INTERESTED IN EXPLORING ARCHAEOLOGY, HISTORY, OR PALEONTOLOGY AS A HOBBY?

You may possess the skills needed to contribute to the study of the past, whether in your own neighborhood or in other regions of interest to you!  Across the country, amateur archaeologists, historians, and paleontologists bring a wide range of skills to professional programs.  Geologists, carpenters, engineers, computer specialists, architects, historians, and artists are only a few of the countless types of volunteers who can make invaluable contributions.

For avocationists, every project offers a unique opportunity to share knowledge and experience with other enthusiasts from different walks of life and different parts of the nation.  Here are some of the ways avocationists contribute --

• They work directly with professional archaeologists, historians, and paleontologists to excavate sites to determine their ages, how they were used, and how those sites might relate to others in the surrounding area.  Avocationists may also search historic records to determine more recent site use.
• They join Site Steward programs in their communities to guard local sites from destructive relic hunters illegally digging for artifacts or fossils.
• They promote archaeological preservation ethics in their community through such efforts as presentations in schools and publication of news articles, or work with local government to create an atmosphere of conservation.

Interested?  Well then, thse organizations are a good place to start your exploration...

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL AVOCATIONAL GROUPS

ARCHAELOGY

• Society for American Archaeology
• Southwestern Archaeology, Inc.
• American Anthropological Association

PALEONTOLOGY

• The Paleontology Society
• Society of Vertebrate Paleontology

HISTORY

• Friends of America's Past
• Western History Association

STATE AND LOCAL AVOCATIONAL GROUPS

ARIZONA

• Arizona Archaeological Society
  
• Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society
  
• Southwest Paleontological Society
  

COLORADO

• Colorado Archaeological Society
  
• Hisatsinom Archaeological Society
  
• San Juan Archaeological Society
  

EASTERN STATES

• Fairfax County Parks Authority Archaeology program
  
• NPS Midwest Archaeological Center
  
• Voyageurs National Park
  
• College of William & Mary
  
• Maryland Historical Trust
  
• University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (MVAC)
  
• Mississippi State University
  
• Friends of Jupiter Inlet

IDAHO

• Idaho Archaeological Society

MONTANA

• Center for the Northern Plains
  
• The Little Big Horn Battlefield
  
• Montana Historical Society
  
• Pictograph Cave State Park Electronic Field Trip
  
• U of Montana Dept. of Anthropology
  
• Montana Archaeological Society

NEW MEXICO

• Archaeological Society of New Mexico—contact Pat Beckett at 505-524-8471.
  
• Taos Archaeological Society—contact Robert Peel, PO Box 143 Taos, NM 87571.
  
• Dona Ana Archaeological Society— contact rmagee@lascruces.com
  
• Albuquerque Archaeological Society
  
• El Paso Archaeological Society--contact Mary Russell, PO Box 4345 El Paso, TX 79914.
  

OREGON/WASHINGTON

• Oregon Archaeological Society
  
• Archaeological Society of Central Oregon
  

UTAH

• Utah Statewide Archaeological Society
  
• Utah Rock Art Research Association
• Utah Rock Art Association
• Utah Friends of Paleontology

WYOMING

• Wyoming Archaeological Society
  
• Sublette County Historical Society
  
• Museum of the Mountain Man
  
• The Oregon/California Trails Association
  
• The Lincoln Highway Association