The Tennessee Council for Professional Archaeology (TCPA) is a non-profit mutual benefit corporation organized in 1992 to facilitate, assist, and advocate for professionalism in the field of archaeology in the state of Tennessee, and to promote archaeological awareness and stewardship of our past. Membership in the TCPA is open to any individual who supports the purposes of the Council and has an abiding interest in Tennessee’s archaeological heritage. For a history of the organization, please see this page. Information on the Board and officers of the organization (past and present) can be found here.
The goals of the TCPA are:
Mississippian effigy hooded water bottle from Monroe County, Tennessee
- To facilitate and assist in the practice of professional archaeology in the State of Tennessee
- To curate, display, and otherwise disseminate archaeological information in the State of Tennessee
- To stimulate and encourage cooperation between professional and non-professional archaeologists
- To strengthen the identification of professional archaeology and of qualified archaeologists as professionals
- To encourage high standards in the practice of archaeology
- To require ethical behavior and high standards of performance from its membership
- To assist governmental and other organizations employing archaeologists in the responsible implementation of their duties
- To support existing legislation and legislative efforts that positively affect cultural resources and to stand against legislative efforts that would negatively affect those resources
- To provide a broadly-based open forum in which technical, ethical, administrative, and philosophical issues affecting cultural resources can be discussed in a positive atmosphere.
More information about the structure and goals of TCPA can be found in the organization’s By-Laws and minutes.
Tennessee Council for Professional Archaeology 