News & Announcements

The Metropolitan Chapter is partnering with the AIA-NY Society to create a joint scholarship for student research on the archaeology of New York City. The specifics of the scholarship, including links to the application, are detailed below. The scholarship recipient will receive a one-year NYSAA membership to be paid by the MET Chapter and is expected to produce a short article that will appear in both the AIA-NY Society and NYSSA newsletters. At present, the scholarship is a one-time thing. However, the scholarship could become an annual event if there is sufficient interest and it proves a fruitful collaboration. Submitted by Jessica and Meredith Linn, Co-Presidents of the Metropolitan Chapter, New York State Archaeological Association.

The New York Society of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIANYS) and the Metropolitan Chapter of the New York State Archaeological Association (NYSAA) are offering a $1,500 scholarship to a student in support of archival, collections or field-based research, scientific analysis or a public outreach project primarily focused on New York City-based archaeology. The scholarship program is administered and overseen by both organizations working in collaboration for the first time.

We are pleased to announce a new joint scholarship for research on the archaeology of New York City! (125.8 KiB)

New York State Archaeological Association

106th Annual Meeting

May 2-4, 2025

Niagara Riverside Resort

7001 Buffalo Ave., Niagara Falls, New York, 14304

The Frederick Houghton Chapter is proud to host the 106th annual meeting of the New York State Archaeological Association and the annual Spring meeting of the New York Archaeological Council, May 2 – 4, 2025. NYAC will meet on Friday May 2. The NYSAA annual business meeting will be Friday evening, with paper presentations during the day on Saturday and Sunday morning. The annual banquet, awards ceremony, and banquet speaker will be Saturday evening. Our banquet speaker is Kelly Berliner, Eastern Regional Director of the Archaeological Conservancy. All events will be at the Niagara Riverside Resort, 7001 Buffalo Ave., Niagara Falls, NY.

This is a call for anyone interested in presenting a paper or poster pertaining to the archaeology of New York. Given the location of the conference on the border with Canada, we also welcome contributions on the Niagara region of Ontario. Presenters must be members of the NYSAA. Student At-Large Membership is $10 and Individual At-Large membership is $20, see the NYSAA Member at Large Form. On co-authored papers/posters, the lead author must be a member. Presentations should be 20 minutes in length. Individuals are limited to one paper or poster, although individuals may co-author multiple papers. Submissions along with registration must be received by April 1. Registration information will be available online at nysarchaeology.org/conference Please send your title, abstract (under 200 words), affiliation (chapter and/or institution), and contact information to Bill Engelbrecht, engelbwe@gmail.com.

  2025 Call for Papers – New York State Archaeological Association (45.8 KiB)

Announcing the Funk Foundation’s 2024-25 Research Grant Cycle

The Robert E. Funk Memorial Archaeology Foundation, Inc., announces its 2024-2025 grant application and funding cycle for research grants of up to $2,500. The Funk Foundation supports archaeological research conducted in New York State or on archaeological collections from New York State. Grants can be used to support small stand-alone archaeological research projects or studies that are parts of larger investigations. Previous Funk Foundation grants have funded a range of research projects including artifact collections studies, faunal analysis, radiocarbon dating, artifact petrography, stone tool microwear, remote sensing, and isotopic and geochemical analyses.

Grant applications for the 2024-2025 funding cycle must be received by October 15, 2024. Applications will be reviewed in a competitive process by the Funk Foundation Board of Directors. Award decisions will be made by November 15, 2024. Guidelines and format for grant applications can be found at www.funkfoundation.org. For additional questions, please email Jon Lothrop, President, Funk Foundation Board of Directors, at Jonathan.Lothrop@NYSED.Gov or call (518) 486-2992.

Funk Foundation’s 2024-25 Research Grant (111.0 KiB)

Sherene Baugher, NYSAA President, has relayed a message that longtime member of NYSAA, Peter Pratt, died on Friday, July 12^th.  Greg Sohrweide from the Beauchamp Chapter will send a newspaper obituary as soon as it is published that can be shared to members.

The New York Archaeological Council is sad to announce the sudden passing of our member, Charles “Chuck” Vandrei. Chuck served as Historic Preservation Officer for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation for many years. In the course of his life, he made many friends in our field and will be sorely missed. Arrangements will be announced at a later date.

Update:

Obituary for Charles E. Vandrei Jr. at Bond Funeral Home

The June issue of the African Diaspora Archaeology Network Newsletter is available for free at the following link http://www.diaspora.illinois.edu/news0624/news0624.html

2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE
NEW YORK STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

May 2 – 4, 2025
Niagara Falls, New York

The 2025 annual meeting of the New York State Archaeological Association will occur May 2 – 4 at the Niagara Riverside Resort, Niagara Falls, U.S. The hotel will reserve a block of 75 rooms at $119 a night for the meeting until a month before the event. After that the room rate cannot be guaranteed. Kelly Berliner, Eastern Regional Director of the Archaeological Conservancy, will be the banquet speaker. For more information, contact Bill Engelbrecht, engelbwe@gmail.com.

Ulster County County Truth and Reconciliation Commission launched a new website, Bearing Witness: Exploring the Legacy of Enslavement in Ulster County, New York, documenting the history of slavery in Ulster County by going through the county archives. The website is a record of what they found.

Visitors can search databases on enslaved people who were sold in the county, who went to church there, who tried to run away, who were killed, or who ultimately gained their freedom. A map on the new website shows where enslaved people lived in historic homes across the county.

Ulster County Truth and Reconciliation – Legacies of Enslavement in New York’s Ulster County