The Annual Meeting

What typically happens at the Annual Meeting?

Each year, on or near the last weekend of September, the Arkansas Archeological Society holds its Annual Meeting. Besides the opportunity to visit with friends and have a great time, the meeting offers a variety of activities, as follows:

Friday evening kicks off the festivities with a reception for registered attendees.

On Saturday, papers on current archeological topics are presented by professional and amateur archeologists from throughout Arkansas, in a 20-minute format, usually with slides. The annual Business Meeting is held Saturday morning before and includes the presentation of certificates of appreciation and other special awards. (Award Nomination Form). After the lunch break, more papers are presented.

In addition, a highlight of the meeting is the Archeological Research Fund (ARF) Silent Auction and Raffle. Many wonderful items, including books, artwork, posters, jewelry, etc., are donated to raise money for the research fund. In addition to the Silent Auction, books, t-shirts, and other items are usually available for purchase. The Archeological Research Fund (ARF) provides money not available from other sources for archeological projects in Arkansas. Support from the Research Fund can help with different aspects of archeological research, such as radiocarbon analysis of charred material for dating or identification of small seeds or bones by specialists. The deadline for submissions to the ARF committee is August 2024. Please send submissions to Jessica Cogburn at jessica.cogburn@arkansas.gov.

A banquet is held Saturday evening and after the dinner, a Keynote Speaker—a specially selected archeologist from outside Arkansas—makes a presentation on his or her work.

Sunday morning usually offers museum tours or tours to archeological sites.

For a list of past meetings, click here.