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Archaeology dig open to public

Opportunities Abound in Archaeology Many people say that, if they had the opportunity for another career, they would be archaeologists. Fortunately, in Kansas a person doesn’t have to have several college degrees to learn about and participate in archeology. For those who want to take an active role, a number of avocational organizations exist. The Kansas Anthropological Association (KAA) is the oldest amateur archeological organization in the state. Founded in 1955, its membership is made up of individuals and institutions interested in the prehistoric and historic peoples of the area. The objectives and goals of the Association are the preservation and interpretation of archeological and ethnographic remains within the state; the scientific study, investigation, and interpretation of archeological remains and ethnographical materials; the publication and distribution of information concerning Kansas archeology and ethnology; and the development and promotion of a greater public interest and appreciation for the heritage of the state. In cooperation with the Kansas State Historical Society (KSHS), the KAA sponsors the Kansas Archeology Training Program (KATP). The KATP field school has been an annual event since 1974. In 2008 the field school will be held May 31-June15 at the Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site in Republic County. More information and a registration packet are available at http://www.kshs.org/resource/katpcurrent.htm or by contacting Virginia Wulfkuhle at 785-272-8681, ext. 266 or vwulfkuhle@kshs.org. The KSHS and the KAA conduct a certification program for KAA members in the basic skills and techniques of Plains archeology. The training sessions take place primarily at KATP field schools and involve a combination of hands-on instruction, experience, and formal classes. The specific categories of instruction cover archeological site surveying, excavation procedures, laboratory techniques, and public education efforts. Interested individuals may contact the KAA Certification Chairman at roseandmikewallen@yahoo.com . In addition to the field school, the KATP includes a number of work weekends like Fall and Spring Flings. These range from KAA Chapter-sponsored archeological site surveys to KSHS-sponsored artifact cataloguing and analysis sessions. Another annual event is the KAA Annual Meeting in April, which includes a business meeting and series of talks. To view the 2008 program, go to http://www.ksarchaeo.info. The KAA has seven local chapters: Apache (Great Bend area), High Plains (Colby area), Kanza (Atchison area), Mud Creek (Abilene/Salina area), Ninnescah (Pratt area), Shawnee (Topeka area), Waconda (Beloit area). These chapters meet monthly for talks, field trips, and work sessions. For contact information, see http://www.kshs.org/resource/kaa.htm. Several other amateur organizations are active in the state. The Archaeological Association of South Central Kansas (AASCK) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to the preservation of Kansas prehistory. Its meetings and programs feature anthropology and other topics and are free and open to the public. Scheduled meetings are the second Thursday of each month, September through May, at 7:30 p.m. on the second floor of Neff Hall on the Wichita State University campus. AASCK coordinates and cooperates with the Wichita State University Department of Anthropology. For current meeting announcements, see http://www.webs.wichita.edu/anthropology/orgs/AASCK. The Kansas City Archaeological Society (KCAS) meets on the first Tuesday of the month, October through June, at the Arthur Mag Conference Center, 425 Volker (just west of the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus), Kansas City, Missouri. Meetings start at 7:30 p.m., preceded by a social half-hour. Each meeting consists of a business meeting and a program. The mailing address is: Kansas City Archaeological Society, 10904 E. 63rd St., Raytown, MO 64133. If one’s archeological interest is of the armchair variety, numerous publications are available. Each year KAA members receive four issues of the Kansas Anthropological Association Newsletter and one journal, The Kansas Anthropologist. KCAS distributes a bimonthly newsletter, To the Point. The Professional Archaeologists of Kansas publish Current Archaeology in Kansas, in which PAK members summarize news of their research (contact Dr. Donna Roper at droper@ksu.ksu.edu). Kansas Preservation, the bi-monthly newsletter of the KSHS Cultural Resources Division, contains many short archeology-related articles and is available free of charge (contact vwulfkuhle@kshs.org). Kansas Archaeology Month in April is a great time to finally act on the life-long urge to get involved in archeology and to promote the scientific investigation and stewardship of archeological resources in the state.