colonizing Paleoindian cultures to the more recent historical past. The series will explore both old questions tackled from new perspectives, and new and interesting questions arising from the deployment of cutting edge theory and method. 

MAC, Inc. Dissertation Prize

Unique to this series is the MAC, Inc. Dissertation Prize. MAC, Inc. and Notre Dame Press will sponsor the prize, awarded by MAC, Inc. The prize winner will be offered a contract with Notre Dame Press, a $500 award, and will work with the editor and editorial board to develop the dissertation into a compelling book manuscript for scholarly publication. Manuscripts outside the Prize category will be vetted and considered by both MAC, Inc. and Notre Dame Press. 

To be considered for the Prize, please contact Series Editor William Lovis (lovis@msu.edu, 517.355.3485), Assistant Editor Timothy K. Perttula (tkp4747@aol.com, 512-312-0812) or University of Notre Dame Press Senior Acquisitions Editor Eli Bortz (ebortz@nd.edu, 574.631.4912).