2026 Arkansas Archeological Society Annual Meeting
Online Annual Meeting Registration Form
Hotel Reservations here
Scholarship Applicant Annual Meeting Registration Form
Hester Davis Student Scholarship Information
When: Friday, September 25 – Sunday, September 27
Where: Fort Smith Convention Center and Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Fort Smith
Special Room Rate: $110.00 per night
Book online BEFORE AUGUST 26th by 5:00 pm Book your group rate for Arkansas Archaeological Society
Or call 479-783-2100 and tell them you are booking with the Arkansas Archeological Society before the August 26th deadline
Sunday Tour: U.S. Marshals Museum and Fort Smith National Historic Site
Annual Meeting Schedule
(Times and locations are subject to change; please check your program upon arrival.)
Friday, September 25
1:00p – 5:00p Registration ( Fort Smith Convention Center, Preconvene)
3:00p – 4:30p Society Executive Board Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott-Marshals Room)
5:30p – 8:00p Registration (Courtyard by Marriott- Lounge)
6:00p – 9:00p Reception & Poster Session (Courtyard by Marriott Lounge)
Saturday, September 26
Morning
8:00a ARF Silent Auction & Raffle Sales (Ft. Smith Convention Center, Hall A2)
8:00a Registration (Ft. Smith Convention Center, Preconvene)
8:30a – 11:05 a Papers and Presentations (Ft. Smith Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A3)
11:05a – 11:50a Business Meeting: Presentation of Awards & Certificates (Ft. Smith Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A3)
11:50a – 1:05p Lunch on your own
Afternoon
1:05p – 3:35p Papers and Presentations (Ft. Smith Convention Center Exhibit Hall A3)
3:35p Drawing for ARF Raffle (Ft. Smith Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A3)
3:45p ARF Silent Auction Ends (Ft. Smith Convention Center Exhibit Hall A2)
4:15p – 5:00p Board of Advisors Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott Marshals Room)
5:00p – 6:00p Chapter Leadership Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott Marshals Room)
6:00p – 6:45p Site Stewardship Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott Marshals Room)
7:00p– Banquet (Ft. Smith Convention Center Exhibit Hall A1)
8:00p Keynote Address Dr. Kary Stackelbeck and Brenda Nails-Alford (Ft. Smith Convention Center Exhibit Hall A1)
Sunday, September 27
Field Trips
9:00a Fort Smith National Historic Site Tour – 301 Parker Ave.
9:30a U.S. Marshals Museum Tour – 789 Riverfront Dr.
2026 Annual Meeting
When: Friday, September 25 – Sunday, September 27
Where: Fort Smith Convention Center and Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Fort Smith
Special Room Rate: $110.00 per night
Book online at Book your group rate for Arkansas Archaeological Society
Or call 479-783-2100 and tell them you are booking with the Arkansas Archeological Society
Sunday Tour: U.S. Marshals Museum and Fort Smith National Historic Site
Registration link, schedules and other details coming soon!
Tentative Schedule
(Times and locations are subject to change; please check your program upon arrival.)
Friday, September 25
1:00p – 5:00p Registration ( Fort Smith Convention Center, Preconvene)
3:00p – 4:30p Society Executive Board Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott-Marshals Room)
5:30p – 8:00p Registration (Courtyard by Marriott- Lounge)
6:00p – 9:00p Reception & Poster Session (Courtyard by Marriott Lounge)
Saturday, September 26
8:00a ARF Silent Auction & Raffle Sales (Ft. Smith Convention Center, Hall A2)
8:00a Registration (Ft. Smith Convention Center, Preconvene)
8:30a – 10:20a Papers and Presentations (Ft. Smith Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A3)
11:05a – 11:50a Business Meeting: Presentation of Awards & Certificates (Ft. Smith Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A3)
11:50a – 1:00p Lunch on your own
1:05p – 3:30p Papers and Presentations (Ft. Smith Convention Center Exhibit Hall A3)
3:30p Drawing for ARF Raffle (Ft. Smith Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A3)
3:45p ARF Silent Auction Ends (Ft. Smith Convention Center Exhibit Hall A2)
4:15p – 5:00p Board of Advisors Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott Marshals Room)
5:00p – 6:00p Chapter Leadership Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott Marshals Room)
6:00p – 7:00p Site Stewardship Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott Marshals Room)
7:00p– Banquet (Ft. Smith Convention Center Exhibit Hall A1)
8:00p Keynote Address Dr. Kary Stackelbeck and Brenda Nails-Alford (Ft. Smith Convention Center Exhibit Hall A1)
Sunday, September 27
9:00a Fort Smith National Historic Site Tour – 301 Parker Ave.
9:30a U.S. Marshals Museum Tour – 789 Riverfront Dr.
Tentative Schedule
(Times and locations are subject to change; please check your program upon arrival.)
Friday, September 25
1:00p – 9:00p Registration (Convention Center Lobby)
3:00p – 4:30p Society Executive Board Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott)
6:00p – 9:00p Reception & Poster Session (Courtyard by Marriott)
Saturday, September 26
8:00a ARF Silent Auction & Raffle Sales
8:00a Registration (Convention Center Lobby)
8:30a – 10:20a Papers and Presentations (Convention Center)
10:20a – 11:30a Business Meeting: Presentation of Awards & Certificates (Convention Center)
11:30a – 1:00p Lunch on your own – There are many options to choose from nearby!
1:00p – 3:20p Papers and Presentations (Convention Center)
3:30p Drawing for ARF Raffle (Convention Center)
3:40p ARF Silent Auction Ends (Convention Center)
4:00p – 5:00p Board of Advisors Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott meeting room)
5:00p – 6:00p Chapter Leadership Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott meeting room)
6:00p – 7:00p Site Stewardship Meeting (Courtyard by Marriott meeting room)
8:00p Keynote Address
Sunday, September 27
9:30a U.S. Marshals Museum Tour OR Fort Smith National Historic Site Tour
What typically happens at the Annual Meeting?
Each year, on or near the last weekend of September, the Arkansas Archeological Society holds its Annual Meeting. Besides the opportunity to visit with friends and have a great time, the meeting offers a variety of activities, as follows:
Friday evening kicks off the festivities with a reception, featuring hors d’oeuvres, and a poster session for registered attendees.
On Saturday, papers on current archeological topics are presented by professional and amateur archeologists from throughout Arkansas, in a 20-minute format, usually with slides. The Annual Business Meeting is held Saturday morning before lunch and includes the presentation of certificates of appreciation and other special awards (Award Nomination Form). After the lunch break, more papers are presented.
In addition, a highlight of the meeting is the Archeological Research Fund (ARF) Silent Auction and Raffle. Many wonderful items, including books, artwork, posters, t-shirts, etc., are donated to raise money for the research fund. In addition to the Silent Auction, books, t-shirts, and other items are usually available for purchase. The Archeological Research Fund (ARF) provides money not available from other sources for archeological projects in Arkansas. Support from the Research Fund can help with different aspects of archeological research, such as radiocarbon analysis of charred material for dating or identification of small seeds or bones by specialists. The deadline for submissions to the ARF committee is August 28, 2026. Please send submissions to Jessica Cogburn at jessica.cogburn@arkansas.gov.
A banquet is held Saturday evening and after the dinner, a Keynote Speaker—a specially selected archeologist from outside Arkansas—makes a presentation on his or her work.
Sunday morning usually offers museum tours or tours to archeological sites.
FOR A LIST OF PAST MEETINGS, CLICK HERE.
THANK YOU to our 2026 sponsors
Platinum
C. Andrew Buchner, Memphis, TN
Gold
Terracon, Little Rock
Silver
Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc., West Fork
Bronze
Arkansas Historical Association
Donations
Adventure Subaru
Anthony Clay Newton
Arcom Plus Printing
Discover Fort Smith
Fort Smith Regional Art Museum
Fort Smith National Historic Site
Pack Rat Outdoor Center
University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology
U.S. Marshals Museum
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