Projects
20th Anniversary of the Florida Public Archaeology Network
Celebrating 20 Years of Public Archaeology
Join us as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Florida Public Archaeology Network.
The Beginning of FPAN
In 2004, legislation was drafted and passed to establish a “Florida network of public archaeology centers to help stem the rapid deterioration of this state’s buried past and to expand public interest in archaeology” (Chapter 267.145, Florida Statutes). Following the passage of this enabling legislation the University of West Florida provided funds to plan and develop the Network, and appointed a Steering Committee to oversee this work. The Steering Committee crafted a MOA to create a state-wide program administered by the University of West Florida. Through the MOA the Steering Committee defined the work areas of FPAN to be public outreach, assistance to local governments, and assistance to DHR. Read the full history of the creation of FPAN here.
The First 10 Years
During the first 10 years FPAN quickly established itself as a leader in public archaeology. Early on, FPAN staff focused on creating regional offices and determining the types of activities and programs that would fulfill its mission. At the core of this work was developing creative and engaging public programs that would raise the profile of archaeology. Many of these early programs were so successful that they continue on today. However, the first 10 years also included challenges associated with the organization’s youth, its unique structure, and economic issues.
Both the successes and challenges of the first 10 years were explored in the session “My Best (and Worst) Day at FPAN: Celebrating 10 Years of Florida Public Archaeology Network Program Highlights and Continuing Challenges” given at the 86th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology held in Orlando, Florida in 2016. Read the session and paper abstracts here.
In addition, an article “Lessons Learned Along the Way: The Florida Public Archaeology Network after 10 Years” was published in Public Archaeology vol 14(2) in 2016. Read the full article here.
15 Year Retrospective
Following the 15 year anniversary, FPAN staff compiled a document recording the structure, programs, and accomplishments of FPAN and its regional offices. Read the 15 Year Retrospective here!
Marking the 20th Anniversary
Throughout the year FPAN will be marking its 20th anniversary through a series of public events, activities, and conference presentations.
Public Events
- “Hawkshaw Led You Here” temporary exhibition at Destination Archaeology Resource Center. Now Open!
- Inter-Tidally United Virtual Summit August 16, 2024
- Honrando Nuestra Historia September 15-October 15, 2024
More events will be added throughout the year. For a full list of events, visit our Events page!
Conferences
- Southeastern Archaeological Conference, November 13-16, 2024, Williamsburg, Virginia
- American Anthropological Association, November 20-23, 2024, Tampa, Florida
- Society for Historical Archaeology, January 8-11, 2025, New Orleans, Louisiana
The Future of FPAN & Public Archaeology
As we look back on the past 20 years, we are using our experiences to foster a new public archaeology centered on working with the public to use archaeology to make positive impacts on Florida’s communities.