2027 Conference: Austin, Texas

SOCIETY FOR HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY CONFERENCE CODE OF CONDUCT

PREAMBLE

The Society for Historical Archaeology is committed to providing a safe, respectful environment for all attendees at its conferences.  To that end, the SHA will work to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or any other category.  The SHA will not tolerate harassment in any form at any SHA-sponsored events.  This policy applies to all SHA members and non-members who participate in an SHA activity.

DEFINITION AND EXAMPLES OF IMPERMISSIBLE CONDUCT

Harassment includes offensive comments or behavior related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, technology choices, sexual images in public space, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.  Outside of research presentations that include specific considerations of sexuality or sexual representations in the past, sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks, workshops, parties, social media and other online media.

Harassment under this Policy refers to any behavior by an individual or group that contributes to a hostile, intimidating and/or unwelcoming environment.  Such conduct is harmful, disrespectful, and unprofessional. 

OBLIGATION

All participants and attendees at the conference accept the obligation to treat everyone with respect and civility and to uphold the rights of all participants and attendees, including SHA staff, temporary staff, contractors, volunteers and hotel staff, to be free from harassment.

Attendees are bound by the SHA Ethics Principles, the SHA Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Policy, and this Conference Code of Conduct.  Attendees should also be aware that they are also bound by the codes of conduct at their home institution(s).  This policy, which is consistent with the professional ethics statement of the SHA, does not supersede institutional codes but is intended to reinforce their message.

By obtaining SHA membership, registering to present or attend SHA meetings, members and participants commit to maintaining respectful and ethical relationships in accordance with this policy.  The SHA reserves the right to remove an individual violating this policy from the SHA annual conference without warning or refund and prohibit attendance at future SHA conferences and/or activities.

Should the SHA have concerns regarding an individual’s attendance at its conference creating a safety issue, the SHA can bar the individual from registering and attending the conference. In the case of proven violations that took place prior to the annual meeting and that have been reported and documented prior to pre-registration, proven harassers/assailants will be barred from participation.  Late and on-site registrations will be rescinded immediately should information be received documenting a proven violation.  The SHA will not conduct its own investigation but will accept the investigations of law enforcement agencies, RPA, universities, EEOC and employers.  Documented harassers/assailants should be identified to SHA staff or leadership by survivors or other reporters as early as possible.  Identification with documentation of adjudication needs to be provided to bar participation in SHA events. 

REPORTING AT THE CONFERENCE

Conference attendees, who experience or witness harassment as defined by this policy, or who are aware that a conference participant is currently or has been sanctioned for assault or harassment by an adjudicating body and can provide documentation of the outcome, are encouraged to contact one of the following:

1. SHA Executive Director directly at 240-753-4397;
2. A member of the SHA Board of Directors ; or
3. A member SHA Code of Conduct Committee, whose name and contact information are listed at the end of this document.

These individuals will provide appropriate support to those who witnessed or who have experienced harassment or feel unsafe for any reason at the conference.  The Executive Director or a member of the SHA Code of Conduct Committee will advise on the formal complaints process and, if requested, forward complaints to the full SHA Code of Conduct Committee for resolution. 

Formal complaints should be as specific as possible about how alleged behavior constitutes harassment, as defined in this SHA policy.   Any report received will remain confidential to the maximum extent possible when the SHA Code of Conduct Committee considers and investigates the complaint. 

The organizing committee of the 2027 Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology invites you to Austin, Texas, for the 60th annual SHA conference. The 2027 SHA conference will be held at the Austin Marriott Downtown in the heart of the city. Located on East Cesar Chavez in downtown Austin, the conference hotel is as close as it gets to some of the city’s best features, including historic institutions such as the state capitol, the haunted Driskill Hotel, the walking trails of Ladybird Lake and the Greenbelt, and live music and vibrant nightlife, all of which come together to define Austin’s “weird” cultural identity.

Our conference theme, Reflection on the Power of Place, invites you to consider how locations both create and conversely are shaped by culture. Through various forms of storytelling, collective action, and events, places can become powerful expressions of identity. In exploring this theme, we recognize that our inquiries are deeply rooted in the unique and diverse histories and identities of the places we study. The vast region that we today call Texas has served as a powerful anchor to Indigenous communities’ cultural and spiritual practices for millennia. Communities such as the Alabama-Coushatta, Caddo, Carrizo/Comecrudo, Coahuiltecan, Comanche, Karankawa, Kickapoo, Lipan Apache, Tonkawa, and Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo have and continue to define its cultural landscape.

Beyond that, Texas has seen many flags shape and reshape its culture and history. Between the Spanish and French Empires, the Mexican and Texas Republics, the United States, and the Confederacy, the geographic region that is Texas has long served as a backdrop through which global history has played out. Texas’ sense of place is embodied through its symbolism, architecture, and iconic landscapes. Its material record reflects the place-bound stories of those who experienced, responded to, and negotiated life within its boundaries.

Historical archaeology in Texas is an ever-growing and vibrant community of professionals who bring wide-ranging perspectives and expertise to the field. Educational institutions across the state, such as University of Texas at Austin and San Antonio, Texas Tech University, Texas State University, Southern Methodist University, and Rice University have long histories of pushing the frontiers of engaged research with descendant communities, answering important questions of early colonial encounters, and addressing more-recent issues of diasporic experiences. Texas A&M University boasts one of the oldest degree-granting programs in the United States for nautical archaeology. The Texas Historical Commission provides immense statewide support to research and preservation efforts through the documentation of over 88,000 archaeological sites across Texas. Building on this foundation, cultural resource management  and academic archaeologists have launched numerous projects across the state with recent and current projects at the Antioch Colony and Bolivar Archaeological Project, Washington-on-the-Brazos, and the Alamo. To explore earlier Indigenous histories in precolonial Texas, Caddo Mounds State Historic Site celebrates the rich lives of ancestral Caddo in northeast Texas.

The year 2027 marks the 60th anniversary of the SHA annual conference, an event that was born deep in the heart of Texas. Texas has played a role in some important firsts in the society’s history: the first annual conference was held at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas in 1967. Then in 1978, Kathleen Gilmore, an SMU-trained historical archaeologist specializing in Spanish-colonial Texas missions, became the society’s first female president, paving the way to further inclusivity in the society. These milestones continue to inspire our current efforts to foster diversity and innovation within the field. As historical archaeology continues to confront the ever-changing cultural climate, we invite you to look back to our own historical roots as the Society for Historical Archaeology. Through this conference’s sessions, social events, and field trips, we look forward to drawing on our disciplinary history to envision a better future together.

The organizing committee is excited to host the SHA conference back where it all began in Texas, and we look forward to reflecting on the influence that Austin and the state of Texas have on the future of archaeological praxis.

Conference Co-Chair: Rachel Feit (Acacia Heritage Consulting)
Program Co-Chair: Kelton Sheridan (Southern Methodist University)
Underwater Chair: Amy Borgens (Texas Historical Commission), Hunter Whitehead (Bearcat Maritime Heritage), Aleck Tan (Pacific Legacy, Inc.)
Terrestrial Co-Chairs: Tamra Walter (Texas Tech University), Aina Dodge (Texas Parks and Wildlife)
Local Arrangements Committee: Maximillian Hall (Acacia Heritage Consulting), Brad Jones (Texas Historical Commission), Sarah Chesney (Texas Historical Commission)
Workshops and Roundtable Lunch Coordinator: Jade Luiz (Metropolitan State University of Denver)

THE VENUE: AUSTIN MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN

The 2027 SHA conference will be held at the Austin Marriott Downtown in the heart of the city. Located on East Cesar Chavez in downtown Austin, the conference hotel is as close as it gets to some of the city’s best features, including historic institutions such as the state capitol, the haunted Driskill Hotel, the walking trails of Ladybird Lake and the Greenbelt, and live music and vibrant nightlife, all of which come together to define Austin’s “weird” cultural identity.

Reserve your room at the Austin Marriott Downtown at

The support of our conference sponsors is vitally important to the success of the SHA annual conference, allowing us to keep conference registration affordable and encourage maximum participation.  With several sponsorship levels and activities, you can tailor your sponsorship in a variety of ways, and if you have other sponsorship ideas, we’d love to discuss them with you.  If you have an idea, please contact SHA Headquarters (hq@sha.org) to start the discussions.

SHA offers a number of awards to students presenting at the SHA conference. These include the Ed and Judy Jelks Student Travel Awards, the SHA Québec City Award/Bourse de Québec, the Harriet Tubman Student Travel Award, the Robert L. Schuyler Student Travel Awards, and the Jamie Chad Brandon Student Paper Prize. In addition, the ACUA offers the George R. Fischer Student Travel Award and the ACUA & Recon Offshore Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Travel Award.

For information on these awards, application procedures, and deadlines, please visit https://sha.org/about-us/awards- and-prizes/ and https://acuaonline.org/acua-awards/.

Underwater Archaeology Proceedings 2027

Individuals presenting underwater archaeology papers are eligible to submit written versions of their papers to be considered for publication in the ACUA Underwater Archaeology Proceedings 2027. To be considered for inclusion in the proceedings, presenters must register to submit their intent to publish through the link on the ACUA website (www.acuaonline.org). Submitters are required to carefully follow the formatting and submission guidelines for the proceedings posted on the ACUA website. Watch for the Call for Papers that will be released after the 2027 Conference. For more information, visit the blog The ACUA Underwater Archaeology Proceedings: Share Your Research (https://acuaonline.org/deep-thoughts/the-acua-underwater-archaeology-proceedings-share-your-research/). If you have questions, contact Series Editors Dave Ball and Allyson Ropp (proceedings@acuaonline.org).

ACUA Archaeological Photo Festival Competition

The ACUA invites all SHA members and conference attendees to participate in the ACUA 2027 Archaeological Photo Festival and People’s Choice Competition. Photos relating to either underwater or terrestrial archaeology may be submitted. The deadline for entry is 1 December 2026. Images will be displayed on the ACUA website and winning entries announced during the SHA conference. Please consult the ACUA website for further information and to download details of entry, digital uploads, and payment (www.acuaonline.org).

Historical archaeologists study, interpret, and preserve archaeological sites, artifacts and documents from or related to literate societies over the past 600 years for the benefit of present and future peoples. In conducting archaeology, individuals incur certain obligations to the archaeological record, colleagues, employers, and the public. These obligations are integral to professionalism. This document presents ethical principles for the practice of historical archaeology. All members of The Society for Historical Archaeology, and others who actively participate in society-sponsored activities, shall support and follow the ethical principles of the society. All historical archaeologists and those in allied fields are encouraged to adhere to these principles. SHA is a sponsoring organization of the Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA). SHA members are encouraged to join the RPA and SHA will use the RPA grievance process for ethics grievances.

Principle 1—Historical archaeologists have a duty to adhere to professional standards of ethics and practices in their research, teaching, reporting, and interactions with the public.

Principle 2—Historical archaeologists have a duty to encourage and support the long-term preservation and effective management of archaeological sites and collections, from both terrestrial and underwater contexts, for the benefit of humanity.

Principle 3—Historical archaeologists have a duty to disseminate research results to scholars in an accessible, honest and timely manner.

Principle 4—Historical archaeologists have a duty to collect data accurately during investigations so that reliable data sets and site documentation are produced, and to see that these materials are appropriately curated for future generations.

Principle 5—Historical archaeologists have a duty to respect the individual and collective rights of others and to not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, place of birth and/or physical disabilities. Structural and institutional racism, male privilege and gender bias, white privilege, and inequitable treatment of others are prevalent and persistent issues in modern culture. Historical archaeologists have an obligation to treat everyone with dignity and respect and to adhere to zero tolerance against all forms of discrimination and harassment.

Principle 6—Historical archaeologists shall not sell, buy, trade, or barter items from archaeological contexts. Historical archaeologists shall avoid assigning commercial value to historic artifacts except in circumstances where valuation is required for the purposes of appraisal and insurance or when valuation is used to discourage site vandalism.

Principle 7—Historical archaeologists have a duty to encourage education about archaeology, strive to engage citizens in the research process and publicly disseminate the major findings of their research, to the extent compatible with resource protection and legal obligations.

Airport

Austin-Bergstrom Airport (AUS)—AUS is located 6.5 miles from the Austin Marriott Downtown and features the Barbara Jordan Terminal and the South Terminal. Austin’s public transportation provider CapMetro bus connects AUS to downtown Austin. Rideshare and taxi services are also readily available. (Details below.)

Ground Transportation (from AUS)

Public Transportation—CapMetro (https://www.capmetro.org/) connects downtown Austin and Austin-Bergstrom Airport (AUS). CapMetro runs every 15 minutes from 4:55 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. every day including holidays. The CapMetro bus services the Barbara Jordan Terminal at the Ground Transportation Center. The Route 20 bus will transport from the ABIA Lower Level stop at the Austin-Bergstrom Airport and has stops throughout downtown. Lavaca/4th will be closest to the conference hotel. Tickets are available for $1.25 at the door.

Rideshare (Uber/Lyft/etc.): Use rideshare service apps to book a ride to and from Austin-Bergstrom Airport. Passengers can only meet their driver within the designated rideshare area that is located under the Consolidated Rental Car Facility, north or behind the Red Garage. You can find a map here.

Taxis and Luxury Sedans: Convenient, on-demand transportation is minutes away with ATX Co-Op Taxi, Central City Taxi, and Z-Trip. Request transportation from the airport to other points in the region day or night. Taxi pick-up is located near the rideshare area, under the Consolidated Rental Car Facility, north or behind the Red Garage.

• ATX Co-Op Taxi: 512.333.5555
• Central City Taxi: 512.400.4044
• Z-Trip: 512.452.9999

Car Rental: Austin-Bergstrom Airport provides access to most major rental car agencies, which offer a wide selection of vehicles. For contact information for each of these companies, please follow this link.

Once you have collected your baggage, cross the street and walk through the parking garage, following signs to Ground Transportation. An electric tram is available if needed on the lower level of the parking garage across from the terminal.

Train

Austin is serviced by an active Amtrak station. The train station is located at 250 N. Lamar Blvd, located 1.2 miles from the conference hotel. The station offers a waiting room for riders, parking, and checked bag service.

The CapMetro Red Line rail offers transport between downtown Austin to north and northeast Austin. A single ride ticket is $3.50.

Bus

Austin has a variety of bus companies that provide transport between major cities in Texas. These include Greyhound, Vonlane, Red Coach, and FlixBus. Bus stations for these companies include Austin Eastside Bus Plaza and Downtown Austin (9th St).

Ground Transportation (Around the City)

Public Transportation: CapMetro bus service operates a large network of buses and the Red Line rail. Their website provides schedules, maps, and fare information. The CapMetro app makes real-time planning easier.

Rideshare: Uber and Lyft are operational in Austin.

Taxicabs: Taxicabs are usually plentiful and can be hailed by the hotel staff.

E-bikes and e-scooters: For shorter rides between close destinations, there are many opportunities to hop on an e-bike or an e-scooter that is hosted through third-party apps.

The call for papers will be posted at https://sha.org/conferences/. This website will provide regularly updated information, including links to hotel reservations, travel tips, travel award applications, volunteer forms, and other pertinent information. The online abstract submission system can be accessed at https://www.conftool.com/sha2027.

Be sure to follow the 2027 conference on Facebook and other SHA social media using the hashtag #SHA2027 to find useful apps and links.

Any questions about SHA 2027 Austin can be sent to the Conference Chair, Rachel Feit, at the general program e-mail address: shaAustin2027@gmail.com.