PAC is non-profit organization that was established in 1988 as a statewide group of professional archaeologists dedicated to promoting Pennsylvania Archaeology.
Our Purpose and Goals:
- To actively promote legislation in the best interests of archaeology in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- To assist and advise state and federal agencies within the Commonwealth in matters pertaining to historic and archaeological preservation and to encourage the highest standards of professionalism in such matters
- To promote informed and creative archaeological research and to provide a vehicle for its dissemination
- To promote the education of both the public and private sectors in all archaeological matters
- To establish ethical and research standards for the conduct of archaeology in the Commonwealth
- To provide both scientific and moral leadership in all archaeological matters in the Commonwealth
Activities
PAC holds two business meetings each year which provide professional archaeologists with both formal and informal opportunities for communication. The fall business meeting and afternoon program is typically held in Harrisburg in conjunction with the State Museum’s Workshops in Archaeology. The Spring business meeting is held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA).
PAC organizes an annual spring symposium held as the opening session of the SPA meeting. Symposium topics are centered on the task of reviewing the state of knowledge about particular periods in Pennsylvania culture history. Avocational archaeologists, professionals, and students are encouraged to attend. Papers from these symposia are currently being prepared for publication as part of the series Recent Research in Pennsylvania Archaeology.
PAC also actively monitors what is happening in compliance archaeology within the Commonwealth and consults with state and federal agencies concerning policy. PAC serves as a consulting party for a number of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation projects. The organization works to be a voice for archaeological concerns in legislative matters. PAC maintains an alert network through e-mail through which information about matters of concern can be circulated among the members.
