September 10, 2024

In celebration of Wyoming’s rich cultural heritage, Governor Mark Gordon will proclaim September as Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month (WAAM) on September 11, between 10:45 and 11:45 at the State Capitol.

Anyone is welcome to join the proclamation event. Throughout the month of September, there will be events, activities, and lectures highlighting Wyoming’s history. To find an event near you, check out the WAAM 2024 Events Calendar.

The centerpiece of WAAM is an annually produced, award-winning poster. This year’s poster, “People & Plants,” highlights paleoethnobotany, the archaeological field that examines human-plant relationships.

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the University of Wyoming’s Archaeological Repository (UWAR) have prepared a temporary exhibit just outside the entrance of the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne to provide the public with further information about paleoethnobotany.

The poster is available free of charge, and may be picked up at the State Historic Preservation Office, Barrett Building, 2301 Central avenue in Cheyenne, or in Laramie in the Anthropology Building located at 12th and Lewis, Room 312. If you wish to have a poster mailed to you, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for details.

The Wyoming SHPO and the George C. Frison Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology are also hosting their annual WAAM lecture on Thursday, September 19th at 4:10 pm in at the University of Wyoming’s Education Auditorium. This year’s guest speaker is Dr. Jesse Casana, professor of Archaeology at Dartmouth College. Dr. Casana will be speaking on “Lost Landscapes and Looted Sites: Archaeological Investigations Using Declassified Spy Satellite Imagery.” This lecture is free and open to the public, with a reception to following in the Anthropology building foyer.

The largest celebration of WAAM was the Wyoming Archaeology Fair, which occurred this past Saturday in Laramie at the Wyoming Territorial Prison. The event was a huge success, with over 1,100 attendees! The Wyoming SHPO would like to thank the scores of volunteers who help make the event a success.