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Office of the State Archaeologist
The Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) is an organized research unit of the University of Iowa first established in 1959. State law requires the State Board of Regents to appoint a State Archaeologist, who is a member of the Department of Anthropology. As in many other states, the State Archaeologist directs a program of statewide archaeological research, service, and education.
Education and outreach programming at OSA includes publications, curriculum resources, K-12 and adult presentations, Iowa Public Television and radio broadcasts, public site tours, field and laboratory opportunities, an interactive web site, and assistance to natural history organizations and Iowa tribes. OSA has reached three quarters of all Iowa counties over the past decade with face-to-face outreach presentations, and routinely sponsors approximately 200 outreach events each year. Radio broadcasts extend to all Iowa counties. Outreach and educational programming served over 370,000 Iowans during FY 2005. Education committee members also interact annually with the Iowa public at the University of Iowa’s booth at the Iowa State Fair.
The Office's premier outreach event is Iowa Archaeology Month, held for the past thirteen years in late summer or early fall at venues throughout the state. The annual event provides programming to foster understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of Iowa’s archaeological past. It has been recognized through Governor’s proclamation and has received awards from both Humanities Iowa and the Society for American Archaeology.
Iowa Archaeology Month 2005: Founding Figures in Iowa Archaeology commemorated the contributions of major founding figures in the study and preservation of the state’s archaeological past. Over fifty events were held in thirty communities statewide reaching audiences of near 30,000.
