Annual Meeting

83rd Plains Anthropological Conference Lincoln, Nebraska October 21-24, 2026

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GENERAL CONFERENCE INFORMATION

We are thrilled to bring the 2026 Plains Anthropological Conference back to Lincoln for the 26th time, and first time in a decade! This 83rd annual meeting is co-hosted by the Nebraska State Historical Society (State Archeology Office), University of Nebraska-Lincoln (School of Global Integrative Studies & Center for Great Plains Studies), National Park Service (Midwest Archeological Center), Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, and Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma. Keep an eye on this page in the coming months for more details about conference programs, tours, and events.

Questions about conference activities, sponsorship inquiries, or solicitation of conference sessions, workshops, or symposia may be directed to Dave Williams (dave.williams@nebraska.gov).

 

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CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

Register now for the 83rd Plains Anthropological Conference at this link or through the QR code below.

*You must be a current member of the PAS in order to present a paper or poster at the conference. Membership status can be checked on the PAS website.

 

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ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

Once registered, submit paper and poster abstracts using this Google Form. The submission deadline is Friday, October 2, 2026.

 

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CONFERENCE EVENTS (Registration Required)

Tours

Wednesday, October 21

Omaha Area Tour (8:00 am-5:45 pm)

This tour will be by passenger van and will be led by Nolan Johnson (Nebraska State Archeology Office). Meet in hotel lobby at 7:45 am. We will return to hotel by 5:45 pm or shortly thereafter. Box lunches are provided. Tour limited to the first 30 people; a waitlist will be created. This day-long tour will highlight post-discovery activities at multiple archeological sites and curatorial facilities around the Omaha area. Facilities visited will include the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) forensic labs located at Offutt Air Force Base, whose mission is to recover and identify unaccounted service members from past conflict areas around the world, and the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center, a world-class regional facility conducting conservation examination and treatment of objects, paintings, and works on paper. Archeological sites will include Fort Atkinson State Historical Park (1820-1827, the first military post west of the Missouri River) to learn about past archeological efforts and view reconstructed for buildings, and the sunken Steamboat Bertrand and its museum containing a wonderful assortment of 250,000 Civil War-era artifacts (1865). While the tour will be traveling by van, we will be doing some light hiking at Fort Atkinson, so please wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Participation in the hike is not mandatory, however.

Disclaimer: Because the DPAA labs are located on an active military installation, access to the labs is predicated upon passing a background check prior to entry. Registrants will be contacted ahead of time to provide information to complete the background check in advance of the tour. As such, registration for this tour will close early (by October 2) to allow enough time for background checks to be completed and notification to registrants if they do not pass. If a registrant does no pass the background check, the registration fee will be refunded.

Genoa Area Tour (8:00 am-4:30 pm)

This tour will be by passenger van and will be led by Matt Reed (Pawnee Nation THPO). Meet in hotel lobby at 7:45 am. We will return to hotel by 4:30 pm or shortly thereafter. Box lunches are provided. Tour limited to the first 30 people; a waitlist will be created. This tour will provide a detailed overview of combined Otoe-Missouria and Pawnee culture and history in central Nebraska from ca. 1800 to present, culminating in a discussion of how national experiences and interactions with the U.S. government have shaped Otoe-Missouria and Pawnee political policies, NAGPRA, Section 106, and more. Stops will include multiple important archeological sites within the Loup River valley, the Valley View Cemetery south of Genoa, and the Genoa US. Indian School Museum.

 

Saturday, October 24

Southeast Nebraska Tour (8:00 am-6:00 pm)

This tour will be by passenger van and will be led by Rob Bozell (retired Nebraska State Archeology Office). Meet in hotel lobby at 7:45 am. We will return to hotel by 6:00 pm or shortly thereafter. Box lunches are provided. Tour limited to the first 30 people; a waitlist will be created. This day-long tour will highlight the deep cultural history of Southeast Nebraska, with stops at multiple ancestral Otoe-Missouria and Pawnee archeological sites, Rock Creek Station State Historical Park (California & Oregon Trail, and Pony Express station), and Homestead National Historical Park (location of one of the first land parcels claimed under the 1862 Homestead Act). While the tour will be traveling by van, we will be doing some light hiking at Rock Creek Station, so please wear comfortable shoes and clothing. participation in the hike is not mandatory, however. 

 

Special Events

Wednesday, October 21

Archeological Geophysics Workshop (8:00 am-4:00 pm)

Dedicated to the memory of Robert K. Nickel

Whether you are a student or a professional archaeologist in the academic, government, or private sector, having a basic understanding of ground-based geophysical techniques is increasingly important. This one-day workshop is meant to provide an introductory level, hands-on experience for 20 Plains Anthropological Society members who have limited or no previous experience. The workshop will highlight the use of different techniques such as magnetometry, ground-penetrating radar, earth resistance, conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility; the suitability of different instrument types; equipment and project costs; and data processing and interpretation.

Organizers

• Adam Wiewel, Archaeologist, Midwest Archeological Center
• Laura Crawford, Assistant State Archaeologist, Nebraska State Historical Society
• Steve De Vore, Archaeologist (retired), Midwest Archeological Center

Schedule

The workshop will include lectures and discussions in the morning followed by data collection and processing in the afternoon. Lunch will be the responsibility of participants.

• 8:00-11:00 am, Nebraska History Museum (Gilmore Room), Lectures
• 11:00 am-12:00 pm, Lunch (on your own)
• 12:00-2:00 pm, Centennial Mall, Data collection
• 2:00-4:00 pm, Nebraska History Museum (Gilmore Room), Data processing and interpretation

Who Should Attend?

• Cultural resource managers and specialist from federal, state, local, and tribal governments
• Private contractors
• Professors and students
• Other cultural resource personnel with responsibilities concerning contracting and report review

Logistics

The Nebraska History Museum is located approximately 0.5 miles from the conference hotel for participants who wish to walk. Alternatively, paid parking is available nearby at the Larson Building and Garage or University Square Garage. Numerous lunch options are available in the blocks surrounding the Nebraska History Museum.

Registration

There is no cost for the workshop. Registration will be capped at 20 participants. If capacity is reached, we will start a waitlist and notify you if a spot becomes available.

Contact

Questions regarding the workshop can be directed to Adam Wiewel (wiewel@plainsanthropologicalsociety.org).

Early Bird Reception (6:30-9:30 pm)

The Graduate, Scarlet Ballroom (lower level)

Beer, wine, and appetizers provided, with a cash bar.

No cost. Please register for adequate food and drink quantity.

 

Thursday, October 22

Midwest Archeological Center Open House (3:00-5:00 pm)

PAC attendees are welcome to visit the Midwest Archeological Center, an office of the National Park Service that has provided professional support to park units in the Midwest Region as well as other federal, state and local government agencies for more than 50 years. Displays highlighting recent archeological projects will be set up throughout the office and lab, and staff will be available to discuss the Center's history and role in the National Park Service. 

• MWAC is located in the Robert V. Denney Federal Building (100 Centennial Mall N., Room 474, Lincoln, NE 68508), so visitors will be required to pass through security.
• Free parking is available in the federal garage across from the federal building on the south side of "O" Street. The garage closes at 5:30 pm, so visitors cannot remain in the federal garage for the Thursday evening reception at the Nebraska History Museum.
• Once parked, visitors will enter the federal building on the west side where they go through a metal detector at the security station. A photo ID is required. All bags must go through an X-ray machine. No weapons (including pocketknives and mace) or cameras are allowed in the building. Cell phones are acceptable.

No cost. Please register so that MWAC staff can prepare for visitors.

Reception (6:00-8:00 pm)

Nebraska History Museum (131 Centennial Mall N., Lincoln, NE 68508).

Beer, wine, and appetizers provided, with a cash bar.

Attendees will be able to view current exhibits at the museum, including Piecing Together the Past: An Exhibit Exploring 13,000 Years of History with Nebraska's Archeologists, and Our Nebraska: The Place, Its People, & Their Impact, exploring 250 years of layered, interconnected histories in this land we now call Nebraska.

For your consideration: Conference organizers are soliciting submissions for a Lightning Session to be held during the Thursday (10/22) evening reception at the Nebraska History Museum. Lightning Session presentations should be short, fast-paced talks that focus on a single core message and last from 3-5 minutes. When registering, please select the "Lightning Session Abstract" option if you would like to participate in this event.

No cost. Please register for adequate food and drink quantity.

 

Friday, October 23

Student Workshop Lunch: An Introduction to Archeological Geophysics (11:30 am-1:20 pm)

The Graduate, location TBD.

This student-focused workshop will provide an introduction and overview of the most used geophysical techniques in archaeology, including magnetometry, ground-penetrating radar, earth resistance, conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility. 

All students attending the PAC are encouraged to register. Free lunch will be provided for the first 35 student registrants. Other attendees may bring their own lunch. Additionally, students are also welcome to participate in the Archaeological Geophysics Workshop held on Wednesday, October 21.

Conference Banquet (7:00-9:00 pm)

The Graduate, Ardis Ballroom (upper level)

• Cash bar beginning ca. 6:00 pm (open)
• Plated dinner with salad, rolls, dessert, and drink service (water, coffee, and iced tea only) included, beginning at 7:00 pm (ticketed)
• Remarks and awards, 7:45 pm (open)

• Conference speaker, 8:00 pm (open): Dr. Margaret Jacobs, Center for Great Plains Studies

  

   

  Dr. Margaret Jacobs is the Charles Mach Professor of History and was the Director of the Center for Great Plains Studies at UNL between 2020 and August 2026. Her work with the Center includes co-founding and co-leading the Walking in the Footsteps of our Ancestors project, a partnership between the Center and the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma. With Lincoln journalist Kevin Abourezk, she is the co-founder and co-director, too, of Reconciliation Rising, a multimedia project that showcases Indigenous people and settlers who are working together to honestly confront painful histories and create pathways to healing and reconciliation. Margaret is also the co-founder and former co-director of the Genoa Indian School Digital Reconciliation Project, which digitized government records related to the Genoa school as an act of brining history home to tribal nations. Margaret has published more than 35 articles and 4 books, primarily about the U.S. government's century-long policy and practice of Indigenous child removal. She published After One Hundred Winters: In Search of Reconciliation on America's Stolen Lands in 2021. She recently completed a film, "The Land Returns," regarding the grassroots movement in the United States to return land to Native peoples, that is airing nationally on PBS in October and November.

   

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CONFERENCE MERCHANDISE

Order through Zeffy by September 29 to ensure delivery by the conference. A limited quantity of merchandise will be available for onsite sales.

 

Short sleeve shirt: $25.00 (add $2 for sizes XXL+)

BELLA+CANVAS Unisex Triblend; Blue color

Long sleeve shirt: $30.00 (add $2 for sizes XXL+)

BELLA+CANVAS Unisex Triblend; Blue color

Ball cap: $30.00

Richardson 112, 5-panel snapback trucker cap; Royal blue and white color

Stickers: $4.00

Round, 3x3", matte, removable stickers with conference logo

Koozies (standard 12 oz can): $8.00

Kolder Kaddy Neoprene beverage insulator; Electric blue with navy stitching, with conference logo

Koozies (slim 12 oz can): $8.00

Kolder Kaddy Neoprene beverage insulator; Electric blue with navy stitching, with conference logo

 

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CONFERENCE HEADQUARTERS AND HOTEL

The 83rd Annual Meeting will be held October 21–24, 2026 at the Graduate by Hilton Lincoln (141 North 9th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508), right on the edge of the historic Haymarket district in downtown Lincoln.

You can begin making room reservations now to secure the conference hotel rate of $129.00 per night (plus taxes and fees; parking included). Book online (Plains Anthropological Society 2026 Annual Conference) or call 402-475-4011 and request the Plains Anthropological Society conference rate by September 22, 2026, to secure your room.

Additional conference hotel amenities include an indoor pool, fitness center, snack and coffee shop, and free Wi-Fi.

 

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PARKING

Parking is available at the Graduate by Hilton Lincoln and is included at no extra charge with rooms booked at the conference rate. If you are unable to secure a room at the conference rate, onsite parking is $23.00 per day. EV charging is also available.

There are also numerous parking garages within the immediate vicinity of the conference hotel. The following links detail various parking options.

https://downtownlincoln.org/get-around/by-car/parking

https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/Urban-Development/Park-and-Go/Find-Parking

 

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DINING

Many dining options are available within walking distance of the conference hotel. The following links provide information on many restaurants in the area.

• https://downtownlincoln.org/explore/dining (all Lincoln restaurants)
• https://downtownlincoln.org/haymarket/directory/dining (Haymarket district restaurants)
• https://www.lincoln.org/restaurants

 

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AIRPORT & TRANSPORTATION

Travelers have two options for flying to and from Nebraska. Generally, it is more economical to fly into Omaha, but we recommend checking flights and comparing prices for the best options.

Lincoln Airport, Lincoln, NE (airport code: LNK) http://www.lincolnairport.com/ 

Eppley International Airport, Omaha, NE (airport code: OMA) http://www.flyoma.com/ 

Multiple ground transportation options are available from the Lincoln airport, including car rentals, vans, taxis, buses, and ride sharing services (Uber and Lyft). For more information about ground transportation, check out https://lincolnairport.com/ground-transportation/. 

Ground transportation from Eppley International Airport can be found at https://www.flyoma.com/ground-transportation/. For shuttles between Omaha and Lincoln, check out http://www.omalink.com/. 

While you’re in Lincoln, you can easily get around town to view some of the many public art exhibits, museums, shops, and even the Nebraska State Capitol. The following link provides information on getting around by foot, bike, bus, or car. https://downtownlincoln.org/get-around

 

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LEARN MORE ABOUT LINCOLN

Visit Lincoln (Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau): http://lincoln.org/

• Maps of the Lincoln area: https://www.lincoln.org/plan-your-visit/maps/

Downtown Lincoln Association: http://downtownlincoln.org/

Lincoln Haymarket: http://lincolnhaymarket.org/

• Historic Haymarket Walking Tour: https://app.otocast.com/guide/LincolnNE_Haymarket

 

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INFORMATION FOR SPONSORS, ADVERTISERS, AND VENDORS

Support from the professional community helps us offset costs for members and especially students. A list of sponsorship options and other advertisement and vendor information is below. You can click here to be directed to the Sponsorship Form direction on Zeffy. 

Using Zeffy as our checkout portal saves us thousands of dollars in credit card processing fees. However, please note, Zeffy automatically adds a 15% donation to your total purchase price (see image). We appreciate what Zeffy does for us and many other nonprofit organizations and we encourage you to support them with a donation amount of your choosing. YOU MUST CHANGE THIS AMOUNT at checkout, the Plains Anthropological Society cannot refund donations made to Zeffy. 

 

PAC83 Sponsorship Form