Anthropological Studies Center, Praetzellis receive Excellence in Public Historical Archaeology award
The Anthropological Studies Center (ASC) at Sonoma State University, together with archaeologists Adrian and Mary Praetzellis, has received the Society for Historical Archaeology's Daniel G. Roberts Award for Excellence in Public Historical Archaeology, recognizing their enduring leadership in public interpretation, community collaboration, and ethical cultural resource management.
For more than 50 years, ASC has advanced historical archaeology by ensuring that archaeological knowledge reaches beyond academic and regulatory audiences. Through community-based research, documentary film, interpretive exhibits, and sustained partnerships with descendant communities, ASC has transformed archaeological data into accessible narratives about resilience, identity, and place.
“ASC exemplifies what public historical archaeology can achieve when scholarship, storytelling, and community accountability are treated as inseparable,” said Bonnie J. Clark, one of the award nominators. “Their work demonstrates that archaeology is not just about recovering the past, but about restoring visibility, dignity, and meaning to histories that have too often been marginalized.”
The award also recognizes the impact of Mary and Adrian Praetzellis, who directed ASC for 25 years and helped redefine standards for cultural resource management in California. They insisted that compliance archaeology include public-facing outcomes and rigorous scholarly publication. Their edited volume, Archaeologists as Storytellers (1998), is widely regarded as a foundational text in public archaeology.
The award nomination describes Adrian and Mary’s contribution to the field, noting, “Mary and Adrian pushed the field to ask harder questions about who archaeology is for and how it should be practiced. They demonstrated that contract archaeology could—and should—produce work that is intellectually rigorous, visually compelling, and deeply engaged with living communities.”
ASC’s influence extends through education and mentorship. Closely linked to Sonoma State University’s Cultural Resource Heritage Management graduate program, the center has trained generations of archaeologists who now serve in leadership roles across public agencies, Tribal governments, cultural institutions, and consulting firms.
About the Anthropological Studies Center
The Anthropological Studies Center (ASC) at Sonoma State University is a nationally recognized leader in cultural resource management and public archaeology. For more than 50 years, ASC has combined rigorous research with community collaboration, public interpretation, and education. Closely integrated with Sonoma State University’s Cultural Resource Heritage Management graduate program, ASC serves as both a professional research center and a training ground for future leaders in archaeology, heritage preservation, and public scholarship.