The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) is an international membership organization founded in 1934 to advance research and training in archaeology and to promote the conservation of archaeological resources of the Americas. It publishes American Antiquity, one of the premiere journal of archaeology of North America, since 1935, and has hosted an Annual Meeting since that same year. Other areas of activity include the development of professional standards and ethics, promotion of the public's understanding of archaeology, advocacy for Federal legislation protecting archaeological resources, and encouragement of connections between professional and avocational archaeologists. The Society for American Archaeology records contain materials related to the ongoing administration, management, and interests of the SAA through mainly correspondence, reports, research, mailings, financial records, and program planning documents.
Scope and Contents:
The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) records contain administrative and professional correspondence, reports, surveys, publication records, journals, books, member and grant applications, programs, memorandums, contracts, ballots, mailings, research, notes, planning materials, certificates and awards, press releases, financial records, meeting minutes, teaching materials, sound recordings, video recordings, and photographs. These materials relate to a wide range of the SAA's activities including administration and management, finances, publishing, membership, awards, the Annual Meeting, public education, public archaeology, professional standards, government affairs and cultural property law, work with allied organizations, ethics, and special workshops.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
The Society for American Archaeology records are arranged into 13 series: 1) Records of the Secretary-Treasurer and Secretary, 1934-1962; 2) Records of the Treasurer, 1935-1950; 3) President's correspondence, 1947-1948; 4) Executive Committee Meeting minutes, 1945-2003; 5) Records of Officers, 1950-2000; 6) Administrative records, 1934-2022; 7) Annual conference, 1935-2020; 8) Public and professional program committees, 1966-2016; 9) Government affairs, 1968-2021; 10)Affiliated and allied organizations, 1968-2005; 11) Special conferences, workshops, and projects, 1974-2006; 12) Published materials, 1983-2007; and 13) Photographs, 1985-2018
Historical note:
The Society for American Archaeology grew out of the Committee on State Archaeological Surveys of the National Research Council's Division of Anthropology and Psychology. Appointed in 1920 to "encourage and assist" eastern and midwestern states in the organization of archaeological surveys, the Committee came to act as a coordinating body and information clearinghouse for archaeologists and government agencies engaged in archaeological field work. The Committee expanded its activities and network through the 1920s but lacked long-term financial support. By 1933 its leaders identified the need for a permanent, independent organization to take up the work of the Committee and address the lack of standards, training, and communication among professional researchers and avocational archaeologists, which they saw as impediments to the preservation of archaeological data. Carl E. Guthe, then Chairman of the Committee, led the work of establishing the new organization.
In 1934, Guthe drafted a constitution and bylaws for the nascent group and distributed the documents among the Committee's network to solicit comments and generate interest among potential members. The Society for American Archaeology was formally established at an "organizational meeting" on December 28, 1934, when attendees approved Guthe's final version of the constitution and bylaws and elected the first cohort of officers: Arthur C. Parker, President; M. R. Harrington, Vice President; Carl E. Guthe, Secretary-Treasurer; W. C. McKern, Editor. In keeping with its goal of bridging the divide between professional and non-professional archaeologists, anyone with an interest in "furthering the objects of the Society" could apply for membership, regardless of professional affiliation.
The SAA is governed by a constitution and bylaws which are voted on by members and implemented by an Executive Committee, referred to as the Council in the early years. The Executive Committee composition has varied through the years. Until the 1960s, most administrative duties were carried out by the Secretary, who assembled the minutes of Executive Committee meetings, circulated background materials among its members, and collected reports from SAA committees. The Secretary's office also acted as a "clearinghouse and advisory center on archaeological matters" for SAA members and the public. Without a true business headquarters, the Secretary's office essentially served as the SAA's central office, with the outgoing Secretaries passing on their files to the incoming Secretaries at the end of their terms.
In the 1960s, SAA began contracting with the business office of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) to manage its business operations. That arrangement lasted until the early 1980s, when AAA stopped providing business services to smaller organizations and offered SAA the option to become part of AAA. SAA members voted against merging with AAA, and in 1983 SAA contracted with Bostrom Management to administer its business affairs, an arrangement that included hiring a part-time Executive Director. In 1987, the Executive Committee enlisted a management consultant to conduct a business analysis and identify options for improving SAA's finances and administration. The result of this analysis, referred to as "The Evans Report," was circulated the following year, leading to a major reorganization that would occupy the Executive Committee through the early 1990s. Those efforts ultimately resulted in the establishment of a central office in Washington, D.C., and the hiring of SAA's first full-time Executive Director in 1992. It was during this intense period of reorganization that the structure and governance of SAA began to resemble that of the present day.
Works Consulted:
"Archival Sources Sought." Bulletin of the Society for American Archaeology 1, no 4 (September 1983): 5. https://documents.saa.org/container/docs/default-source/doc-publications/saa-bulletin/1983_volume-1/saa-bulletin-1-4_sept.pdf?sfvrsn=d6c0f71a_2
"Articles of Incorporation." SAA Records, Acc 1998-85, Box 4, folder: 1972 (mimeograph from Lehman/AAA) - Final box/folder location TBD. Society for American Archaeology records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
"The Constitution of the Society for American Archaeology." American Antiquity 1, no. 2 (1935): 146–48. http://www.jstor.org/stable/276027.
"Constitution and By-Laws of the Society for American Archaeology." American Antiquity 13, no. 2 (1947): 198–200. http://www.jstor.org/stable/275700.
Dincauze, Dena F. "Office of the President: 52nd Annual Meeting." Bulletin of the Society for American Archaeology. 5, no. 3 (July 1987): 1-2. https://documents.saa.org/container/docs/default-source/doc-publications/saa-bulletin/1987/saa-bulletin-5-3.pdf?sfvrsn=30b9179d_4
Fowler, Don D, and Green, Dee. "Change in SAA Management Announced." Bulletin of the Society for American Archaeology 1, no 4 (September 1983): 1-4. https://documents.saa.org/container/docs/default-source/doc-publications/saa-bulletin/1983_volume-1/saa-bulletin-1-4_sept.pdf?sfvrsn=d6c0f71a_2
Goldstein, Lynne. "The Structure of the SAA." Bulletin of the Society for American Archaeology. 9, no. 8 (June 1988): 8. https://documents.saa.org/container/docs/default-source/doc-publications/saa-bulletin/1991/saa-bulletin-9-3_june.pdf?sfvrsn=b101aaac_2
Guthe, Carl E. "Prospectus." Department of Anthropology Records. Division of Archaeology. Office Files. Box 14, Museum-Misc. Lists - O. Folder: National Research Council [ca. 1932-1945], folder 2 of 2. Society for American Archaeology records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Guthe, Carl E. "Reflections on the Founding of the Society for American Archaeology." American Antiquity 32, no. 4 (1967): 433–40. https://doi.org/10.2307/2694072.
O'Brien, Michael J. and Lyman, R. Lee. "Gentle Persuasion: The National Research Council and Southeastern Archaeology." Journal of Alabama Archaeology 46, no. 1 (2000): 1-42. [https://cladistics.coas.missouri.edu/assets/pdf_articles/AlaA46.pdf]
Wendorf, Fred, and Raymond H. Thompson. "The Committee for the Recovery of Archaeological Remains: Three Decades of Service to the Archaeological Profession." American Antiquity 67, no. 2 (2002): 317–30. https://doi.org/10.2307/2694569.
"Society for American Archaeology." American Antiquity 34, no. 4 (1969): 499–506. http://www.jstor.org/stable/277764.
"The Society for American Archaeology Organization Meeting." American Antiquity 1, no. 2 (1935): 141–46. http://www.jstor.org/stable/276026.
"Organization of the Society for American Archaeology." Bulletin of the Society for American Archaeology 9, no. 2 (March 1991): 6. https://documents.saa.org/container/docs/default-source/doc-publications/saa-bulletin/1991/saa-bulletin-9-2_march.pdf?sfvrsn=75834181_2
Rice, Prudence M. "Surveying the Field." Bulletin of the Society for American Archaeology 10, no. 1 (January 1992): 3-4. https://documents.saa.org/container/docs/default-source/doc-publications/saa-bulletin/1992/saa-bulletin-10-1.pdf?sfvrsn=d095e8fd_2
List of abbreviations commonly referenced:
Includes abbrevations used throughout the Society for American Archaeology's records.
AAA - American Anthropological Association
AAAS - American Association for the Advancement of Science
AAM - American Alliance of Museums
AAQ - American Antiquity
ACHP - Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
ACOE - Army Corps of Engineers
AFFA - Association for Field Archaeology
AIA - Archaeological Institute of America
AIRFA - American Indian Religious Freedom Act
AM - Annual Meeting
A&PE - Archaeology and Public Education
ARPA - Archaeological Resources Protection Act
BLM - Bureau of Land Management
BOR - Bureau of Reclamation
CCONAS - Coordinating Council of National Archaeological Societies
CEHP - Centre for Environment, Heritage and Policy
CoAS - Council of Affiliated Societies
COPA - Committee on Public Archaeology
COSWA - Committee on the Status of Women in Archaeology
CRM - Cultural Resource Management
DCA - Departmental Consulting Archaeologist
DOI - Department of the Interior
GAC - Government Affairs Committee
ICOMOS - International Council on Monuments and Sites
LAQ - Latin American Antiquity
NCPTT - National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
NCSHPO - National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers
NEH - National Endowment for the Humanities
NHPA - National Historic Preservation Act
NPCC -National Preservation Coordinating Council
NPS - National Park Service
NSF - National Science Foundation
OSM - Office of Surface Mining
PEC - Public Education Committee
PMOA - Programmatic Memorandum of Agreement
ROPA - Register of Professional Archaeologists
SAA - Society for American Archaeology
SHA - Society of Historical Archaeology
SOPA - Society of Professional Archaeologists
Chronology:
Includes a concise chronology of SAA events related to the content of this collection.
1920: Committee on State Archaeological Surveys created by NRC/NAS
1934: Society for American Archaeology formally established
1935: First issue of -- American Antiquity
1935: First Annual Meeting of the SAA
1937: Committee on State Archaeological Surveys disbanded
1939: First issue of the -- SAA Notebook -- distributed to membership
1942: Last issue of -- SAA Notebook
1942: Revised and amended constitution, splitting the Secretary-Treasurer into two separate roles, and eliminates Fellow/Affiliate distinction (among other changes) is approved and takes effect.
1943: No Annual Meeting; executive business conducted by mail
1969: Membership applications now handled through the AAA business office rather SAA Secretary
1970: Major revision to constitution
1972: Incorporated in D.C.
1974: The Archeological and Historic Preservation Act (APHA) and "Moss-Bennett Act" passed, with goal of providing federal funding to mitigate destruction of archeological sites in specific circumstances.
1974: Arlie House Seminars held ("Six Seminars on the Future Directions of Archaeology")
1983: Resolved against merger with AAA (aka "the break with AAA")
1983: Change from AAA to Bostrom firm to manage business activities
1983: First issue of -- SAA Bulletin
1985: SAA and SOPA co-host the Conference on Reburial Issues
1988: Evans Report on Management announced
1989: Changes to Articles of Incorporation
1989: New Bylaws adopted that change the organizational structure of SAA
1989: SAA Hosts Anti-Looting Conference in Taos
1990: First issue of -- Latin American Antiquity
1990: Executive Board approves plan to establish in-house admin/operations office
1992: Transition to "independent home office" and hiring of full-time Executive Director
1993: Last year of last term in which Editor of -- American Antiquity -- is an Officer
1997: SAA, SOPA, and Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) approve formation of Register of Professional Archaeologist (ROPA), which begins work in 1998.
1998: Executive Board name change to Board of Directors
2000: Last issue of -- SAA Bulletin
2001: Begin publishing -- The Archaeological Record
Restrictions:
Some material in Subseries 6.6: Membership, is restricted until 2070. Born digital media is restricted due to preservation concerns, contact the repository for further information.
Access to the Society for American Archaeology records requires an appointment.
The collection consists of historical and business records for ANSCO, a company now owned by GAF (General Aniline and Film Corporation).
Content Description:
Collection includes business correspondence, some of it regarding a collection of Matthew B. Brady photographs; photographs, mostly of the company's products, biographical information on Edward A. Anthony, who started Anthony & Scovill, which merged with AGFA in 1928; multiple written accounts of the history of the company; trade literature; catalogs; price lists; company newsletters; scholarly journals; legal documents; and clippings. There is a small number of papers relating to Edward A. Anthony's first company, Anthony and Co., dating back to 1877.
Provenance:
Collection donated to the Photographic History Collections of the National Museum of American History, by GAF. Transferred to the Archives Center in 2019.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, W. Atlee Burpee & Company Records
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, W. Atlee Burpee & Company Records
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, W. Atlee Burpee & Company Records.
Proceedings of the 1993 International Conference on Refereed Electronic Journals : Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, October 1-2, 1993 / [Carolynne Presser, Chair, Organizing Committee]
Title:
1993 International Conference on Refereed Electronic Journals
Author:
International Conference on Refereed Electronic Journals (1993 : University of Manitoba) Search this
National Museum of History and Technology. Smithsonian Journal of History Office Search this
Extent:
6 cu. ft. (12 document boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Illustrations
Date:
1963-1972
Descriptive Entry:
Records document publication of the Journal from solicitation of manuscripts to final layout. Also included are records for staff information, for example, information
regarding various presses.
See also: Record Unit 190.
Historical Note:
The Smithsonian Journal of History was an 8 1/2" x 11" scholarly quarterly specializing in illustrated articles. The Journal had its inception in the
1964 meetings of the Association of Curators. A proposal by Walter F. Cannon won financial support in the sum of $30,500 from the Secretary in December 1964. The first issue
published was Spring 1966. Although an additional $40,000 was budgeted for the Journal's operation in January 1967, financial and schedule problems resulted in termination
of the Journal after publication of the Winter 1968-1969 issue. Each issue was composed of two sections. Articles were contributed by professional historians and were
not limited to any particular subject, area of interest, nation, or time period. The average article ran 10,000 words and included 12 illustrations. The "Notes and Queries"
section of each issue carried notes of important research programs, museum acquisitions, and exhibits at the Smithsonian and at other historical museums. This section also
printed requests for information about important or unusual objects. Before termination, 12 issues of The Smithsonian Journal of History had been published, winning
critical acclaim from the scholarly world.
Although officially the responsibility of the Director of the National Museum of History and Technology, administrative decisions were handled by an Editorial Board. Walter
F. Cannon served as Editor for the first five issues until his resignation July 14, 1967. Peter C. Welsh served as Editor for the last seven issues. The Editorial Assistant
and later Assistant Editor was Elaine Eden Jancourtz. Roger Pineau served as Editorial Consultant. Other members of the original Editorial Board were Silvio A. Bedini, Jacob
Kainen, Philip K. Lundeberg, and Peter C. Welsh. When Peter C. Welsh was named Editor, the Editorial Board was composed of John C. Ewers, Melvin H. Jackson, Philip K. Lundeberg,
Richard P. Wunder, Roger Pineau, and Elaine Eden Jancourtz. Ellen Tejera replaced Elaine Eden Jancourtz as Assistant Editor by the publication of the Fall 1967 issue. The
Board of Advisors was a group of noted historians who served as advisors on selection of manuscripts and related activities. The initial members were Julian Boyd, Hunter Dupree,
Anthony Garvan, Louis Jones, Frederic C. Lane, Samuel Eliot Morison, Edgar P. Richardson, Theodore Ropp, Lynn White, Jr., Walter Muir Whitehill, and Louis B. Wright.
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 193, National Museum of History and Technology. Smithsonian Journal of History Office, Publication Records
The collection is stored off-site. Advanced notice must be given to view the collection.
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Date:
1953-1992
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the records of the American Society for Ethnohistory and documents the activities of the officers of the ASE and the editors of the journal Ethnohistory. Earlier accessions, containing records from 1953-1979, include minutes, correspondence, financial records, subscription information, newsletters, and materials related to manuscript submissions and published manuscripts. Later accessions, containing records from the tenure of editor Shepard Krech (1983-1992) and secretary/treasurer William O. Autry (1986-1994), primarily contain correspondence, financial documents, contracts, minutes, newsletters, memorandums, manuscript submissions and reviewers' comments.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
Portions of this collection are unprocessed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Earlier accessions, containing records dating from 1953-1979, have been arranged in the following proposed series: (1) Minutes of meetings, bylaws, and related documents, 1953-1966; (2) chronological correspondence files regarding meetings, 1953-1964; (3) alphabetical correspondence file regarding meetings, 1960-1964; (4) Bernard Fontana's correspondence , 1967-1970; (5) letters sent by Bernard Fontana, 1964-1965; (6) Ethnohistory subscriptions and finances, 1953-1962; (7) Ethnohistory subscriptions, 1953-1962; (8) Ethnohistory editorial correspondence regarding unused manuscipts, 1964-1968; (9) Ethnohistory editorial correspondence regarding published manuscripts, 1964-1968; (10) Ethnohistory book review correspondence, 1964-1967; (11) American Indian Ethnohistory Conference newsletter information, 1960-1963; (12) miscellany, undated; (13) correspondence of Harold Hickerson and Bernard L. Fontana as editors of Ethnohistory, 1968-1973; (14) records of James E. Ayres, 1971-1979; (15) correspondence and other records of Harold Hickerson about ASE business, 1965-1968; (16) correspondence and other records of William Curtis Sturtevant, 1965-1967; (17) correspondence and other records of Mary Wallace Helms, 1977-1979; (18) correspondence of Thomas B. Hinton, 1973-1967; (19) correspondence of James E. Ayres, 1977-1979.
Two later accessions, containing materials dating from 1983-1994, are unprocessed.
Historical note:
The American Society for Ethnohistory was founded as the Ohio Valley Historic Indian Conference, an interdisciplinary organization of historians, ethnologists, archaeologists, and linguists. Its purpose was to promote the study of historical Indians of the Ohio Valley. In 1955, the conference became the American Indian Ethnohistoric Conference. The present name was adopted in 1966. The society's purposes, as suggested by the changes in name, have broadened and today it promotes cultural history of non-industrial people.
Scholarly journals between the past and the future : the Fornvännen Centenary Round-Table Seminar, Stockholm, 21 April 2006 / edited by Martin Rundkvist
The "Acta eruditorum" under the editorship of Otto Mencke (1644-1707) : the history of an international learned journal between 1682 and 1707 / Hub. Laeven ; translated from the Dutch by Lynne Richards
