University of Mississippi will host the annual meeting of the South Central Historical Archaeology Conference (SCHAC)
On March 21, 2026, Archaeologists, historians, and students from across the southeastern United States will gather at the University of Mississippi for the annual meeting of the South Central Historical Archaeology Conference (SCHAC). The one-day conference will feature research presentations, poster sessions, and a guided tour of the University of Mississippi Museum, highlighting recent archaeological discoveries and ongoing research into the history of the American South. The event will be hosted in Lamar 126, 9:30 am–3 pm, and is free and open to the public.
Hosted by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Mississippi, the conference brings together scholars and cultural resource professionals working throughout Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. Participants include university faculty and students, government archaeologists, and researchers from private cultural resource management firms.
“The goal of SCHAC is to provide a collegial setting where archaeologists can share new research and connect with colleagues working across the region,” said Dr. Joshua J. Lynch, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Mississippi and organizer of this year’s meeting. “Many of the projects being presented involve ongoing excavations or new analytical approaches that help us better understand the everyday lives of people in the past.”
Presentations at the conference will cover a wide range of topics related to the archaeology of historic sites across the South. Researchers will present new findings from archaeological investigations at sites including a World War I–era dump associated with the Camp Shelby Base Hospital in Mississippi and the Norris Sawmill site in Louisiana. Another presentation examines the spread of sanitary privies in rural America and how early twentieth-century public health initiatives reshaped everyday infrastructure.
A special afternoon session will feature research from the Asylum Hill Project, a multidisciplinary effort led by the University of Mississippi Medical Center that is studying the cemetery of the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum, which operated in Jackson from 1855 to 1935. Archaeologists and bioarchaeologists working on the project are combining archaeological evidence, skeletal analysis, and historical records to better understand burial practices and the lives of individuals associated with the institution.
The conference will also include poster presentations on plantation landscapes and historic sites across the region. Following the day’s program, participants will have the opportunity to attend a guided tour of the University of Mississippi Museum, which houses significant collections related to Mississippi history and culture.
The South Central Historical Archaeology Conference is held annually at rotating locations across the region and provides an accessible forum for students, scholars, and professionals to share new research and discuss the archaeology of historic sites in the South. Organizers encourage students, local residents, and anyone interested in archaeology or regional history to attend the event.
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