MAC-sponsored webinar Dec 11

☛ New Videos on Archaeology of Personhood and Soul Concepts of Pre- and Post-contact Indians of the Eastern Woodlands (direct link to videos, full notice with symposium details)

☛ Anthropology PhD program at the University of Notre Dame is now accepting applications for the 2020-21 cycle (Apply by Dec. 1, 2020)

☛ Applications now being accepted for Spatial Archaeology Residential and Online Institute (SAROI) (Apply online by Jan. 10, 2021)

☛ Congratulations to Jane Buikstra and John Richards as 2020's Distinguished Career Award recipients!

☛ Midwest Archaeological Conference/University of Notre Dame Press Dissertation Awards for 2020 are Dr. Kathryn Frederick (Michigan State University) and Dr. Christina Friberg (University of California Santa Barbara).

☛ Recent passing of two giants in archaeology: W. Raymond Wood on October 2 and George C. “Doc” Frison on September 7, 2020. 

☛ University of Illinois NAGPRA Update: Moratorium

☛ Announcing 7th Grant Cycle for SPARC Funding Dedicated to Promote Geospatial Research in Archaeology

☛ Elizabeth Baldwin (Betsy) Garland obituary (Read here)

☛ MCJA Moves to a New Publisher

☛ Larry Dean Grantham passed away on June 23, 2020 (Read obituary)

☛ Online guide to “Talking About Race,” designed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (webpage)

☛ Outcomes from the 2019 Geophysics Student Workshop (webpage)

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

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

☛ Introducing a new book series Midwest Archaeological Perspectives

MAC-sponsored webinar Dec 11

Dear MAC Members,

We recognize that we are living through a historical moment. As archaeologists, we are looking for best practices for ensuring that our professional and educational spaces are more equitable and inclusive. To support your efforts and work, we offer a two-hour educational session focusing on how we can best address current issues and advance our knowledge and skills related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This webinar will be recorded and made available for future use by MAC members. As part of membership renewal for 2021 the MAC Board requires self-certification of either participation in the December 11 webinar or later viewing of the recorded session.

We will spend our time discussing and learning about: 

  • The impacts of ignoring racism and sexism in archaeology—in field settings, agencies, consulting, business, and on campuses.
  • Why valuing racial and gender difference and inclusion advances archaeological work and centralizes the importance of the profession.
  • Productive racial and gender mindsets and behavior in archaeological education, professional workspaces, and field settings.
  • Creating invitational, diverse, and equitable archaeological educational and workspaces and professional relationships.
  • Successfully navigating conflict related to race and gender among colleagues.
  • Recruiting and retaining women and BIPOC archaeologists to the profession and MAC.

We will hold this session on Friday, December 11th, from 1:30-3:30 EST. Dr. Jennifer Stollman, Director of Consulting Services at Flexability will facilitate this two-hour dynamic and engaging session. Log-in information will be sent during the week prior to the webinar.

We hope you will join us,

Jan Brashler         
President, Midwest Archaeological Conference            

John Doershuk
Chair, MAC Anti-harassment Task Force
Past President, Midwest Archaeological Conference

New Videos on Archaeology of Personhood and Soul Concepts of Pre- and Post-contact Indians of the Eastern Woodlands

Dear Colleagues:

I hope this finds you in good health and spirits. It is a pleasure to announce the online posting of a set of videos that present research on the topics of personhood and soul-like essences as conceived by pre- and post-contact Indians of the Eastern Woodlands and as used ritually and strategically by them in their lives.

The videos include nine researchers’ and two discussants’ presentations written for a symposium for the 85th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Austin, Texas, April 23, 2019.  When the meetings were canceled, we constructed the videos as an alternative means of sharing our ideas with the profession.

The contents of the symposium videos and contact information for the participants are summarized in the linked PDF.

The videos have applicability to subjects beyond Eastern Woodland Indians archaeology and ethnography.  They will be of interest to those who study the archaeology and ethnography of New World indigenous peoples, the archaeology of religion, mortuary archaeology, bioarchaeology, identity, folklore, performance, comparative religion, and the “ontological turn” movement in archaeology.

The videos can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq8AGDwGZC7qHiXWlE3mTXpt52D9fxDLP

Feel free to show all or any of the videos for teaching purposes in your college and/or professional classes.

Please pass on this announcement to colleagues of yours who might have an interest in it for their research or teaching.  Thank you. 

Wishing you the best,
     Chris Carr

Christopher Carr
Professor Emeritus of Anthropology
School of Human Evolution and Social Change
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85281-2402

Mailing address:
5428 Valinda Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Email: christopher.carr@asu.edu

Anthropology PhD program at the University of Notre Dame is now accepting applications for the 2020-21 cycle

The Anthropology PhD program at the University of Notre Dame is now accepting applications for the 2020-21 cycle. The department seeks to involve graduate students in integrative anthropology, including engagement with diverse anthropological and interdisciplinary perspectives, integration of theory and application, and integration of teaching, research, and ethics.

Full funding is offered including tuition, stipend, health insurance, as well as Summer travel and research funds for all students. The application deadline is December 1, 2020. GRE test scores are NOT required as part of the application process.

The Anthropology Department has a commitment to encourage and facilitate the education of students of color and students from underrepresented groups who can continue to add robust and important perspectives to the discipline. They are interested in students who want to make a difference.

Please see the included brochure: Brochure ND Anthropology 

and short video: Video ND Anthropology Facilities

Please share with your students and colleagues who are interested in pursuing the PhD in Anthropology. Applicants may contact me, Chris Ball cball2@nd.edu, ND Anthropology's Director of Graduate Studies, for more information.

Applications now being accepted for Spatial Archaeology Residential and Online Institute (SAROI)

We are pleased to announce Spatial Archaeology Residential and Online Institute (SAROI), hosted by the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) at the University of Arkansas and supported by the National Endowment for Humanities, is accepting applications for its 2021-2022 cohort. SAROI offers advanced training in spatial methodologies for eight Fellows, including access to online training resources, two in-person workshops held during two consecutive summers, and mentorship throughout the fellowship period. SAROI is open to early-career (late-stage PhD students, post-doctoral researchers, non-tenured) scholars in archaeology, heritage management, and closely related fields. Scholars working outside of academia should be less than 5 years from receipt of terminal degree.

SAROI involves connecting archaeologists and cultural heritage practitioners to emerging and established methods in the high-density measurement and analysis of objects, structures, sites, and landscapes. Topics include, but are not limited to, 3D methods such as photogrammetry, laser scanning, and microCT; use of GNSS and various sUAS (drone) platforms; satellite and aerial imagery analysis; geospatial databases and analysis; and digital museums, archives, and storytelling. Residency workshops will take place at CAST and will consist of one two-week workshop in Summer 2021 on data collection and analysis, and a second one-week workshop in Summer 2022 on data archiving and publication.

Each SAROI Fellows will be provided:

  • Access to pre-institute online training materials, including remote VDI access
  • Support for travel and stay during both sessions of the Residency workshops, including:
    • Travel stipends of $500 per workshop ($1000 total)
    • Transport to/from airport as needed
    • On-campus workshop housing
    • On-campus meal passes for breakfast and lunch
  • Workshop training sessions that introduce a wide range of spatial methods
  • Small-group mentoring sessions at the workshops with an assigned Institute staff member, where Fellows develop and implement individual research projects
  • Additional remote collaborative time between the residency sessions with each Mentor
  • Access to CAST equipment and software during the Fellowship period

At this point, we anticipate the first in-person residency workshop to take place in June or July 2021, date finalized soon. We continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and abide by the recommendations from health authorities. We will post any developments to the website and be in contact with SAROI applicants and Fellows to make alternative plans if needed.

Applications accepted until January 10, 2021, midnight Central Time (GMT-6). More information about SAROI at: https://saroi.cast.uark.edu/.  

Kind regards,
Carla Klehm, W. Fred Limp, and Jackson Cothren
The SAROI Team
Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies
University of Arkansas - Fayetteville  

University of IllinoisNAGPRA Update: Moratorium

Effective September 15, 2020, as part of our commitment to NAGPRA and to the concerns of Tribal Nations, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will implement a moratorium on research, teaching, display, imaging, and circulation of human remains and cultural items that are potentially subject to NAGPRA at the University, including all on-site collections in the University's custody or collections that the University has loaned to other organizations. 

More information can be found on the University's NAGPRA web page.

Announcing 7th Grant Cycle for SPARC Funding Dedicated to Promote Geospatial Research in Archaeology

SPARC (SPatial Archaeometry Research Collaborations) is an NSF-funded Archaeology and Archaeometry program dedicated to promoting geospatial research in archaeology, hosted by the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies at the University of Arkansas, Dartmouth College, and University of Glasgow. Now in its 7th year, SPARC offers direct support to archaeological projects through awards in three categories:

  • Fieldwork: On-site data collection
  • Data & Analytics: Preparation, processing and analysis of geospatial data
  • Publication: Presentation, publication and archiving of complex geospatial datasets

For this solicitation, we will be prioritizing Data & Analytics and Publications proposals due to uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and those which align with our analytical development priorities such as microCT and imagery analysis (see the https://sparc.cast.uark.edu/ homepage for full list). However, we will consider other projects on a case-by-case basis.

We particularly encourage applications from scholars underrepresented within the field of archaeology, early-career scholars, and those working in the public sector or at public institutions. Late-stage PhD students are eligible for SPARC submissions. The Program sets no priorities based on time period, geographic region or specific research topic, but projects should have an anthropologically relevant focus and qualify for NSF archaeology funding.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through April 2021. Pre-application consultations are required before submission. Please visit our website at https://sparc.cast.uark.edu/ for more information about the Program and the application process.

Regards,
Carla Klehm, Jackson Cothren, and W. Fred Limp, University of Arkansas
Jesse Casana, Dartmouth College
Rachel Opitz, University of Glasgow

The SPARC Team
SPatial Archaeometry Research Collaborations
http://sparc.cast.uark.edu/

MCJA Moves to a New Publisher

With the advent of 2020 MCJA will be moving to the University of Illinois Press as its new publisher.  During most of my service as Editor, the journal has been in transition, moving from AltaMira, to Maney, and most recently to Taylor and Francis.  This transition has seen the journal production move from snail mail to email to a fully electronic editorial and delivery system.  While creating a sometime abrupt learning curve for the editor and editorial assistant, these changes have brought production up to modern standards that allows MCJA to fully function in the digital world.  Many of these changes have been positive such as the ability to employ a completely electronic editorial system and the welcome opportunity to post articles online as soon as they accepted, rather than waiting for the printed issue to be published.  Other changes such as the movement of the publisher to the UK and the production process to the Far East have made aspects of publishing the MCJA challenging.  These issues caused the MAC Board to reconsider the current arrangements for journal publication and explore other opportunities.  The result of this process led to the signing of a publishing agreement with the University of Illinois Press in July, 2020.

While this transition to a new publisher will change how the editorial office interacts with the production process, MAC members should observe little difference.  The journal will continue in its current format and style consisting of three issues (Spring, Summer, and Fall) per volume with a annual length of about 312 pages, and continue to provide early online digital access to accepted articles.  Institutional subscribers, however, will notice a pleasant change as annual subscriptions drop from the T&F rates of $205 to $241 to a new UIP rate of $110.  This should encourage our readers to request their libraries continue or initiate new subscriptions to the MCJA.  The individual member rates will continue to be $45.00 per annum.

Authors and reviewers should also notice a pleasant change.  Many found the T&F Editorial Manager to be cumbersome and difficult to navigate.  Unfortunately, the MCJA editorial staff had little ability to manipulate the system and had to rely on production staff in the Far East to address problems, thus entailing long time-delays to achieve solutions.  With the move to the UIP we will now be adopting the Open Journal Systems, Editorial Software ver. 3.   While we have just begun training on the new system it is clear that it is user-friendly and generally straightforward, especially for authors and reviewers.  Furthermore, MCJA editorial staff will have much greater control over manipulating the software.  This is also true for the production process housed at the UIP.  The Press does not outsource any part of the process.  It also helps that the UIP offices are located two blocks south of the MCJA editorial office on campus!

Of course, what the MCJA depends on to thrive are manuscripts and willing reviewers.  As this current situation continues we hope that researchers will continue submitting their works to MCJA.  For all those past contributors and reviewers, a Big Thank You.  We appreciate your past and future support.

Thomas E. Emerson, Editor <mcjaeditor@gmail.com>
Sarah Boyer, Editorial Assistant

Outcomes from the 2019 Geophysics Student Workshop

View the results of the student workshop from 2019 (/annual-meeting/previous/workshops).

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

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

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).