76TH ANNUAL MEETING
November 6 to 9, 2019
Jackson, MS

The 2019 annual meeting will bring SEAC back to the Magnolia State for a third time, with this being its second time in Jackson (1991). Jackson was established in 1821 when the state capitol was moved from Natchez to a more central location on the Pearl River. The new city was named after then-Major General Andrew Jackson. It was captured twice by Grant’s army during the Vicksburg Campaign, and it earned the moniker “Chimneyville” after it was burned twice under the direction of W.T. Sherman. His second burning left it a “mass of charred ruins,” sparing only the Governor’s Mansion and what is now the Old Capitol. The Old Capitol was replaced in 1903 and is now maintained as a museum by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

MDAH recently opened two world-class museums, and we will hold our Thursday night reception in the atrium shared by the nationally acclaimed Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History. In addition to food and drink, attendees will be free to explore museum exhibits covering all aspects of Mississippi’s past. The city also boasts a variety of shopping options ranging from the Old House Depot, an architectural salvage store, to Forestry Suppliers, the go-to source for Marshaltown, Oakfield and other field equipment, with a show room where you can buy overstock from their catalogue sales.

There will be child care.

Hotel and Conference Venue

The meeting hotel is the Jackson Marriott (200 E. Amite Street). The Marriott is located in the heart of downtown Jackson within walking distance of the old and new capitols as well as restaurants, bars, and food trucks. For single and double occupancy, the nightly room rate is $139 (plus 11% local and state tax, plus $0.75 occupancy tax). The cutoff date for this rate is October 16. Room reservations can be made by phone (601-969-5100). Be sure to let them know that you are with the Southeastern Archaeological Conference when placing reservations.

More information and links to hotel registration can be found on the Conference Hotel page.

Conference Organizers

Jay Johnson, Maureen Meyers (Book Room Organizer), and Tony Boudreaux (Program Chair)
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
University of Mississippi
University, MS 38677
Email: sajay@olemiss.edu

Registration

Online meeting registration will open June 1. Registration deadline for papers and posters is August 31.

Registration until October 28
Regular Member: 100.00
Student Member: 50.00
Student Non-Member: 65.00
Non-Member: 135.00
Tribal Member: Free

Registration after October 28
Regular Member: 110.00
Student Member: 55.00
Student Non-Member: 75.00
Non-Member: 145.00
Tribal Member: Free
Guest Non-Archaeologist: 25.00

To register, visit the Meeting Registration page.

Meeting Code of Conduct

SEAC Meeting Code of Conduct (2019)

SEAC Safe Officer Program Information (2019)

Wednesday Afternoon Workshop

Navigating NEPA, Section 106, and Consultation: Examining and Discussing Case Studies, Successes and Struggles

Organizers: Patty Miller-Beech (Mississippi Department of Archives and History), Karen Brunso (Chickasaw Nation), and Jodi Jacobson (Texas State University)

When and Where: Wednesday November 6 from 1:00-5:00pm, Charlotte Capers Archives and History Building, 100 State Street, Jackson.

Description: Conversations about NEPA and Section 106 compliance attract a variety of interest groups and typically involve multiple state and federal agencies and Tribes, each serving a common goal of being stewards of the past. With this panel, we will bring together a range of perspectives, including tribal representatives, state and federal officials, and university affiliates. Conversation will center on several topics, including definitions of compliance and reasonable and good faith efforts, stewardship and ways to facilitate it, successful communication strategies, how our perspectives can change through time and experience, and other matters of community collaboration. A question and answer panel format will afford the opportunity for open conversation between all audience members and panel participants.

Contact Patty Miller-Beech for details and registration

Thursday Workshops and Special Events

Film Screening: The Ring People

When and Where: Thursday November 7 from 9am, Newbury Room

NAGPRA Workshop: Cultivating a Community of Practice for Southeastern NAGPRA Practitioners

Organizer: Amanda Roberts Thompson (University of Georgia), RaeLynn Butler (Muscogee Creek Nation), LeeAnne Wendt (Muscogee Creek Nation), and Jennifer Bedell (Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources)

When and Where: Thursday November 7 from 10:00am-1:00pm, Manchester I and II.

Description: Recognizing the need to initiate, develop, and sustain working relationships between practitioners of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, this interactive workshop is intended to be a first step in fostering a NAGPRA community of practice within the southeast. This interactive workshop will be facilitated by experienced practitioners representing tribes, federal agencies, curators and collections managers, and agencies and institutions considered to be museums. Participants will focus on common issues, practical advice, potential solutions, and the day to day realities of implementing NAGPRA. Workshop is limited to the first 50 people who sign up; however a waiting list will be available. Box lunch included. This event is sponsored by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Laboratory of Archaeology, University of Georgia; the SEAC Native American Affairs committee; and the Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Contact Amanda Thompson for more details and registration.

Tribal and SHPO Workshop

Organizer: Chip McGimsey (Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office)

When and Where: Thursday November 7 from 2:00-4:00pm, Manchester I and II.

Description: This workshop brings together staff from State Historic Preservation Offices and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices to discuss issues of mutual interest. The goal is for informal discussion on general and specific topics, and to consider methods, practices, and strategies that benefit all parties. Topics of interest may include but are not limited to: SHPO/Tribal coordination, Section 106 issues, archaeological methods/practices, and traditional cultural properties. While the workshop is aimed at SHPO and Tribal staff, all interested individuals are welcome to participate or just sit in.

Contact Chip McGimsey for more details and registration.

Thursday Evening Student Reception

When and Where: Thursday November 7 from 5:00-6:00pm, Manchester I and II.

Description: Networking reception for SEAC student members.

Contact Adam Coker for more details.

Thursday Evening Reception

We will hold our Thursday night reception in the atrium shared by the nationally acclaimed Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History. In addition to food and drink, attendees will be free to explore museum exhibits covering all aspects of Mississippi’s past.

Friday Workshops and Special Events

Southeastern Archaeological Mentoring Network Reception

Organizers: Meghan E. Buchanan (Auburn University), Jennifer Green (University of Tennessee), Elizabeth Watts Malouchos (Indiana University)

When and Where: Friday November 8 from 9:00-10:00am, Oxford.

Description: Networking reception for mentors and mentees in SEAC’s Southeastern Archaeological Mentoring Network.

Contact Meghan E. Buchanan for more details and registration.

What Can I Do to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Assault from Occurring at My Field School? A Workshop for Field School Directors and Graduate Assistants

Organizers: Shawn Lambert (Mississippi State University), Vanessa Hanvey (University of Kentucky), Carol Colaninno (Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville) and Jesse Nowak (University of Oklahoma)

When and Where: Friday November 8 from 10:00am-12:00pm, Newbury.

Description: In recent years, scholars have called attention to the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and assault in archaeology. Though our discipline has much to learn about the context, nature of, and means to prevent sexual harassment and assault, researchers have suggested steps that can help prevent these incidences from occurring in higher education broadly, some of which are applicable to the field school setting. In this workshop, designed for field school supervisors including faculty and graduate students, we review suggested practices and policies that you can implement to build a safe and supportive field school environment for all students free of sexual harassment and assault. We also review what supervisors should do if sexual harassment and assault does occur with a Title IX Coordinator.

Objectives include:
• Review suggested practices and policies that help prevent sexual harassment and assault in higher education and discuss putting these suggestions into action.
• How do I make my syllabus reflect the seriousness of sexual harassment and assault?
• What should I do if sexual harassment and assault does occur at my field school?

Contact Shawn Lambert for more information.

Student Workshop: What to Know about Sexual Harassment and Assault as I Prepare for Field School?

Organizers: Shawn Lambert (Mississippi State University), Vanessa Hanvey (University of Kentucky), Carol Colaninno (Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville) and Jesse Nowak (University of Oklahoma)

When and Where: Friday November 8 from 1:00-2:00pm, Newbury.

Description: Field schools generally are the first opportunity students have to participate in archaeological research. This can be a formative experience for many, but for others, their field school might be the first time students experience or witness sexual harassment and/or assault. This workshop, intended for students preparing to enroll in and attend a field school, will review what students should know about sexual harassment and assault at field schools. Topics to be discussed include: how can I determine if my field school is safe and what should I do if I experience or witness sexual harassment or assault.

Contact Shawn Lambert for more information.

Friday Evening Dance

The Friday night dance will feature The Pool who have played for us before, including in Macon (2000), Chattanooga (2001), and most recently in Nashville (2015).

Saturday Options

Mound Tour **SOLD OUT**

Sam Brookes will reprise the Delta mound tour led by Steve Williams when SEAC met in Jackson in 1991. We’re all a little older now but the mounds are about the same. Lake George, one of the stops on the tour, is a complex of large conical and platform mounds, surrounded by a ditch and berm. You’ve read the book, now see the site! The tour will leave at 12:30 pm and will include lunch.

Blues Tour

Scott Baretta will conduct a blues tour of the Jackson area, He is the host of the Highway 61 radio show, writer and researcher for the Mississippi Blues Trail, former editor of Living Blues magazine, and author of Mississippi: State of the Blues. The tour will leave at 12:30 pm and will include lunch.