Professional Archaeologists of Kansas

08/20/2026

08/04/2026

07/28/2026

Last week, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation voted to advance devastating changes to the Section 106 process of the National Historic Preservation Act, the law that's protected historic and cultural places for 60 years.

If adopted, these rules would eliminate public participation in federal preservation decisions and even strip protection from significant landscapes like the Grand Canyon.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸:

1. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱. National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers created a clear timeline of how we got here and what comes next: https://ow.ly/aOUM50ZtOmw

2. 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿. “Section 106 Regulations Under Threat” this Thursday, July 30 at 1p ET. We’ll break down the more serious aspects and potential impacts of the proposed changes and provide action steps going forward: https://ow.ly/NEVI50ZtOmx

3. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁. When the public comment period opens, submit your opposition. We will share more information when this comment period opens. In the meantime, educate yourself about Section 106: https://ow.ly/E3Y750ZtOmv

07/28/2026

Our statement on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's approval of a complete proposed modification of the regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

07/28/2026

In response to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s announcement this evening on the passage of the unassembled vote to move forward with a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding revisions to the regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, “Protection of Historic Properties,” 36 CFR Part 800, National Trust President and CEO Brent Leggs issued the following statement:

“We are not shocked—but saddened—by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s decision to advance devastating changes to the Section 106 process. The proposed changes threaten the history of our nation and the fabric of our society—this is an attack on our civic and cultural inheritance. Safeguarding our nation’s historic assets is central to our mission. The National Trust, and our partners across the country, will work tirelessly to mobilize the American public and activate Congress to defeat these harmful regulations.”

Learn more about Section 106: https://ow.ly/br2C50Zsuz1

Pictured: Milwaukee Soldiers Home
Photo by Ryan Hainey Photography

07/23/2026

Interested in learning more about the Kansas Archeology Training Program's (KATP) field schools over the past 50+ years? Visit our newly published ArcGIS Story Map. Explore the Story Map to find the county where each field school was held, volunteer numbers, volunteer hours, event photos, and site references. Access the KATP Field School Archive Story Map here: https://bit.ly/archiveKATP

07/07/2026

Congratulations to our new officers, who assumed their roles on July 1, 2026! The website will be updated soon.

President: Carlton Shield Chief Gover
Secretary: Steven Keehner
Treasurer: Paige Bump
Public Media: Shannon Ryan
At-Large Board Member: Andrew Gottsfield

You can renew your membership today, here:

Our Board Benjamin Banks President Laura Murphy Treasurer  Shannon Ryan  Public Media Dean Afendras  Secretary   Nikki Klarmann  At-large Board Member  Our By-laws Join Us Professional Archaeologists of Kansas (PAK) has two membership classes: Annual dues, which run from January 1 to December ...

06/26/2026

Join us for Pawnee Earthlodge: Archaeology for Adults, featuring special guest speaker Dr. Lauren Ritterbush, a Professor of Archaeology at K-State. This engaging evening will explore the rich history, architecture, and archaeology of Pawnee earthlodges, offering a deep dive into the region's cultural heritage. https://ow.ly/VSKx50Z7jKc

05/04/2026

Patriarchy persists: Gender inequities in Plains Anthropologist publishing from 1954 to 2023
by Phyllis Johnson and Erica Carmody

Abstract
Gender discrepancies among peer-reviewed publications in academia have become a topic of great interest to archaeologists over the past two decades. Overall, this research has demonstrated a consistent bias towards men, who tend not only to publish more often but are also much more likely to serve as first or sole author. In the current study, we examine publishing trends in the peer-reviewed, four-field journal Plains Anthropologist between 1954 (the inaugural publication of this journal) and 2023, covering a span of 69 years and 266 issues, the longest temporal study in gendered publishing to date. During this time, men have published as first author in 82 percent of articles, while women serve as first author in only 17 percent of publications, which is one of the highest rates of gendered discrepancies recorded in a peer-reviewed archaeological journal to date. Further, this discrepancy has remained fairly constant since the early 1990s, with an overall decrease in the rate of women authors since that time.

Open access link in the comments

04/12/2026