Tennessee Council for Professional Archaeology

The Tennessee Council for Professional Archaeology (TCPA) is a non-profit mututal benefit corporation organized in 1992 to facilitate, assist, and advocate for the practice of professional archaeology in this state.

Membership in the TCPA is open to individuals supporting the purposes of the Council who have an abiding interest in archaeological investigation in the State of Tennessee and who have previously demonstrated a committment to meeting the highest professional standards.

As stated in the Bylaws, the goals of the TCPA are to:

1. To facilitate and assist in the practice of professional archaeology in the State of Tennessee
2. To curate, display, and otherwise disseminate archaeological information in the State of Tennessee
3. To stimulate and encourage cooperation between professional and non-professional archaeologists
4. To strengthen the identification of professional archaeology and of qualified archaeologists as professionals
5. To encourage high standards in the practice of archaeology
6. To require ethical behavior and high standards of performance from its membership
7. To assist governmental and other organizations employing archaeologists in the responsible implementation of their duties
8. To support existing legislation and legislative efforts that positively affect cultural resources and to stand against legislative efforts that would negatively affect those resources
9. 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.

Information last revised on December 13, 2008.