Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) (Modern World Archaeology)

Basic Information

The Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) promotes the study of the archaeology of the modern world (CE 1400 to present). It was founded in 1967 and has grown to become the largest international society of its kind, with a business office in the city of Rockville, Maryland. The majority of the SHA’s members work in North America and focus on the archaeology of the post-Columbian New World; however, the society’s geographical scope extends to the study of colonial encounters between indigenous peoples and Europeans in other continents, especially Africa and Asia. Over the years, the society has collaborated with the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology in the UK and the Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology. It has also embraced underwater archaeology, in addition to terrestrial archaeology, and co-hosts a joint conference in January each year with the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology.

The development of the SHA mirrored the growth of...