Archaeological Institute of America Jacksonville Society

07/14/2026

The Archaeological Institute of America—Jacksonville Society will meet at noon on Aug. 15, 2026 in Building 51 at the University of North Florida to hear a lecture by Dr. John Kantner Senior Associate Provost at UNF.

The title of his lecture is “Boundedness and Borders in the Chaco World.”

Borders and boundaries of ancient sociopolitical entities are difficult to find archaeologically. In this illustrated talk, Kantner shares recent research he has conducted to identify the borders of the Chaco World, a mysterious tradition that was centered on Chaco Canyon 2,000 years ago in what is now northwestern New Mexico.

Using data from pottery, obsidian, and architecture, Kantner presents the history of a Chaco World borderlands area and what it suggests about how this sociocultural tradition evolved over time.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Complimentary refreshments will be served afterwards in the Anthropology Lab.

On Saturdays, parking is free, and the staff/faculty/vendor spaces are available to everyone. For more information, contact Melva Price at (904)241-9411 or [email protected].

04/03/2026

The Archaeological Institute of America—Jacksonville Society will meet at noon on April 18, 2026, in Building 51 at the University of North Florida to hear a lecture by Dr. Zachery Dunseth, Associate Professor of Anthropology and the Kershaw Chair of the Archaeology of Ancient Israel and Neighboring Lands at the University of California at San Diego.

The title of his lecture is “Dung and Copper: Environmental archaeology at the macro- and microscale.” His talk will focus on the earliest waves of large-scale settlement in the Negev during the Early and Intermediate Bronze Ages spanning the rise and fall of urban cities to the north and the “Megadrought” 4.5 thousand years ago.

He will report on the results of his investigations into subsistence, animal rearing, and the copper industry across Negev sites.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Complimentary refreshments will be served afterwards in the Anthropology Lab.

On Saturday, parking is free, and the staff/faculty/vendor spaces are available to everyone. For more information, contact Melva Price at (904)241-9411 or [email protected].

03/19/2026

The Archaeological Institute of America—Jacksonville Society will meet at noon on March 28, 2026, in Building 51 at the University of North Florida to hear a lecture by Jen Green, MA, RPA, Curator of the Florida Museum of Natural History.

The title of her lecture is “History of South Florida Archaeology Through Curation-Based Stories at the Florida Museum of Natural History.”

The lecture presents a history of the archaeology of South Florida enriched through the records of the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH) at the University of Florida in Gainesville. The South Florida collections at the FLMNH are expansive and represent over 300 discrete archaeological sites across the thirteen southernmost counties.

Using curation-based stories, Green will discuss the breadth of the collections housed at the museum from Lake Okeechobee to the Keys and Gulf to the Atlantic coasts.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Complimentary refreshments will be served afterwards in the Anthropology Lab.

On Saturday, parking is free, and the staff/vendor/faculty spaces are available to everyone.

For more information, contact Melva Price at (904)241-9411 or [email protected].

01/30/2026

The Archaeological Institute of America—Jacksonville Society will meet at noon on Feb. 21, 2026, in Building 51 at the University of North Florida to hear a lecture by Dr. Jesse Obert, a professor at the University of South Florida.

His lecture is titled “Social Networks & Cyborgs: Cretan Warriorhood in the Archaic Period.” Dr. Obert will focus on the archaeological evidence for violence on Crete between 700 and 300 BCE.

He discusses two distinct ideologies of violence that were concentrated in specific types of ritual space: collaborative camaraderie on the one hand and antagonistic individuality on the other. Balancing both narratives simultaneously ultimately developed warriorhood into a full-time vocation, setting the tenor for military power on Crete in the centuries that followed.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Complimentary refreshments will be served after the lecture in the Anthropology Lab.

On Saturday, parking is free, and the faculty/staff/vendor spaces are open to everyone.

For more information, contact Melva Price at (904)241-9411 or [email protected].

Send a message to learn more

12/29/2025

The Archeological Institute of America—Jacksonville Society will meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, to participate in the UNF Manchin Lecture Series in Ancient Studies. The speaker will be Dr. David Gilman Romano, Professor of Greek Archaeology at the University of Arizona. His lecture is titled "The Sanctuary of Zeus and Sanctuary of Pan at Mt. Lykaion." Recent research at Mt. Lykaion, both at the Sanctuary of Zeus on the southern summit of the mountain and at the Sanctuary of Pan in the lower mountain meadow, is leading to new understandings about cult practices at this ancient site in Greece. This event will take place in the Adam Herbert University Center, where parking is free. We will have a table at the door to tell the public about our AIA group as they arrive at the venue. For more information, contact Melva Price at (904)241-9411, or [email protected].

We will return to our Saturday meeting date and location in February.

Send a message to learn more