Kansas Anthropological Association

10/12/2026

KAA would like to thank Dr. Lauren Ritterbush for presenting the weekend training seminar "Archaeological Fact or Fiction" to our members at K-State. It was a great dive into exploring the imperfections of our reasoning, tools and approaches of our thinking when assessing claims. It was valuable training for any discipline!

10/10/2026

Save Sternberg The Sternberg Museum of Natural History is a treasure worth protecting, but it needs your help! We must raise $855,000 by December 31, 2026, to help sustain Sternberg’s future operations. Without reaching this goal, we may not have sufficient funding to cover ongoing operating costs...

10/08/2026

Throwback Thursday. 2005 Kanorado, Sherman County, site 14SN105. KAA celebrated 30 years! We’ve added 21 more years. Amazing discoveries made by public volunteers, furthering our knowledge of Kansas archeology. The past belongs to all of us.

10/07/2026

Learn about Dr. Deni Seymour's recent field investigations of the Coronado Expedition in Kansas. Attend in person in Lindsborg, KS or watch live on Facebook on Thursday, Oct 15th at 6pm. Details below!

10/05/2026

The creation of these repatriation boxes is being supported by a generous donation from us, the Kansas Anthropological Association. That did not get mentioned in the article.

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Kansas State Historical Society (KSHS) is making repatriation boxes in an effort to bring items and remains back to their original communities. According to the National P…

10/01/2026

Throwback Thursday. 2005 Kanorado, Sherman County, site 14SN105. Some KATP staff and volunteers who excavated at this paleolithic age site.

09/24/2026

Throwback Thursday. 2005 Kanorado, Sherman County, site 14SN105. Excavation of a mammoth vertebra found at a paleolithic cultural level.

09/24/2026

Thanks for being with us at KATP, Noel Barraza!

09/19/2026

Now's the time! We still have seats available for the KAA Seminar in Manhattan next weekend. We've extended the deadline and would love to see you there! If you have a friend who has always wanted to join KAA, this would be a great first experience for them. We'd be happy to sign them up ($5 student, $27 individual annual membership). RSVP to [email protected]
Archaeological Fact and Fiction - presented by Dr. Lauren Ritterbush



September 26 & September 27, 2026

8:15AM to 5:00PM

Kansas State University

Leasure Hall Room 13

1128 North MLK Jr Drive, Manhattan, KS

Seminar Summary

As archaeologists, we learn many skills in the careful recovery and identification of material remains of earlier people and societies, but how do we reach plausible interpretations of their collective lives? This class addresses how we interpret the human past and the development and application of critical thinking skills applicable to that. We will explore the imperfections in our reasoning, tools and approaches for thinking and assessing claims about past societies, and why it is essential that we strive for the most plausible interpretations. Throughout we will consider claims about early people and civilizations as commonly presented in popular media.

Parking is free on the weekend. Upon registration, you will be sent a parking/campus map.

09/17/2026

Throwback Thursday. 2005 Kanorado, Sherman County, site 14SN105. Excavation profile of paleolithic-age soil. Look at the profile of the block on the right: evidence of an ancient soil slump that partially filled an even older gully.