Subject and Course Guides: Anthropology: Researching Archaeology

Texas Archaeological Resources

North Texas Archeological Society

The North Texas Archeological Society (NTAS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of archeological research, the preservation of archeological materials and sites, the interpretation and publication of the data pertaining thereto, and educating the general public about archeology. Professional and avocational archeologists gather monthly for member meetings and throughout the year for excavations, special projects, and events. NTAS is a family friendly organization. All ages and experience levels are welcome! Members can also contribute their research to the annual journal. NTAS offers FREE memberships for students via the Sponsored Student Membership. Anyone who is interested has access to apply for scholarships from the NTAS Memorial Scholarship Fund for help to attend TAS events offered throughout the year.

Bulletin of the Texas Archeological Society
Caddo Conference
The purpose of the CCO is to promote and to stimulate interest in the archeology, history, and ethnology of the Caddo archeological region (southwestern Arkansas, northwestern Louisiana, southeastern Oklahoma, and northeastern Texas) and adjacent areas, to enhance communication among people (researchers, Caddo Nation of Oklahoma members, others) interested in furthering knowledge of the archeology, history, and ethnology of the Caddo Area, to convey this knowledge to the public at large to publish and to encourage publication, and to advocate for, and assist in, the preservation and conservation of archeological data and resources relating to Caddo Area studies or sacred to the Caddo people.
City of San Antonio Archaeology Reports
The Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) is actively involved in the discovery, documentation and preservation of archaeological resources in the City of San Antonio and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. A total of over 2,300 archaeological sites have been recorded in San Antonio and throughout Bexar County.
Council of Texas Archeologists
Index of Texas Archaeology
It is the mission of the Index of Texas Archaeology to digitally curate, aggregate, and distribute redacted digital proxies of scarce, limited-production, and born-digital archaeological works produced throughout the State of Texas and adjacent regions.
SMU Archaeology Research Collections
The Archaeology Research Collections (ARC) exhibits are the home to archaeological collections managed by the Department of Anthropology at Southern Methodist University. Our collections were generated through research and compliance excavations, as well as through gifts of avocational archaeologists and citizen scientists.
Texas Historical Commission Archaeology Resources
Texas State University Center for Archaeological Studies Reports and Publications
CAS publishes architectural, archaeological and technical reports and publications each year.
University of Texas San Antonio Center for Archaeological Research

Suggested Databases for Archaeolgy Research

Because the techniques used in archaeology may be associated more with STEM fields than social sciences, you may need to look in different databases for scholarly articles and other resources. Some resources like excavation reports, may not be available through scholarly databases at all. Such materials may be published by local archaeology societies, government entities, tribal/first peoples nations, and private archaeology consulting firms. If you are having trouble with your research, please make an appointment for one-on-one help from a librarian.

eHRAF Archaeology

A cross-cultural database containing information on prehistory.

The eHRAF Archaeology is a cross-cultural database containing information on prehistory. This unique, annually-growing eHRAF database is organized by archaeological traditions and the full-text sources are subject-indexed to the paragraph level.
Gale In Context: Science

Supports science studies by providing contextual information on hundreds of today's most significant science topics and showcase scientific disciplines that relate to real-world issues.
Science & Technology Collection

Contains over 800 leading full text journals covering relevant aspects of the scientific and technical community. Topics include aeronautics, astrophysics, biology, chemistry, computer technology, geology, aviation, physics, archaeology, marine sciences and materials science. In addition to the full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 1,700 publications. Updated regularly.
Web of Science

A collection of databases that index the world’s leading scholarly literature in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities, as published in journals, conference proceedings, symposia, seminars, colloquia, workshops, and conventions across the globe.

Abstracts and citations in ISI's Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index, and Conference Proceedings Citation Index. Searches by subject term, author name, journal title, or author affiliation; also for articles that cite an author or work. Along with an article's abstract, its cited references (bibliography) are listed for further searching.

Finding Excavation Reports

Some archaeological reports (excavation reports) can be found in library databases, but here are examples of other places you might find site reports. This is not an exhaustive list. If you need help searching, please make an appointment for a one-on-one consultation with a librarian.

Archaeology Reports Online
An open access repository of archaeological sites in Scotland.
Bureau of Land Management
Reports for sites can be found on the right. Information about permits is also included.
The Digital Archaeological Record
The Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR) is an international digital repository for the digital records of archaeological investigations. tDAR’s use, development, and maintenance are governed by Digital Antiquity, an organization dedicated to ensuring the long-term preservation of irreplaceable archaeological data and to broadening the access to these data.
National Park Service Reports
Annual archaeology reports from the National Park Service through 2013.
New York State Cultural Resource Information System
RIS is an advanced Geographic Information System program that provides access to New York State's vast historic and cultural resource databases and now digitized paper records. CRIS provides users with access to more than 1.5 million pages of digital images including, National Register documents, building and archaeological inventory forms and survey reports and a wide variety of additional legacy data.
Site Reports from the North Texas Archeological Society
These records are house in the Special Collections at UTA and can be viewed in person in the Special Collection reading room on the 6th floor. Please ask the front desk attendant to retrieve them for you.

Popular Media

Archaeology Magazine
A publication of the Archaeological Institute of America. Popular sources generally are not cited in research, but they may provide inspiration for research topics. They are also a convenient place to keep track of new research.
Archaeology News Online Magazine
This is not a scholarly source and cannot be used for academic research. However, it is a quick way to browse current topics for ideas, and the articles should link to scholarly sources.
Scientific American Magazine
Another popular media source that can be helpful for inspiration. Some articles may be paywalled. Articles published after 2007 can also be found in Academic Search Complete through UTA Libraries.