Learn a New Skill

We invite you to learn a new skill and sign up for a workshop. SAA workshops provide continuing education to advance professionalization. Workshops have limited enrollments, so sign up soon!

Wednesday, April 23

Everything You Wanted to Know about Archaeometry but Were Afraid to Ask: Tips and Guidelines for Collaborating with the Archaeometry Lab at MURR

Sponsored by the Archaeometry Laboratory at the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR)

9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.; 40 maximum; $20 per participant

Instructors: Brandi L. MacDonald, James Davenport, Virginie Renson, Wesley Stoner, Jeffrey Ferguson, Jay Stephens, Alejandro Figueroa, and Whitney Goodwin

Do you have questions about provenance research? Have you ever considered undertaking chemical analysis but not sure where to start? Are you curious about what techniques and training opportunities are available to students and early career researchers or to those looking to broaden their use of archaeological science? Come join the team of experts from the Archaeometry Laboratory at MURR for a workshop that will cover a wide range of provenance topics and collaborative research opportunities. We will discuss the use of methods including neutron activation analysis (NAA), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and elemental and isotopic analysis by mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS, MC-ICP-MS) and how these can be applied to varied archaeological materials—from ceramics and obsidian, to glasses, glazes, metals, pigments, and bone. We will also discuss aspects of our legacy NAA databases and the lab’s data management policies, our NSF-funded opportunities for education and training, and our NSF subsidy program for researchers in academic and nonprofit organizations. A pre-workshop survey will be circulated to all registered participants in advance of the workshop to inform the organizers of specific questions, topics, and issues for discussion. Workshop organizers will use this information to help guide the content. The topics will either be covered in the main content of the workshop or through a Q&A session with Archaeometry Lab specialists.

Learning Objectives:

Gain an understanding of the fundamental concepts and methods involved in provenance studies and the scientific methods available at the Archaeometry Lab;

• advantages and disadvantages of different techniques;
• the range of materials that can be analyzed by varied techniques;
• best practices for sample selection and preparation;
• basic analytical procedures and statistical routines for elemental data;
• knowledge of existing regional databases for comparative materials; and
• education and training opportunities at MURR;
• the Archaeometry Lab’s Data Management Plan, their legacy databases, and the various ways in which original research is produced, disseminated, and managed for future scholarly reuse;
• the various educational and training opportunities for early career researchers: support for undergrads, graduate students, postdoctoral research fellows, and visiting scholars; and
• the lab’s NSF-subsidy mini-proposal program for reduced analytical fees

Reproducible Reporting in R

Sponsored by the SAA Zooarchaeology Interest Group and Quantitative Methods & Statistical Computing in Archaeology Interest Group

2:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.; 20 minimum, 25 maximum; $20 per participant

Instructors: Jonathan Dombrosky and Jesse Wolfhagen

While many think of “reproducibility” in terms of reporting standards in a scientific publication (e.g., “Methods” sections), the role of reproducibility in the handling, analysis, and reporting of data is underappreciated. Missing raw data or insufficient analytical documentation can make scientific conclusions unverifiable and is part of the broader “reproducibility crisis” that affects many scientific fields, including archaeology. This workshop will introduce participants to one reproducible reporting workflow, using an open-source program called Quarto. Already integrated into the latest versions of RStudio, Quarto is a technical publishing system that combines multiple programming languages and exports a range of different file types. This means that every figure, statistic, and calculation in a fully formatted publication or report can be tied back to raw data using one file type. We demonstrate a Quarto workflow using technical archaeofaunal reports from active field projects to illustrate the benefits of reproducible reporting. Such an approach enhances internal reporting consistency, aids collaboration, reduces writing time, and increases understanding of complex archaeological phenomena. Participants must have the latest versions of R and RStudio functioning on a personal computer. A working knowledge of the R programming language is helpful but not required for this workshop.

Learning Objective:

• Learn basic programming functions in R using tidyverse syntax;
• Understand what a seamless analysis-to-reporting workflow looks like
• work with example reports in Quarto; and
• gain a deeper appreciation for reproducible research.

Thursday, April 24

Paws on the Past: AHRD Dogs in Action

8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; 20 minimum, 25 maximum; $100 per participant

Instructors: Janie Merickel, Melissa Kindt, and Paul Martin

highlight the remarkable contributions of Archaeological Human Remains Detection Dogs (AHRD) to the field of archaeology. Limited to just 25 participants, the session will begin with an informative morning presentation at the meeting center on the capabilities and methodologies of AHRD dogs. Following the morning presentation, attendees will board a bus to the site of the 1858 Denver Cemetery. There, you’ll witness firsthand the incredible work of AHRD dogs as they assist in uncovering hidden human remains and enhancing archaeological discoveries. Attendees are encouraged to bring snacks and water.

Learning Objectives:

• Understanding AHRD Capabilities: gain a comprehensive understanding of how Archaeological Human Remains Detection Dos (AHRDD) operate and the science behind their training and abilities.
• Integration of AHRD in Archaeology: learn how AHRD dogs can be integrated into archaeological investigations and the specific benefits they bring to locating historical human remains
• Methodologies and Techniques: acquire knowledge of the methodologies and techniques used in training and deploying AHRD dogs in archaeological contexts
• Case Studies and Success Stories: explore real-world case studies and success stories where AHRD dogs have made significant contributions to archaeological discoveries.
• Ethical Considerations: understand the ethical considerations and best practices involved in using detection dogs in archaeology as a non-invasive technique, ensuring respectful and responsible identification of human burials.
• Practical Demonstration: witness a live demonstration of AHRD dogs.

Distinguishing Human from Non-Human Animal Bone in Archaeological Contexts

Sponsored by the SAA Zooarchaeology Interest Group and the SAA Bioarchaeology Interest Group

11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.; 30 minimum, 40 maximum; $16.50 per participant

Instructors: James Watson

Distinguishing human from nonhuman animal bones in archaeological contexts can have significant legal, ethical, and analytical implications. Identification can be particularly problematic when remains are fragmentary or from juvenile individuals. In addition to obvious differences in skeletal anatomy between species, human bone structure has evolved to be less dense overall compared to other mammals. Historically, the misidentification of bone in field settings has led to the unwitting curation of human remains in zooarchaeological (“bulk”) collections. This workshop is designed to provide some of the basics to help field practitioners with identification. Familiarity with anatomy and osteology is helpful for this workshop but not required. Pictures and specimens of non-archaeological human remains are incorporated into this workshop to help train participants.

Learning Objective:

• Become more familiar with human and non-human animal anatomy and osteology; and
• Understand basic criteria for distinguishing human from non-human animal bone on a variety of skeletal elements.

The Classroom of One Million: Social Media as an Educational Tool

3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.; 15 minimum, 20 maximum; $23.50 per participant

Instructors: Flint Dibble and Milo Rossi

Have you ever wanted to share archaeology with one million people? Today’s online ecosystem provides unprecedented opportunities for sharing archaeological research. This workshop will arm participants with practical guidance for communicating archaeology online, specifically geared toward video creation. Led by Milo Rossi (Miniminuteman on YouTube) and Flint Dibble (Cardiff University), participants will leave with an understanding of opportunities, challenges, and methods for creating engaging and accessible content. We will guide participants from an idea to a blueprint for producing a simple but effective archaeology video. The goal is to organize a follow-up online archaeology event where we all share and boost our videos, demonstrating the effectiveness of online archaeology outreach. We will discuss how to engage an audience, build online community, and make complex topics digestible for a mainstream viewership. We will examine the challenges of engaging with pseudoscience that proliferates in these spaces and how to approach it in an ethical manner. The group will brainstorm and refine video ideas and work together to plan out a group effort to jumpstart an ecosystem of archaeology creators. By using these tools, we can shift the tide of science denialism, increase archaeology knowledge, and make scholarship more accessible to everyone.

Learning Objective:

• Skills for writing accessible and informative scripts that appeal to a broad viewership;
• Training in practical knowledge for creating video content;
• Examining the ethical challenges that arise when engaging in the online world;
• Advising particiapnts on best practices for engaging with pseudoscience and misinformation;
• Building community among archaeology communicators; and
• Developing a cohesive and impactful archaeology ecosystem.
  

Friday, April 25

Google Earth Engine and GeeMap: Open Remote Sensing Data and Analysis for Archaeologists

8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.; 10 minimum, 12 maximum; free to members

Instructor: Carla Klehm

Remote sensing is emerging as a powerful technique to investigate cultural landscapes. However, archaeologists are often discouraged from using it due to the time and financial cost of training and also purchasing the appropriate hardware and software. Furthermore, potential users are often unaware of the variety of ways in which remote sensing may be used for their own research. In this coding workshop, participants will learn the fundamentals of remote sensing for archaeology using Google Earth Engine (GEE, not to be confused with Google Earth), a free cloud-based remote sensing client. It is intended for complete beginners, and no prior remote sensing, GIS, or coding skills are required. Furthermore, participants will learn to use GeeMap (Q. Wu, geemap: A Python package for interactive mapping with Google Earth Engine, Journal of Open Source Software 5(51):2305, 2020; https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.02305), an open Python-based environment for creating basic maps using GEE functions.

Learning Objectives:

• Query remotely sensed data stored on Google’s servers from a specific time and place, and display it in a way that removes cloud cover;
• Carry out basic remote sensing analyses; for example, time series for quantifying landscape change (e.g., erosion, desertification, urbanizations), vegetation patterns associated with past human activity, and more; and
• Present the data by creating basic cartographic products (maps with scale bars, coordinates, north arrows) and carrying out GEE functions using GeeMap.

Navigating Publication in Archaeology

1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.; 40 minimum; 50 maximum; $16.50 per participant

Instructors: Justin Bracken, Allyson Carter, Chip Colwell, Mary Puckett, Jerry Moore, Geoffrey McCafferty

This workshop will offer valuable insights for attendees regarding the process of successfully submitting for publication. Covering a range of outlets including scholarly journals, scholarly book publishers, and digital magazines, the workshop aims to demystify the publication process for archaeologists at various career stages and writing for different audiences (scholars, interested lay readers). Participants will learn best practices for manuscript preparation and submission, gain an understanding of different publishers’ expectations, and have their questions about the publishing process answered by experienced editors and authors. Whether you’re a graduate student or an established researcher writing for your peers or for the general public, this workshop provides essential guidance for navigating the diverse landscape of archaeological publishing.

Learning Objectives:

• Identifying appropriate publishers;
• Preparing a proposal, article, or book manuscript for submission; and
• What to expect from the process (timeline, stages, and steps).