Society for Historical Archaeology

The People’s Choice Voting for 2025 Archaeological Photo Festival at the New Orleans SHA conference is open! Voting goes through 4 pm Thursday, January 9, Central Standard Time. Vote here: https://lnkd.in/e4QRJNhA Online voting is open to all SHA members – not just conference attendees! Visit the Photo Contest page and vote for your favorite in each category. Contest best viewed on Chrome or Edge browser. Images are also optimized for mobile viewing. Enjoy! #underwaterarchaeology #maritimearchaeology #SHA2025 #photocontest

This year’s SHA Gilmore Dissertation Award will be presented to Johanna Pacyga for her 2022 University of Chicago dissertation, Cultivating Catholicism: Gender, Vocation, and Missionization in Colonial Senegal (CA. 1860-1930). Dr. Pacyga’s dissertation makes an unusual contribution not only to historical archaeology but also to African studies, colonial studies, and the history of religion. Her research is based on extended archaeological fieldwork and archival work to investigate a little-known missionary site in Senegal, and the dissertation examines how and to what extent missionization involved the “civilizing mission” of modifying food cultivation, preparation, and consumption as well as body comportment through hygiene and dress. The dissertation asks: “To what extent did converting souls mean converting bodies and landscapes?” Fieldwork uncovered intriguing material contrasts between the main convent complex and the adjacent village and tensions between the French sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny and the West African Daughters of the Holy Heart of Mary. Her careful research enriches our understanding of missionization through the lens of gender. Congratulations, Johanna! 🥳

The J.C. Harrington Award for 2025 will be presented to Dr. Paul A. Shackel. Paul has benefited the SHA and the discipline on multiple fronts, including the coordination of multiple conferences and the guest editing of six thematic issues of Historical Archaeology. His work at Harpers Ferry, New Philadelphia, on the Anthracite Heritage Project, and on the archaeology of industrial labor are all landmarks in the field. His scholarship is prodigious and his promotion of an activist archaeology that reveals events like the Lattimer Massacre have engaged descendant communities in recognizing the challenges of racism and inequality in the past and present. He is a prodigious author who has impacted the field through publications and presentations as well as his teaching and leadership at the University of Maryland, College Park as a Department Chair and lead for the Department’s PhD program, established in 2007. Congratulations, Paul! 🥳

Join us in congratulating this year’s recipient of the Carol V. Ruppé Award for Outstanding Service, Sara Mascia! 🥳 Sara served as the SHA’s Employment Coordinator for a decade and was elected to the Board as Secretary/Treasurer in 2002 before transitioning to Treasurer, a role she filled until 2024. Her 21-year tenure provided sound fiscal guidance to the SHA, including negotiations for multiple management transitions. Additionally, Sara served as an institutional memory for more recent Boards. Congratulations, Sara!

The Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology is once again hosting the Noble Duck Race on Sunday, February 2, 2025, at 11:00 am (CST). As always, all proceeds go directly to the ACUA’s student travel and scholarship programs. Ducks cost $10 and you can purchase as many as you like. Learn more and buy your ducks today at https://lnkd.in/eYrdKsde *actual ducks will be retained by ACUA for future races

If you’re attending #SHA2025 next month in New Orleans, we invite you to join us at the New Orleans Jazz Museum on Saturday, January 11th for Public Archaeology Day! This family-friendly event is FREE and brings archaeology to life through interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and captivating presentations. Whether you’re an archaeologist, an archaeology enthusiast, a history lover, or just looking for a fun and educational outing, consider joining us! RSVP below 👇 and learn more at https://lnkd.in/e-5KnY_F Archaeology in the Community | Florida Public Archaeology Network | Goodwin & Associates, Inc. | LOUISIANA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY | PAST Foundation | SEARCH | University of New Orleans

Let us know if you're joining us for #SHA2025 in New Orleans next month!

🚨 The deadline has now been extended to Friday, December 20! 🗓️

New in our Micro-Climate Blog Series from Marcy Rockman! 🌍 A global survey by the United Nations Development Programme - UNDP reveals 86% of people want climate action 🌿! Over 50% think about it daily/weekly. Scientists agree: systemic change is needed, not just tech solutions. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/eC4N3q9E #Sustainability #SHAClimate #SHA #ClimateHeritage 🏙️🔍#communityarchaeology #Landscapes #ClimateAction #Hope

🗣️ Important updates for our upcoming conference in New Orleans! Online registration for the SHA 2025 Conference in New Orleans will close on Sunday, December 15, 2024. After that date, all registrations must be done onsite in New Orleans. You can register for the 2025 Conference at www.conftool.com/sha2025. The cutoff deadline for hotel reservations in the SHA room block at the New Orleans Marriott is 5:00 p.m. CST on Monday, December 16, 2024. You can reserve your room at the New Orleans Marriott at https://lnkd.in/e8ZWp9p3. If you have questions, please contact the SHA at hq@sha.org. We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!