Just a drop in the pithoi jar, but a recommended reading follows for a more in-depth look…
Serving the central New England area since 1954, the AIA - Worcester Society is the local chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America, the largest and oldest archaeological organization in the United States. Our members support research and publication, education, public outreach, and provide consultants and specialists for governments and related agencies both here and abroad. Through our Local Societies, the AIA sponsors lectures and other events covering the width and breadth of archaeology. For over 100 years, our Annual Meeting presents the latest discoveries and theories exchanged in an open forum, featuring contributions from different countries, disciplines, and perspectives. We also offer great public lectures at the meetings, our Kid’s Fair, and social opportunities to meet other members who share your interests. In short, we have a good time! People interested in archaeology tend to be a lively crew, maybe there’s something about sweltering out in hot, dusty sites in the middle of nowhere for weeks on end that keeps anyone from taking themselves quite so seriously…whatever the reason, everyone finds something to enjoy at our events.
The Archaeological Institute of America was founded in May 1879, to promote and direct archaeological investigation and research, whether sending out specific expeditions from the Institute or by aiding independent explorers, and to publish the results of these discoveries. At this time, Europe and America were enthralled first by Hellenism, the 18thC movement that viewed ancient Greece as the birthplace of civilized western culture, and then by Romanticism, which counterbalanced the grim realities of increased industrialization with visions of a pure, idealized classic world of antiquity. Americans of wealth and education were reading heroic tales about the Greek War of Independence (1821-1830), exciting new discoveries from places with names like Troy, Ninevah, Pergamon and Delos, and embarking on the ‘Grand Tour’ to see some of these sites for themselves. Witnessing the grand projects of France and Germany, America was beginning to sense that it was lagging behind in this new frontier.
It’s interesting to note that right from its inception, it was the American Institute of Archaeology, rather than a university or city, or even a club affiliation; the first members were mostly Boston area elite, soon followed by other east coast members, and it would have been natural enough to keep it a more localized entity. But America was responding to a double-header: in addition to the rapid social and environmental changes brought on by industrialization, the horrors of the Civil War were still very fresh, with all its divisiveness. Under its first president, Charles Eliot Norton, the AIA wished to instill a national pride, while the “fruits of archaeology would provide models for the moral and aesthetic improvement of American society” [Allen 2002*]. The glory that was Greece, the splendor that was Rome: as the child of Europe, America wanted its inheritance.
The first three decades of the AIA saw many of our most important features already in place. Excavation work within the Old World (Assos - Turkey, Nippur - Iraq, Cyrene – Libya, the Greek sites Argos, Crete, Corinth) and the New World (first the pueblos in Pecos, NM and other southwest areas, then the Mayan site at Quirigua) begins, with results of discoveries published as the American Journal of Archaeology (AJA) gets its start. Educational opportunities abroad such as the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and at Rome open, while back in the States, the School of American Research is established in Santa Fe, NM. Local Societies are formed, first in Boston, soon followed by 20 others all the way to Walla Walla, WA. A lecture fund is initiated to send scholars to the local societies, enabling the public to hear firsthand what professional archaeologists are working on in the field, and to have one-on-one interaction with the speakers during Q&A sessions and receptions. The Norton Lectureship, still one of the most prestigious lectures in the AIA, provides for additional lectures. The first Annual Meeting is held in New Haven, CT, and in 1906 the AIA is officially chartered by Congress. All in all, not a bad start!
Flash forward one hundred years, to see what the AIA has been doing for the last three decades. Additional awards are established, honoring scientific contributions, service, books, teaching, as well as conservation and heritage management; Fellowships to aid scholars in their research are funded, and more lectureships are added. The popular magazine Archaeology reaches a wide audience, bringing all different aspects of archaeology to public attention in an engaging format. Travel to archaeological sites, complete with professional archaeologists as guides, is available through AIA Tours. Educational outreach continues with programs for secondary school teachers and curriculum ideas for schools, giving children the chance to learn about archaeology (what child doesn’t like to play in the dirt?). The Archaeological Conservation Act is passed, mandating the monetary support for archaeological assessment when federal funds are allocated for construction or reclamation. A code of ethics and professional standards are approved, and the AIA increases its role of advocate for the world’s cultural heritage, both in international legislation (UNESCO) and global appeals (e.g. decrying Afghanistan’s cultural destruction or supporting bilateral agreements restricting trade in illegally excavated artifacts).
From the beginning, there have been debates between emphasizing Old World or New World, between the text-based humanistic tradition versus scientific analysis and theoretical work, and even the role of the archaeologist. Through the years, the study of archaeology has also provided a study of contemporary outlooks over time, as examination of the cultures of the past sometimes reveals even more about the attitudes of the present.
Before the adoption of cultural property laws, many if not most expeditions had free range to remove artifacts and reward financial backers with incredible art pieces in the race to fill museums and private collections. Yet even in the earliest days within the AIA, this practice was condemned: “…the goal of acquiring antiquities as an end in itself was problematic to Executive Committee member Francis Parkman…[who] asserted that the purpose of the AIA was ‘the acquisition of Knowledge and not the acquisition of objects or works of art’…” [Allen 2002]. Looking to the Old World to inspire aesthetic development, one contingent of AIA members placed lesser value on the burgeoning preferences for American/New World archaeology and interdisciplinary approaches favored by others. For most of AIA history, the emphasis remained on classical archaeology, despite the first AIA-funded project taking place in the American southwest and continued New World research by individuals; yet in the last decade, the papers and sessions of the Annual Meeting have reflected increasing diversity not just geographically, but in areas such as experimental archaeology, theoretical developments, and new methods in scientific methods, e.g. underwater archaeology, new dating techniques and remote sensing.
There’s an old joke regarding how many archaeologists it takes to change a light bulb: 1001. One to actually change the bulb, and 500 to state that it confirms the Homeric record, 500 to state that it does not confirm the Homeric record. Disputes, controversy and debates do more than simply liven up proceedings; it’s precisely this dynamic that propels an organization, to question its purpose and to inspire new lines of thought. AIA members are from all walks of life, championing different interests, perspectives and fields. From anthropology to zoology, art history to science, from pottery to GIS or CAD programs, our members are interested in all areas of human endeavor, studying the Bronze Age through the Internet Age. One of the most dynamic aspects of the AIA is its unique combination of professional and amateur, of the Field Excavator and the weekend enthusiast, as well as all who fall somewhere in between. For less than $5 a month, tax-deductible, AIA members continue the work of their founders, insuring a wide spectrum approach to archaeological research while providing informative and accessible programs for the public’s increasing interest in all things archaeological.
* Allen, Susan Heuck (ed.) 2002. Excavating
Our Past: Perspectives on the History of the Archaeological Institute of
America. AIA
Colloquia and Conference Papers 5.
The above is a wonderful book, introducing the reader to the history of the AIA, with essays contributed by various scholars, highly recommended. Available from the Archaeological Institute of America.