Conferences
MOBILITY
2026 Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology
January 7-10, 2026
Detroit, Michigan
Call for Papers opens May 1, 2025.
The submission deadline for the 2026 Call for Papers has been extended to July 15, 2025.
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:
- SHA Executive Director directly at 240-753-4397;
- A member of the SHA Board of Directors ; or
- 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.
Rebecca Graff
Associate Professor of Anthropology, Lake Forest College
Madeline Roth
Maritime Archaeologist/PhD Candidate, East Carolina University
Jade Luiz
Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Samantha Ellens
Archaeology Collections Manager, Michigan State University Museum
Preservation Associate, Preservation Detroit
Nathan Nietering
Project Coordinator, Michigan State Historic Preservation Office
Download the SHA 2026 Call for Paper
There are two important options for the 2025 Conference, as follows:
- OPEN vs. CLOSED SYMPOSIA. Symposium organizers can choose whether their session is “open” to additional presenters in the session or “closed” to additional presenters. Organizers will need to indicate this when they submit their session. For OPEN symposia, the title, abstract and organizer contact information will be posted to the SHA Conference page at https://sha.org/conferences/. Individuals interested in submitting their paper to a particular “open” symposium must contact the organizer to request permission to submit to the session prior to submitting their abstract. The Conference Program Committee may also assign relevant general submissions to an open symposium, subject to the approval of the organizers. For CLOSED symposia, only presenters identified by the organizer at the time the session abstract is submitted will present in that session.
- IN-PERSON vs. PRE-RECORDED PRESENTATION. You will be asked to indicate whether you will be presenting your paper/session in person at the conference in Detroit or whether you wish to pre-record your paper/session and have it uploaded to a website platform for viewing by conference registrants. All forum and poster presentations must be in-person. It is at the discretion of a symposium organizer or general submission paper author as to whether their contribution is pre-recorded or in-person, but there will be no mixing and matching of formats within a session. This means that all papers in an in-person symposium must be presented by an individual in Detroit; no pre-recorded presentations will be permitted for in-person symposia (or vice versa). All pre-recorded papers and sessions will be included in the conference program.
Submit your abstract at: www.conftool.com/sha2026
For questions on the Call for Papers, contact the 2026 Program Chairs at shaDetroit2026@hotmail.com
Symposium organizers can now choose whether their symposium is closed or open to other submissions. If a session is designated as ‘open’ by the symposium organizer, then other authors can submit individual papers to that session once approval has been given by the symposium organizer; the 2026 Program Committee may also direct appropriate papers to the session. Additional papers will be subject to approval by the symposium organizer. Please contact the symposium organizer directly by email before submitting your abstract to an open symposium.
Title: Mobility in French America
Organizers: Andrew R. Beaupre andrew.beaupre@maine.gov, Erika K. Hartley erika.k.loveland@wmich.edu
Abstract: During the exploration and colonization of the New World, the theme of “mobility” can be recognized across the Americas. The French navigated vast territories and diverse social settings, where resourcefulness and adaptability contributed to their survival and success. Landscapes, material culture, and identities were often manipulated and transformed, resulting in social impacts on the French and Indigenous peoples that lasted beyond the colonial era and can be seen today. Participants are invited to discuss their colonial research with an emphasis on mobile aspects recognized in the archaeological record.
Title: Hearts in Transit: Emotional Journeys in Historical Archaeology
Organizers: Tania Casimiro tania.casimiro@gmail.com, Susana Pacheco susanalfsdpacheco@hotmail.com
Abstract: This session explores the emotional dimensions of mobility in historical archaeology. While movement across landscapes, borders, or social roles is a core theme in archaeology, its emotional aspects are often overlooked. How did people feel when they moved? What material traces reflect emotions like longing, grief, relief, or hope? We invite papers that engage with the affective experiences of mobility: migration, forced displacement, travel, exile, and return. Topics may include emotional attachments to place, identity in motion, memory and mourning, or the sensory and material expressions of emotional resilience. By focusing on emotional mobility, this session seeks to explore understandings of past lives and mobilities, and to explore new ways to interpret the entanglement of movement, material culture, and affect.
Title: Digital Historical Archaeological Data
Organizer: Paulina F. Przystupa ciszka@opencontext.org
Abstract: This session will explore the diverse digital data literacies of historical archaeological research. Digital data increasingly inform how people understand the stories, histories, and lived experience of the past. In recent years, historical archaeologists have developed a wide variety of technological and data-oriented projects to better understand the past and steward existing historical archaeological collections. However, to make these data more democratic, accountable, and available, historical archaeologists need to make these resources more accessible. By discussing these data, and how to educate with them, this session will demonstrate how research of the historical period provides a unique opportunity to develop critical archaeological data literacy skills. The papers in this session, which explore topics such as open source mapping and community engagement with cultural heritage data, aim to demonstrate how we can create greater data literacy for the benefit of historical archaeology now and in the future.
Title: The Potteries: The Heritage, Archaeology, and History of Stoke-on-Trent and the North Staffordshire Ceramics Industry
Organizer: Alasdair Brooks alasdair.brooks@re-form.org
Abstract: The city of Stoke-on-Trent was the centre of the British ceramics industry from the second half of the 18th century into the 20th century. The pottery produced in Stoke was traded and consumed globally, and has had a global impact on the archaeological record. This session explores recent studies on the archaeology, built heritage, and museum collections of Stoke-on-Trent, while also offering the opportunity to link to the impact of that industry on other parts of the world, particularly North America. The happy coincidence that the 2026 SHA conference takes place in another post-industrial city deeply impacted by its traditional industry, while 2025 marked the centenary of Stoke-on-Trent achieving city status, offers the perfect opportunity to reflect on the significance of Stoke’s heritage and archaeology in the UK and further afield.
Title: Revisiting the Archaeology of Borders
Organizers: Misty M. Jackson mjackson@arbrecroche.com, Mark Howe mlhowe1@hotmail.com
Abstract: In 2009 the SHA’s conference in Toronto explored the theme “The Ties that Divide: Trade, Conflict, and Borders.” Given Detroit’s geographical position, this symposium seeks to revisit the theme of borders while also exploring the 2026 conference theme of mobility across them. Theory on borders has been increasingly explored since the late twentieth century, and current political events continue to bring attention globally to boundaries between nations. The symposium welcomes a broad range of contributions that examine any aspect of borders and frontiers, past and present. Topics may range from international political challenges as they relate to or are evidenced in the archaeological record including but not limited to sites such as forts and issues of cultural patrimony including implications of NAGPRA across political borders.
Title: Spotlight on Graduate Student Research: Symposium Sponsored by the ACUA
Organizers: River Rivera michaelarivera@tamu.edu, Christina Guidici cguidici@uwm.edu
Abstract: In lieu of a panel, this year, the ACUA Graduate Student Associates have decided to chair an open symposium focusing on Graduate Student research. This offers the opportunity for students to have a spotlight on their research without having to fit within the confines of a specific session. These bodies of work come from various archaeological periods and from various regions around the world focusing on any aspect of maritime or underwater archaeology. Participants must present their papers in person.
Title: Investigations of 15th-16th century Shipwrecks in the Americas
Organizers: Charles Beeker cbeeker@iu.edu, Sarah Muckerheide smmucker@iu.edu
Abstract: The 15th and 16th centuries marked transformative periods in maritime history, defined by European exploration and the development of transoceanic trade routes. The Americas became a focal point of these voyages, with numerous ships meeting their end along its coasts and waters. Despite archival evidence documenting hundreds of transatlantic journeys, fewer than twenty shipwreck sites from this era have been conclusively identified in the Americas. These shipwrecks offer invaluable insights into maritime technologies, colonial interactions, and the emergence of global trade networks. This session explores ongoing studies of these shipwrecks, emphasizing their significance in understanding the complex interplay of exploration, exploitation, and cultural exchange that shaped the early modern world.
Title: Recent Findings in Maritime and Terrestrial Archaeology of WWII in the Pacific
Organizers: Lucas S. Simonds lsimonds@iaoceania.com, Matthew F. Napolitano mnapolitano@iaoceania.com
Abstract: World War II has long been a focus of archaeologists working in the Pacific, whether searching for the remains of missing service members, studying battlefield landscapes, seeking sunken vessels, or interpreting the formation processes of sites damaged by the conflict. This work continues, bringing proven strategies to uninvestigated areas and testing novel methods to yield new data from known sites. This symposium brings together papers from recent terrestrial and underwater investigations around the Pacific islands to discuss the latest contributions this archaeological record. These papers cover a variety of locations from the Solomon Islands to the Marianas and in between, as well as differing research orientations, including missions for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, compliance-driven surveys, and academic projects. Results of these projects improve our understanding of the most significant conflict in this region and set the stage for future work to deepen our knowledge and expand in new directions.
Title: 250 Years of U.S. Navy History Through the Lens of Maritime Archaeology
Organizers: Alexis Catsambis alexis.catsambis.civ@us.navy.mil, George Schwarz george.r.schwarz2.civ@us.navy.mil
Abstract: The Continental Navy was established on October 13, 1775 marking this year as the U.S. Navy’s semiquincentennial. Over the last 250 years, the Navy has transitioned from a small sailing force, through the age of steam and ironclads, to nuclear powered submarines and aircraft flown from aircraft carriers. Each key age, transition, evolution, and development is reflected in the material culture it left behind; an assemblage that encompasses nearly 3,000 shipwrecks and over 20,000 aircraft wrecks located across the globe. This session is dedicated to case studies associated with the management, research, preservation and interpretation of sunken military craft spanning the U.S. Navy’s history.
Title: The Conservation of Materials from Underwater Sites
Organizer: Chris Dostal dostalc@tamu.edu
Abstract: The conservation of archaeological materials from submerged sites brings in unique challenges not present in terrestrial archaeological conservation. Storage, pre-treatment, conservation strategies, and curation strategies all have to be tailored to contend with the way different materials degrade in water. Significant strides have been made in recent decades to overcome several of the more serious issues that have plagued conservators, but there are plenty of new challenges ahead, especially as more modern materials begin to fall into the archaeological record. This session is a broad forum to highlight recent developments in methodological approaches, some of the challenges facing conservators, and interesting case studies related to the conservation of archaeological materials from underwater sites.
Title: Doomed to Repeat?: Excavating Contemporary Issues in 20th Century Contexts
Organizer: Katrina C. L. Eichner, katrinae@uidaho.edu
Organizer: Holly Herbster hherbster@palinc.com
Organizers: Sara Ayers-Rigsby sayersrigsby@fau.edu, Audrey Andrews audreyandrews@unr.edu
Organizer: Eric A. Rodriguez-Delgado earodrig@ucsd.edu
Title: Understanding the Overseer
Organizer: Terry P. Brock brockt@wfu.edu
Title: Mobility, Borderlands, and the Commons: Archaeological Perspectives
Organizers: Jodi Barnes barnesj@dnr.sc.gov, Kendy Altizer kendy.altizer@ung.edu
Organizers: Ian Kuijt ian.kuijt.1@nd.edu, Meredith S. Chesson Meredith.Chesson.3@nd.edu
Title: Artifacts are Enough: Interpretative Approaches to Historic Material Culture
Organizer: Richard Veit rveit@monmouth.edu
Abstract: Artifacts are basic building blocks of archaeological interpretations. This session celebrates the artifact, whether individually or as part of larger assemblages. Innovative approaches to artifact analysis are explored from high-tech analytical studies to humanistic contextual interpretations. Archaeologists in the 1960s and 1970s increasingly eschewed artifact studies as they focused on hypothesis testing and the search for cultural laws. This session recenters the artifact as central to archaeology.
Organizer: Alicia D. Odewale dig2rewrite@gmail.com
All conference sessions will be held at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center at 400 Renaissance Drive. The riverfront hotel welcomes you with a contemporary design, a newly renovated modern lobby, and the Fuell restaurant. The 73-story conference hotel offers rooms with spectacular views of the city, Detroit River, and Canada. SHA has reserved a limited number of rooms for the conference at a rate of US$180 per night (plus state and local taxes – 15%) for single or double occupancy. Subject to the availability of rooms in the SHA block, this rate will be available from Monday, 5 January through Sunday, 11 January 2026, and will expire if not booked before 15 December 2025. Please note that any changes in departure date made after check-in may result in an early departure fee.
https://book.passkey.com/go/SHAAnnualConference
Check-In: Check-in time is 4:00 PM, and check-out time is 11:00 AM. For contactless arrival, use Mobile Check-In and Mobile Key through the Marriott Bonvoy app if you’re a Bonvoy member.
Food & Beverage: The hotel restaurant and bar, Fuell, is currently open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Motor City Pantry opens daily from 6:00 AM – midnight and offers grab-and-go options. Illy Cafe is currently open daily from 6:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Housekeeping: The hotel has resumed providing daily stayover housekeeping service. If you need extra towels or any additional amenities, they are available at the front desk for pick-up, or you may dial “0” from any house phone to request these items be delivered to your hotel room.
Wi-Fi: $14.95 a day. Complimentary Basic Internet in guest rooms with individual Bonvoy membership. You can join by using this link: http://www.joinmarriottbonvoy.com/DTWDT
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be made 48 hours prior to arrival. Please note that we will assess a one-night fee if you cancel after the deadline.
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.
Download the SHA 2026 Sponsorship Form.
The SHA 2026 Conference will feature a Book Room with exhibits of products, services, and publications from companies and other organizations in the archaeological community. The SHA welcomes exhibitors, who share its mission and agree with its Ethics Principles, the SHA Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Policy, and its Conference Code of Conduct, at the 2026 Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, January 7-10, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.
Download the 2026 SHA Conference Exhibitor Prospectus here.
https://book.passkey.com/go/SHAAnnualConference
Check-In: Check-in time is 4:00 PM, and check-out time is 11:00 AM. For contactless arrival, use Mobile Check-In and Mobile Key through the Marriott Bonvoy app if you’re a Bonvoy member.
Food & Beverage: The hotel restaurant and bar, Fuell, is currently open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Motor City Pantry opens daily from 6:00 AM – midnight and offers grab-and-go options. Illy Cafe is currently open daily from 6:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Housekeeping: The hotel has resumed providing daily stayover housekeeping service. If you need extra towels or any additional amenities, they are available at the front desk for pick-up, or you may dial “0” from any house phone to request these items be delivered to your hotel room.
Wi-Fi: $14.95 a day. Complimentary Basic Internet in guest rooms with individual Bonvoy membership. You can join by using this link: http://www.joinmarriottbonvoy.com/DTWDT
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be made 48 hours prior to arrival. Please note that we will assess a one-night fee if you cancel after the deadline.