The New Zealand Archaeological Association is the national organisation for archaeology with a membership spanning professionals, amateurs, students, organisations, businesses and institutions involved or interested in New Zealand archaeology and heritage. We actively aim to unite all persons engaged in or interested in archaeology by holding an annual conference and other seminars and workshops, for the discussion and further advancement of archaeological knowledge and practice.
Our objectives are to promote and foster research into the archaeology and history of New Zealand and further afield. Our archaeological record may be short in timespan by old world standards, but New Zealand has a rich heritage of archaeological sites which illustrate its 800-year history. We publish the Journal of Pacific Archaeology, a monograph series and the Association’s quarterly newsletter, Archaeology in New Zealand.
As part of our national role, we lobby government and local authorities for the recognition and protection of New Zealand’s cultural heritage through planning consultations and direct engagement. The Site Recording Scheme, initiated by the NZAA in the 1950s and today managed by the Association through its online portal, ArchSite, contains the records of over 60,000 archaeological sites in New Zealand. The records are used for the purposes of research and for the protection and management of archaeological sites.
