Society for Historical Archaeology

The Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) is a professional organization of scholars concerned with the archaeology of the modern world (15th century-present). Founded in 1967, the SHA promotes scholarly research and the dissemination of knowledge pertaining to historical archaeology. The society is specifically interested in the identification, excavation, interpretation, and conservation of sites and materials on land and underwater. It is the largest such organization in the world and the third-largest anthropological organization in the United States.
According to its Constitution,
The SHA’s “Ethical Principles of The Society for Historical Archaeology” provide further guidance to society members, historical archaeologists, and those in allied fields regarding one’s ethical obligations to the archaeological record, colleagues, employers, and the public.
With the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the United States’ approaching Bicentennial, the mid-twentieth century witnessed a renewed interest in colonial America and a growing scholarly interest in the archaeology of the modern world. These trends encouraged the development of a professional organization devoted to the study and practice of historical archaeology.
At the 1958 Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association in Washington, D.C., John L. Cotter chaired a symposium on the Role of Archaeology in Historical Research. Cotter, Edward B. Jelks, Edward Larrabee, and Stanley South subsequently discussed forming a society devoted to historical archaeology. Jelks, following a second such discussion at the meeting of the Central States Anthropological Society in St. Louis in 1966, began to plan an “International Conference on Historical Archaeology." That conference was held January 6–7, 1967, at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. The conference drew 112 attendees, with 17 papers by scholars including Charles Cleland, James Deetz, Bernard Fontana, J.C. "Pinky" Harrington, and Roderick Sprague. The SHA was officially incorporated on April 1, 1968, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and John Cotter was elected to serve as its first president.
SHA publishes its peer-reviewed journal Historical Archaeology quarterly with online publication of Book Reviews and Technical Briefs. The SHA reader series, Perspectives from Historical Archaeology, offers subject matter and regional selections of articles published in Historical Archaeology.
The SHA Newsletter is published quarterly in March, June, October, and December. The SHA also maintains a blog where members and non-members read, share, and discuss topics posted by SHA leadership.
The Society presents several awards, medals and travel stipends yearly, including:
After the 1967 conference in Dallas, the Society’s first annual meeting took place in 1968 in Williamsburg, Virginia. The table below shows the meeting locations and dates since 2007.
The Society, in association with the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology, also organises the annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, which takes place every January for the delivery of papers and symposia as well as social and professional interaction.
The 2022-2023 SHA leadership is as follows:
Historical archaeology