Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement

About this program

The Archaeological Institute of America invites nominations for its Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement, its highest honor, recognizing a scholar whose career reflects outstanding contributions to archaeology through research, fieldwork, or museum work. The recipient receives a medal, citation, and honorary symposium at the AIA Annual Meeting. Candidates should normally be AIA members and are typically senior scholars with sustained, discipline-wide impact; current AIA governing board members, employees, their families, and active Gold Medal Committee members are ineligible. Nominations are due November 15, 2026, and must include a substantive nomination letter, three to five letters of support, the nominee’s CV or career outline, publication list, and suggestions for symposium participants or organizers.