77^th ANNUAL MEETING

Durham, North Carolina

October 24–27, 2021

We are thrilled to welcome you to Durham, North Carolina, for the 77^th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference. Due to the cancellation of last year’s meeting and other pandemic-related complications, the 2021 conference will be held Sunday, October 24, to Wednesday, October 27. We know the days are unconventional for the organization; however, we hope you will understand that these unprecedented times call for flexibility and creativity, which we can assure you have entered into the planning of SEAC 2021. Our goal is to hold a safe, in-person meeting in Durham, following federal, state, and local health guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety measures. The SEAC Board of Directors and conference organizers encourage everyone who plans to attend the meeting to be fully vaccinated before coming to Durham. 

The conference will be held at the Durham Convention Center. Durham is a vibrant, diverse, and creative southern city alive with food, arts, and culture. It was named the “Foodiest Small Town in America” in 2008 by Bon Appetit magazine and the “Tastiest Town in the South” in 2013 by Southern Living. More recently, Durham has been called the “foodie capital of the South” (New York Post), acclaimed for its “creative culinary scene” (Vogue), and crowned the “Kingdom of Cool” (Atlanta Magazine). The downtown area is home to more than 75 restaurants ranging from burger joints, bakeries, and tapas bars to a spectacular rooftop restaurant led by a James Beard Award-winning chef. Durham is known as a craft-beer lover’s paradise with more than a dozen award-winning breweries making unique beer and cider from local ingredients. It’s home to several distilleries that have created world-class gin, vodka, liqueur, and craft cocktails. Take a look behind this hip and happening restaurant scene in the documentary, Food Town USA, which chronicles a day in the life of some of Durham’s best chefs. Durham is also a hot spot for unique galleries and shops, and it boasts several landmarks and historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places. For more visitor information, check out Discover Durham.

Meeting Organizers

Margaret Scarry (scarry@email.unc.edu)
Heather Lapham (hlapham@unc.edu)
Steve Davis (rpsdavis@unc.edu)
Research Laboratories of Archaeology
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Program Co-Chairs – Steve Davis (rpsdavis@unc.edu) and Dale Hutchinson (dhutchin@email.unc.edu)

Book Room Coordinator – Mary Beth Fitts (MaryBeth.Fitts@ncdcr.gov)

Registration

The deadline for submitting a paper, poster, symposium, workshop, panel, or other event is August 31, 2021. Late submissions will not be accepted. Registration fees, forms, and additional details can be found on the Registration page. Please review the Presentation Guidelines page for information about organized events, role limits, and other presentation requirements.

The deadline for online registration for individuals who will not be presenting a paper/poster, chairing/co-chairing a symposium, serving as a panelist, or leading a workshop is October 15, 2021. After that date you will need to register for the conference on-site at the Durham Convention Center.

The deadline to register as an exhibitor in the book room and/or to pay for advertising in the conference bulletin or an insert in the conference bags is September 15, 2021. Registration fees, forms, and additional details can be found on the Registration page (please scroll to the bottom of the page for vendor and advertising info).

Due to the pandemic, we are unable to arrange on-site child care.

Conference Venue

The meeting is being held at the Durham Convention Center located at 301 West Morgan Street in downtown Durham. Parking is available across the street at the Durham Centre Garage located on Morgan Street between Foster and Morris Streets. Check their web page for current rates. 

Conference Hotels

We are pleased to offer four hotels, all within walking distance of the convention center with reduced room rates ranging from $149–$179. More information and links to hotel registration can be found on the Conference Hotels page.

Airport Transportation

Downtown Durham is located 13 miles from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). A taxi from the airport to hotels in the city center will cost about $35–$40. Due to the pandemic, RDU Taxi is no longer in operation, so you cannot walk out of the airport and hail a cab; however, Uber and Lyft are readily available. If you prefer to take a taxi, you should contact a cab company before you arrive at RDU. The conference hotels provided a few suggestions (listed below in alphabetical order), and a quick online search will find many other cab companies that service the Raleigh–Durham area. 

Durham’s Best Cab Company, 919-680-3330

Durham Flyer Taxi, 919-888-8898

Durham RDU Comfort Taxi, 919-638-4617

Taxi Taxi, 919-900-5555

Lunchtime Food Trucks

We will have several food trucks parked outside the convention center so attendees can enjoy a tasty and convenient mid-day meal, and sample some of Durham’s renowned street food. Check back for cuisine options. Covered, outdoor seating will be provided on the convention center plaza.    

Monday Night Poster Session & Reception 

Enjoy hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, and lively conversation Monday from 5:00‒7:00 pm while perusing this year’s 60+ poster presentations. Afterwards, you’ll want to head out to explore Durham’s fabulous restaurant and pub scene to sample some local fare and craft beer. Need ideas? Visit Discover Durham’s Food & Drink section. 

Tuesday Night Festivities

Attendees will be able to choose from two different festivities on Tuesday evening to wind down the conference. Enjoy live music from High Cotton outside under a tent on the convention center plaza. Featuring our own Shawn Patch on guitar with Lisa Dames on vocals, the acoustic duo from Greensboro, NC, serves up tasteful, vintage country classics—from Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash to Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and more!

Or, join us at Full Steam Brewery (726 Rigsbee Ave) for a night of fun, laughter, engaging trivia, and local craft beer. Full Steam also serves burgers, sandwiches, salads, local kombucha, and craft sodas.

Stay tuned for more news about special events!

SEAC Student Paper Competition

Calling all students!... Remember to enter your paper in the annual SEAC Student Paper Competition for a chance to win a generous prize. The first-place recipient is awarded a huge assortment of publications and other donated items worth several thousand dollars. Second-place prize is a lifetime membership in SEAC, currently valued at $650, along with back issues of SEAC’s journal, Southeastern Archaeology. For more information about how to enter, check out the Student Paper Competition web page.

Follow us on Social Media

Remember to check out SEAC on Facebook and Twitter for information about the conference and all the wonderful things that Durham, North Carolina, has to offer.