SHA 2026 Conference on
Historical and Underwater Archaeology
Mobility
Detroit, Michigan | January 7-10, 2026
Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
Please note that all times are shown in the time zone of the conference. The current conference time is: 24th Apr 2026, 06:09:53am EDT
|
Daily Overview |
Wed07Jan
Ambassador Foyer
Ambassador 1
Marquette A
Marquette B
LaSalle A
LaSalle B
Cadillac A
Joliet A & B
Duluth A & B
Columbus
Renaissance Foyer
Detroit Institute of Arts
No specific location / location unknown
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
WKS-1: Historic Button Identification
1:00pm - 5:00pm
Marquette A
Location: Marquette A
Instructor: Lindsay Bloch, Tempered Archaeological Services, LLCHalf-day Workshop: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.Maximum Enrollment: 30Cost: $40 for SHA members, $50 for non-members, $25 for SHA student member...
Buttons are charismatic “small finds” and often offer useful dating or contextual information. However, their relative rarity and poor preservation in archaeological contexts makes them difficult to identify. Furthermore, most historic button guides emphasize ornate or specialty buttons, not the eve...
WKS-2: Water, Water, Everywhere: Hey, What's That In The Drink?: Submerged Cultural Resources Awareness Workshop
9:00am - 1:00pm
Marquette B
Location: Marquette B
Instructors: Kendra Kennedy, RPA (Wisconsin Historical Society); Garry Momber (Maritime Archaeology Trust), Joseph Grinnan (AECOM)Half-Day Workshop: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.Maximum Enrollment: 25Cost: $5...
Do you manage submerged resources, but you’re not an underwater archaeologist? Are you a land-based professional looking to broaden your skill set and knowledge of cultural resources? Do you just want to know what all the diving fuss is about? Land managers, archaeologists, cultural resources specia...
WKS-3: Everything You Wanted to Know about Archaeometry but Were Afraid to Ask: Tips and Guidelines for Collaborating with the Archaeometry Lab at MURR
1:00pm - 5:00pm
LaSalle A
Location: LaSalle A
Instructors: Matthew C. Greer (Southern Illinois University), Whitney A. Goodwin (University of Missouri Research Reactor), James A. Davenport (University of Missouri Research Reactor), Alejandro J. F...
Do you have questions about provenance research? Have you ever considered undertaking chemical analysis but not sure where to start? Are you curious about what techniques and training opportunities are available to students and early career researchers or to those looking to broaden their use of arc...
WKS-4: Archaeological Illustration
9:00am - 5:00pm
LaSalle B
Location: LaSalle B
Instructor: Jack Scott, Jack Scott Archaeological IllustrationFull-day Workshop: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.Maximum Enrollment: 30Cost: $90 for SHA members, $110 for non-members, $55 for SHA student members...
Do you want your pen-and-ink drawings to look like the good ones? Pen and ink is all basically a matter of skill and technique, which can be easily taught, and the results can be done faster, cheaper, and are considerably more attractive than the black-and-white illustrations done on computer. Wor...
WKS-5: Reconstructing Past Life from Bones: Introduction to Skeletal Pathology and Trauma Recognition
9:00am - 12:00pm
Cadillac A
Location: Cadillac A
Instructor: Jaymelee J. Kim, PhD, RPA, D-ABFA, Department of Anthropology, Wayne State University3-hour workshop: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Maximum Enrollment: 20Cost: $50 for members, $60 for non-member...
This workshop is designed for those with basic osteological knowledge who wish to expand their understanding of skeletal trauma and pathology. Participants will engage in detailed examination and interpretation of skeletal remains and high quality replicas to reconstruct aspects of past lives, focus...
WKS-6: An Archaeology of Firearms and Ammunition Components
1:00pm - 5:00pm
Cadillac A
Location: Cadillac A
Instructor: Douglas D. Scott, Applied Anthropology and Geography Program, Colorado Mesa UniversityHalf-day workshop: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.Maximum Enrollment: 25Cost: $80 for SHA members, $100 for non-...
Archeology of Firearms. Over the past several centuries, firearms technology burst onto world history. Guns brought about massive changes in the scope and nature of human conflict and subsistence practices. Firearms dramatically altered economic adjustments and behavioral patterns across the world. ...
FOR-409U: Government Maritime Managers Meeting: Batten Down the Hatches
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Duluth A & B
Kendra A. Kennedy, Amy Borgens, Christopher P. Morris
Location: Duluth A & B
Session Chair: Kendra A. Kennedy, Wisconsin Historical Society
Session Chair: Amy Borgens, Texas Historical Commission
Session Chair: Christopher P. Morris, EHP
This is the 34th annual meeting of the Government Maritime Managers, where professional managers from federal, state, regional, and local governments discuss their programs, share successes, converse about opportunities and challenges, and seek input from colleagues. The meeting is always open to th...
Presentations: 1
WELCOME: Welcome and Awards Ceremony
6:00pm - 6:30pm
Columbus
Location: Columbus
Join us Wednesday evening for the opening session of the SHA 2026 Conference for presentation of the Kathleen Kirk Gilmore Dissertation Award, the James Deetz Book Award, and the SHA Awards of Merit. ...
Join us Wednesday evening for the opening session of the SHA 2026 Conference for presentation of the Kathleen Kirk Gilmore Dissertation Award, the James Deetz Book Award, and the SHA Awards of Merit.
PLENARY: Celebrating Michigan Archaeology: Tales of Innovation, Movement, and Mobility
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Columbus
Location: Columbus
Plenary speakers will introduce a range of archaeological projects and community-involved initiatives in Michigan, from the decades-long excavations at Fort Michilimackinac to the recent restoration p...
Michigan is recognized internationally as an incubator for invention, technology, music, and social movements. This spirit of innovation carries over into the realm of historical archaeology. This year’s SHA Detroit conference plenary session celebrates the contributions and legacies of Michigan’s h...
SPECIAL EVENT-1: Opening Reception
8:00pm - 10:00pm
Renaissance Foyer
Location: Renaissance Foyer
Following the Plenary Session, meet up with old friends and make new ones at the Opening Reception. Complimentary appetizers and a cash bar.
WKS-7A: Conservation Challenges in Archaeological Collections: A Practical Workshop
10:00am - 12:00pm
Detroit Institute of Arts
Location: Detroit Institute of Arts
Instructors: Christina Bisulca and Liz Homberger, Conservation Department, Detroit Institute of Arts2-hour workshop: 7A 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; 7B 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.Maximum enrollment: 10 per wor...
Archaeological collections frequently present complex conservation challenges. This workshop introduces participants to fundamental conservation concerns archaeologists are likely to encounter in both field and museum contexts. Through case-based discussion, we will address issues such as soluble sa...
WKS-7B: Conservation Challenges in Archaeological Collections: A Practical Workshop
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Detroit Institute of Arts
Location: Detroit Institute of Arts
Instructors: Christina Bisulca and Liz Homberger, Conservation Department, Detroit Institute of Arts2-hour workshop: 7A 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; 7B 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.Maximum enrollment: 10 per wor...
Archaeological collections frequently present complex conservation challenges. This workshop introduces participants to fundamental conservation concerns archaeologists are likely to encounter in both field and museum contexts. Through case-based discussion, we will address issues such as soluble sa...
T-2: Detroit Military History
10:00am - 5:00pm
Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026Time: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Maximum: 50 people Cost: $60 per person
This daytime tour will highlight areas of Detroit’s military history. The first stop will be River Raisin National Battlefield Park, the scene of two costly War of 1812 battles, as well as a settlement of French-descended farmers on the \"long lot\" or \"ribbon farm\" model. Extensive indoor exhibit...
T-3: Detroit Music Heritage
12:00pm - 4:30pm
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Maximum: 24 people Cost: $71 per person
This exciting daytime tour will feature sites around the city important to the cultural identity of Detroit and its unique musical heritage. Stops will include the recently-renovated Blue Bird Inn jazz club and the ruins of the former Grande Ballroom. The tour will conclude with a visit to Third Man...
T-1: Paris of the Midwest Tour
12:00pm - 5:00pm
Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026Time: 12:00 p.m. –5:00 p.m. Maximum: 40 people Cost: $42 per person
Showcasing the splendor of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Detroit, this daytime tour will visit Belle Isle Park, affectionately known as the “Jewel of Detroit.” Designed in the 1880s, this Frederick Law Olmstead park is on an island positioned in the international waters of the Detroit ...
T-4: Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Detroit
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.Maximum: 15 peopleCost: $25.00
This daytime walking tour hosted by Preservation Detroit will feature historic spaces and buildings (including indoor stops!) around downtown Detroit.
This leisurely-paced tour is by foot and will leave from the Conference hotel, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, at 1:00 p.m. and retur...
This leisurely-paced tour is by foot and will leave from the Conference hotel, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, at 1:00 p.m. and retur...