Annual Meeting and Conference

THE 76th ANNUAL MEETING & CONFERENCE
Pensacola, Florida – May 10-12, 2024

By Land & Sea

This year’s conference will be held at the University of West Florida’s Downtown Campus in historic Pensacola. Participants can enjoy a free Friday reception and Saturday night’s award banquet at Apple Annie’s, in the Seville Quarter entertainment complex, which includes historic structures and architectural features from across the Gulf coast. Sunday morning tours will highlight the unique archaeology of Pensacola.


The FAS 76th Annual Meeting will have special co-hosts, the Pensacola Archaeological Society, Florida Public Archaeology Network, University of West Florida, and Alabama Archaeological Society (AAS). This year AAS will combine their summer meeting with the FAS annual meeting.

CLICK TO VIEW LOCATIONS MAP

 

The 76th FAS meeting will be held in historic Pensacola, Florida, on the University of West Florida’s Downtown Campus. Meeting spaces include the classrooms in UWF Historic Trust’s Bowden Building , the Florida Public Archaeology Network’s Coordinating Center classroom, UWF Historic Trust Museum of Commerce, and UWF Historic Trust Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center . All meeting spaces are within walking distance of each other, as well as within walking distance of several hotels, restaurants, and local shops.  Parking information can be found at https://www.cityofpensacola.com/3128/Parking-Management


Registration for the annual meeting is now open. Please use one of the buttons above to register . For general registration, cost is $55 for members and $70 for non-members. The student rate is $20 (students are required to upload a picture of their current student ID). These prices are effective until April 1, 2024, the deadline to pre-register. Registration after this date will be accepted at an increased rate of $65, $80 and $30, respectively.


Registration, Vendor Room, and Poster Sessions
The Museum of Commerce will serve as the conference center, housing Conference Registration, Vendor/Book Room, and Poster Session. This space will be open from 8:00 am -5:00 pm.

Paper Presentations & Discussion Sessions
Morning and afternoon paper presentations and discussion sessions will take place in the J. Earle Bowden Building and Voices of Pensacola from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

FAS Chapter Representative Lunch & Workshop
FAS Chapter Representatives from across the state at 12:00 pm for a working lunch in the Florida Public Archaeology Network Classroom. Lunch will be provided. Chapter Representative registration is required.

Annual Business and New Board Meetings
The Annual FAS Business and New Board meetings will take place at 4:15pm in the J. Earle Bowden Building. Per FAS by-laws, a member quorum is necessary to conduct these meetings.

No conference hotel has been designated for this meeting. Participants are encouraged to book lodging of their choice in and around Palafox Street. While this allows participants to have many options based on budget and desired amenities, it does require that participants book early! There is ample parking downtown, either at very little cost or free. If possible, however, we encourage you to find lodging within walking distance of Palafox Street to take full advantage of this beautiful, historic city.

Sole Inn and Suites

0.6 miles to meeting   |  $195-$265

200 N Palafox St., Pensacola, Florida  |  (850) 470-9298

New World Inn

0.3 miles to meeting  |  Call for rates

600 South Palafox St., Pensacola, FL 32502  |  (850) 432-4111

Lily Hall Boutique Lodging House

0.9 miles to meeting  |  $159-$199

415 N Alcaniz St., Pensacola, FL 32501  |  (850) 304-7944

Pensacola Victorian Bed and Breakfast

0.8 miles to meeting  |  $100-$175

203 W Gregory St., Pensacola, FL 32502  |  (850) 434-2818

Holiday Inn Express Pensacola Downtown

0.1 miles  to meeting  |  $270-$290

101 East Main St., Pensacola, FL 32502  |  (850) 433-2231

Courtyard by Marriott Pensacola Downtown

1.1 miles to meeting  |  $210-$240

700 E Chase St., Pensacola, FL 32502  |  (850) 439-3330

Hilton Garden Inn Pensacola Downtown

0.8 miles to meeting  |  $260-$295

8 S 9th Avenue, Pensacola, FL, 32502  |  (850) 438-7900

WELCOME RECEPTION

Florida Archaeological Council Stewards of Heritage Awards Ceremony

All conference attendees are invited to the Welcome Reception and FAC Stewards of Heritage Awards Ceremony at the Museum of Commerce on Friday, May 10 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. The Stewards of Heritage Award is presented to individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to aid archaeological preservation, further research, educate or otherwise promote public awareness of Florida archaeology. Drinks and light hors d’oeuvres provided. Free for all conference registrants.

PAPERS, POSTERS, AND ORGANIZED SESSIONS

The Florida Anthropological Society invites the submission of abstracts for paper and poster presentations at the 76th Annual Meeting in Pensacola. We encourage submissions on a broad range of topics pertaining to Florida anthropology, archaeology, history, and other related disciplines. Presentations will occur on Saturday, May 11, 2024. You must agree to the FAS code of ethics to present at the conference. An abstract of no more than 100 words is required from each presenter. Individuals may submit only one paper or poster as first author for consideration. All presenters must register and pay the appropriate registration fee at the time they submit their abstract. A 20-minute time limit for each paper presentation will be strictly enforced.

Abstracts submission deadline is Monday, April 1, 2024. The deadline for proposing an organized session, panel discussion, or other special programs associated with the conference is Monday, March 18, 2024.

Email questions and organized session submissions to Maranda Kles at 1vp@fasweb.org.

Conference Tips:
– Wear good walking shoes!  You will want to enjoy walking through historic downtown Pensacola between venues.
– This year, we will not have conference bags. Instead, we invite everyone to participate in our Bag Swap. Conference attendees are encouraged to bring a bag (or two) from a past conference and swap it with a fellow attendee or leave one on our “Take a Bag, Leave a Bag” table in the bookroom.

– A reduced number of programs will be printed and made available at the registration table.
– You will be able to view/download the full program and schedule after the Call For Papers deadline from the FAS website to help reduce paper waste.
– We encourage everyone to bring their own reusable water bottles to refill throughout the weekend. Water refill stations and fountains are available at all annual meeting locations.
– Wear your FAS Annual Meeting Badge! Attendees will receive FREE admission to all UWF Historic Trust Museums if they wear their badges.
– Visit FPAN’s Destination Archaeology Resource Center to get a sneak peak at a new exhibition opening Summer 2024!

 

FAS Awards Banquet

Join us for a cocktails and dinner buffet at Apple Annie’s in Seville Quarter entertainment complex. The FAS Awards Ceremony and Keynote Presentation will take place following dinner. Our keynote speaker is Dr. Judy Bense, President Emerita and Professor of Anthropology at the University of West Florida. 

THE TWO FLORIDAS
There has been an East and West Florida since 1698 that continued for 123 years until 1821 when the United States combined them into the Florida Territory. This presentation will compare the different but similar history and archaeology of East and West Florida. Details will be presented about Early Spanish West Florida between 1698 and 1763 and some of the unusual events and situations that occurred there. The two Floridas still informally exist today as St. Augustine and Pensacola are the historic gates to very different parts of our state.

6:00 – 9:00 PM.  Tickets are $60.  

SUNDAY MORNING TOUR B

WALKING TOUR

Historic St. Michael’s Cemetery
Meet at 10:00 am at 6 N. Alcaniz Street, Pensacola, FL 32502  

St. Michael’s Cemetery, once a rural cemetery serving a colonial population, is today an eight- acre open air museum in the heart of urban, historic Pensacola, Florida that is a testament to the diverse history of the city. It is one of the two oldest extant cemeteries in the state of Florida and reflects the social history of the community it is associated with. The cemetery is a contributing property to the Pensacola Historic District.

Historical research and early maps indicate that the land in and around the modern cemetery was in use as a burying ground beginning in the second half of the 18th century with the earliest surviving above ground markers associated with Pensacola’s Second Spanish Period (1781-1821). There are approximately 3200 marked graves in the cemetery with subsurface anomalies, possibly several thousand unmarked graves.

Join archaeologists from the University of West Florida to tour the historic cemetery and learn about the decades of archaeological and historical research that has been conducted by UWF and the St. Michael’s Cemetery Foundation. Parking is available on the eastern side of the cemetery on Florida Blanca Street or Salamanca Street or on the western side of the cemetery along Alcaniz Street.

Tickets are $20. Space is limited to 30 participants. Registration is Required.

SUNDAY MORNING TOUR A

KAYAK TOUR

Archaeology of Pensacola Bay

While Florida is known for its beaches, it has a variety of different waterways that humans used for thousands of years. Bays, estuaries, rivers, and springs are just some of the places with rich archaeological remains. Join archaeologists from the Florida Public Archaeology Network as we explore the rich archaeological past of Pensacola from the water.

Our group will meet at Woodland Park, located at the intersection of Highpoint Drive and Fairpoint Drive in Gulf Breeze, at 9:00 am. Once everyone is on site, we will do a quick introduction and safety briefing. Once in the water, we will leisurely kayak for about 20 minutes to Deadman’s Island. Please bring sun protection, drinking water, snacks, and wear comfortable clothes.

The cost for the kayak tour of Deadman’s Island is $45 per person, covering kayak rental during tour, PFD (personal flotation device), and the delivery of kayaks to the site. We’re limiting the number of participants to 12 due to kayak availability.  Meet at 9:00 am at Woodland Park, 2 Highpoint Dr., Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
Tour Duration Approximately 2.5 hours

CALL FOR VENDORS
The Conference planning committee invites vendors of books, art, or other related anthropological materials for the book room. Book Room tables are $40 for non-profit organizations and $60 for vendors/for-profits. Vendor fees will be waived or reduced for vendors who donate items to the student paper prize competition. This year vendors will be invited to operate their booth during both the welcome reception on Friday and all day during the conference on Saturday. Please contact Mary Furlong Minkoff with questions at mminkoff@uwf.edu.

Student Prize Competition

Undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in degree granting collegiate programs are encouraged to compete for a prize. The student must submit a paper of original research that contributes to our understanding of Florida’s cultural history .

Contestants must be registered for the conference and submit a copy of their paper by Friday, April 12, 2024. The written paper cannot exceed 2,500 words and must be typed and double-spaced. Students are required to make an oral presentation, drawn directly from their written paper at the FAS annual meeting on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Past first place winners of the student paper prize are not eligible.

Judging criteria for student papers and oral presentations include quality of writing, overall presentation, quality of arguments and supporting data, and overall contribution to our understanding of Florida’s cultural past and/or present. Prizes will be awarded during the Saturday evening banquet.

Email questions and student paper submissions to president@fasweb.org.


OTHER STUDENT FUNDING AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

The FAS Dorothy Moore Student Grant 

The Florida Anthropological Society (FAS) is making available $1000.00 to be awarded annually to archaeology students (B.A., M.A., or Ph.D.) who are currently enrolled in a Florida university. The grant money will assist students conducting archaeological research in Florida. Grant funds can be used to cover the costs associated with archaeological fieldwork, special analyses (e.g., radiocarbon dates, faunal or botanical analyses, soils analysis, etc.), and, in some cases, travel expenses associated with presenting a paper based on the student’s research at a professional meeting.

Students interested in applying for the grant should submit a letter not to exceed two pages that describes the project for which the funds are being requested; what research question(s) or problem(s) are being addressed; how the funds will be applied to these problems; what, if any, additional funds will be used to accomplish the research; and how the research will contribute to Florida archaeology. The applicant should include a budget indicating the amount requested and describing how the money will be spent along with a letter(s) of support from faculty.

Applications for the 2024 award are now being accepted and can be sent to: Greg Hendryx, FAS Student Grant, 8298 Bayberry Road, Suite 1, Jacksonville, FL 32259 or via email to greg@searchinc.com. Deadline for applications is March 31, 2024.


John W. Griffin Student Award

The John W. Griffin Student Award is awarded to archaeology graduate students (M.A. or Ph.D.) who are currently enrolled in a Florida university. The award money assists students conducting archaeological research in Florida. Funds can be used to cover the costs associated with archaeological fieldwork, special analyses (e.g., radiocarbon dates, faunal or botanical analyses, soils analysis, etc.), and, in some cases, travel expenses associated with presenting a paper based on the student’s research at a professional meeting. The entire amount may be given to a single individual or it may be divided up among applicants at the discretion of the FAC Griffin Award Committee.

Applications for the 2024 FAC John W. Griffin Student Award are now being accepted. For more information please click here.  Application deadline is Friday, April 12, 2024.

Accessibility 

The University of West Florida is committed to providing a welcoming, accessible and supportive environment for people with disabilities. Meetings, activities or events sponsored by the University are expected to be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations is requested to advise UWF by contacting Human Resources at 850.474.2694 or 850.857.6158 (TTY) at least two business days prior to the event. For more information or to submit a request, visit the Public Event Accommodations webpage or email ada@uwf.edu.