RPA-Certified CPE Courses |
Below is a list of CPE Programs that have recently been certified by the Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA), including program descriptions and links to the programs' pages, where applicable.
Beyond Mapping Grade - using high precision GNSS tools for archaeological site and project mappingSeptember 19, 2017 | 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT
New developments in high precision GPS (also known as Global Navigation Satellite System or GNSS) systems now provide the capability to perform rapid (a few seconds per measurement) and precise (better than 5 cm) archeological mapping over large areas. Lower precision GNSS “mapping systems” have been long used to locate sites within a survey but these newer approaches can be used to provide detailed mapping of feature and architectural elements, individual artifacts, and other object locations. The new GNSS systems—often referred to as “real time kinematic” or RTK—can replace, or augment, traditional electronic distance measurement mapping tools and are especially valuable in sites that cover large areas. This online seminar will compare the traditional mapping grade systems with the new RTK based ones; review the strengths/weaknesses and cost/benefits of the systems; and provide specific high-precision workflows relevant to archaeologist. This course is designed for archaeologists with previous experience in mapping grade GNSS who are interested in improving the speed and precision of their mapping work.
Click here for learn more and REGISTER!
CRM in Latin America (in Spanish only)September 28, 2017 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT
This course will be presented in Spanish. Cultural resources management (CRM) around the world emerged within a context of economic growth. Infrastructure development, its main instrument, poses great risk to the preservation of heritage resources. CRM is a thriving industry contributing strongly to a country’s economy, while preserving heritage resources in the context of complex public and state negotiations. Latin America is a key market for world investment opportunities. With businesses being invited to Latin America to invest and exploit natural and cultural resources, archaeologists are facing many preservation challenges. Thus, there is a need to adapt to existing laws and definitions of cultural heritage. It is necessary to accept that insufficient training has been provided to heritage professionals and archaeologists to meet the regulations imposed by financial institutions—for example, in developing land-use plans or social and heritage impact assessments. Environmental companies are mostly doing this work now, as CRM companies are rare in Latin America. Building CRM capacity in Latin America requires new professional credentials, close collaborative efforts with experienced companies, and above all, new business heritage models and regulated standards that recognize the CRM industry as an effective heritage preservation industry in Latin America. In this one-hour, online presentation, the instructor explores these avenues to building a fair business market for heritage preservation in Latin America.
Click here to learn more and REGISTER!
Introduction to Flaked Stone Tool TechnologiesOctober 2-6, 2017
This is an introductory course in flintknapping and lithic technological analysis and is an intensive immersion into the subject. The workshop focuses on learning how to apply flintknapping experimentation results to interpretation of the archaeological record. The training emphasizes hands-on production and analysis of flaked stone tools and debitage. Participants are taught several technologies (including core, biface, bipolar, and blade technologies), and learn to recognize and identify the distinctive manufacturing products and by-products of each.
Archaeological Curation and Collections Management: What You Need to Know But Never Learned in SchoolOctober 12, 2017 | 2:00 pm - 4:00 EDT
This two-hour online seminar is intended for students who have never taken a course in archaeological collections management. It will be specifically useful for those with no formal collections management training, who are nearing graduation and about to enter the professional world of archaeology; and students majoring in anthropology who are considering a career focused on managing and/or caring for archaeological collections. The three main goals of the seminar are to:
Click here to learn more and REGISTER!
Archaeological Application of Terrestrial Laser ScanningNew date! October 26, 2017 2:00-4:00pm ET
Terrestrial laser scanning is becoming cheaper, smaller, faster, and more common. Is it the right technology for your project? Terrestrial laser scanning has become reasonably commonplace in archaeology, yet many potential users (and even current users) are not comfortable in determining the best applications and most efficient workflows for this technology. This two-hour seminar will provide enough background information and practical tips to enable participants to better evaluate and apply laser scanning to their work. The seminar will provide a starting point for beginners and help experienced users feel more confident in their decisions. Click Here to learn more and REGISTER!
Addressing Orphaned Collections: A Practical ApproachThis two-hour online seminar is intended for students who are nearing graduation, entering the
Working With Metal Detectorists: Citizen Science at historic Montpelier and Engaging a New ConstituencyThe goals of this one hour, online seminar are to discuss the practical and conceptual benefits of working with the metal detecting community. The practical include the use of metal detectorists in efficiently locating sites, obtaining site information from folks that have metal detected in areas, and using the local metal detecting community to spread the word about site protection of a particular area or set of sites. The conceptual include engaging a constituency that is an easy and useful target for understanding the benefits of site preservation. After taking the online seminar, participants will: 1) Understand the benefits of metal detector survey using experienced detectorists; 2) know how to practically engage with metal detectorists; and 3) will know the pros and cons of such interactions. Click here to learn more.
To register, click here.
Using R Statistical Computing Language for Archaeological Analysis
The goal of this 2- hour online seminar is to introduce archaeologists to the benefits of using the statistical coding language R in various levels of field work and analysis. R is a very powerful free, open-source, and extensible coding language that has gained tremendous popularity in many scientific and humanities fields. This seminar will focus on introducing the capabilities of R, a brief run through the language syntax and conventions, provide an over view of the available packages, and review a number of real world applications. This seminar is intended for at least three different audiences: 1) students looking to get some insight into new techniques to help their research; 2) professionals who are new to coding, but want to see what it has to offer their work; and 3) those with some coding experience who want to see the benefits of a new language or new examples in a language in which they are familiar.
To register, click here.
Yes you CAN do that! Creative Mitigation and Section 106 Undertakings.
Tired of doing the same old "dig, document, destroy" and sending the artifacts from an archaeological data recovery to a curatorial prison where they will never to see the light of day again? Do you have a sneaking suspicion that doing yet another expensive HABS/HAER recording of yet another bridge or other historic structure might not be the best use of the public's money? Want to do more to showcase the importance and value of our nation's cultural resources? Want to ensure that the public who pays for federally-funded and mandated cultural resource work actually benefits from these investigations? Then, this on-line seminar is for you! The instructors will examine how the Section 106 process allows for great flexibility in designing measures to resolve adverse effects on significant archaeological and other historic properties. They will also provide examples of "creative mitigation" that result in a better historic preservation pay-off for our nation's heritage and the American public.
To register, click here. This course is designed for current and potential future cultural resource managers, private sector cultural resource firms, and agency personnel.
Geophysical Remote Sensing in Archaeology: An Overview and Practical Guide for Beginners and Intermediate Users, Teachers, and Consumers
This two-hour, online seminar will provide a basic understanding of how to (1) collect, (2)process, and (3) interpret geophysical data from the three main instruments used by archaeologists: magnetometers, ground-penetrating radar, and electrical resistance meters. An emphasis will be placed on doing this with an archaeologist’s eye to understanding the archaeological record. Click here to learn more.
Advanced Archaeological Digital Data Management
This two-hour SAA online seminar will explore the practical aspects of good data management: how to organize materials during the life of a project, tools and methods that they can integrate into their existing projects and workflows to ensure data is prepared preservation and accessibility once a project is complete. The course can be taken as a follow up from the Introduction to Archaeological Digital Data Management or can be taken as a standalone course. The intended seminar audience includes archaeological project managers, PIs, curators and researchers. Archaeologists working in CRM, government agency, and academic portions of the profession will find the information provided relevant and of use in their day-to-day and longer-term professional activities. Any archaeologist or related professional who works with digital archaeological information will benefit from the course. Click here to learn more.
Archaeological Applications of Airborne Laser Scanning
Airborne Laser scanning (ALS, also known as lidar or LiDAR) is an active remote sensing technology used to create detailed and accurate 3D models of the earth’s surface and objects on it over extensive areas. This two-hour SAA online seminar aims to promote the use of ALS within archaeology by providing an overview of the technology, its potential applications in research and management, and examples of successful projects.
Forensic Archaeology to Maximize Evidence Recovery
This two-day class (14 credit hours) by The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education will introduce attendees to the array of techniques that archaeology has to offer to homicide investigation. Participants will take part in a field exercise that will simulate the recovery of human remains using archaeological techniques that will maximize evidence recovery at outdoor crime scenes. .
Educational Focus
Expert Instructors
Underwater Cultural Heritage Awareness Workshop
This series of interactive lectures, developed by the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology (ACUA), is designed to introduce non-specialists to issues specific to underwater archaeology.
This workshop is offered annually as a full-day training event at the Society for Historical Archaeology’s Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology. The workshop consists of a series of interactive lectures provided by the members of the ACUA Board of Directors. All participants receive an informational CD with presentation notes, supporting legislation and contacts, and referrals related to the workshop lectures.
Advanced Metal Detecting for the Archaeologist (AMDA)
The AMDA presents an RPA-certified class offering, which is geared towards providing professional archaeologists with an understanding of current best practices.
Advanced Metal Detecting for the Archaeologist (AMDA) will present its fifth class offering, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on April 24-26, 2015. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will be our local partner for this class. AMDA is certified under the Register of Professional Archaeologists’ continuing professional education program. The goal of the class is to provide professional archaeologists with an understanding of current best practices in metal detecting, and to provide the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with a variety of devices from a variety of manufacturers.
Advanced Metal Detecting for the Archaeologist is pleased to announce that Minelab will be providing up to five tuition scholarships for their next class. Please click here for more information.
Archaeological Investigations Northwest, Inc.'s (AINW) five-day program emphasizes hands-on production and analysis of flaked stone tools and debitage. Participants become familiar with several tool technologies (including core, biface, bipolar, and blade technologies), and learn to recognize and identify the distinctive manufacturing products and by-products of each. The program promotes the RPA goals of professional development through enhancing interpretive capabilities in recognizing behaviors associated with ancient technologies. These lithic technology analysis methods are commonly needed in archaeology due to the abundance of flaked stone lithic materials at prehistoric archaeological sites.
Click here for the course's full description, dates, and registration information.
SRI Foundation Offers Two RPA-Certified Programs
The SRI Foundation is proud to offer two recurring courses, both of which have been certified by the RPA:
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