The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is a North American nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion of public interest in archaeology, and the preservation of archaeological sites. It has offices on Beacon Hill in Boston, MA and in New York City. The institute was founded in 1879, with Charles Eliot Norton as its first President until 1890. It was chartered in 1906 by the United States Congress. The institute currently has over 200,000 members and more than 100 local societies.
Today, the AIA’s members are organized into over 100 Local Societies in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The AIA is unique because it counts professional archaeologists, students, and interested individuals from all walks of life among its members. This diverse group is united by a shared passion for archaeology and its role in furthering human knowledge. To this end, the AIA promotes archaeological inquiry and public understanding of the material record of the human past worldwide.
The AIA’s professional members have conducted archaeological fieldwork in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, and North and South America. The AIA has further promoted archaeological studies by founding research centers and schools in seven countries and maintains close relations with these institutions, including the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, the School of Classical Studies at the American Academy in Rome, and the American Schools of Oriental Research.
Members are dedicated to the greater understanding of archaeology, the protection of the world’s archaeological resources, and to the encouragement and support of archaeological research and publication.
According to archaeological.org; en.wikipedia.org. Source of photo: internet
