Rice University hosted the Society of Africanist Archaeologists 26th Biennial Meeting June 1-6, organized by Rice anthropologists Mary Prendergast and Jeffrey Fleisher. The conference is the world’s largest that focuses on African archaeology.
More than 200 individuals attended in person from North America, Africa and Europe, and more than 100 took advantage of the online options. Hubs were set up in Nigeria and Kenya so those without reliable internet access or power could participate in the conference online.
Former Rice anthropologist Susan McIntosh, who retired in May, was the first recipient of a new lifetime achievement award recognizing her long career of scholarship in the field and her service to its professional community. Rice anthropology graduate student Maggie Katongo organized a special day of workshops for students on publishing and grant writing, and anthropology grad student Sylvia Wemanya won the student award for best scientific poster.
More information on the conference is available here: https://safarchaeology.org/safa-2023.
