Established over 40 years ago, the Friends of Archaeology (FoA) offers a comprehensive range of opportunities to get involved for all those interested in the many fascinating aspects of archaeology. FoA originally formed to raise funds for UCLA graduate student education and Cotsen Institute activities. Today, the group—a recognized university support program directed by an Executive Board—also provides opportunities for members to volunteer for Institute field and laboratory projects, and attend field trips, private lectures and behind-the-scenes events at various cultural centers. FoA members have joined excavations in countries such as Canada, Peru and Panama, and have toured archaeological sites in Egypt, China, the Andes, and the Mediterranean with Cotsen Institute faculty. Also, every September members are invited to attend a weekend-long guided tour to the American Southwest with UCLA archaeologists. The group remains dedicated to supporting archaeology at UCLA and is vital to the vibrant atmosphere of the Cotsen Institute.

To join online, visit CIOA Giving, or download a membership form and mail to the address provided on the document.

Membership Benefits

Basic Membership ($300/year)

• Backdirt: Annual Review
• Bi-annual e-newsletters
• Email announcements about Cotsen Institute public lectures and events
• Invitations to private receptions
• Invitation to one private dinner lecture with Cotsen Institute faculty or affiliates at a UCLA venue
• End-of-academic-year party with faculty and graduate students (June)
• Invitation to the Cotsen Institute reception at the annual Society for American Archaeology meeting
• Opportunity to attend field trips and/or museum excursions with Cotsen Institute faculty and/or Research Associates
• 20% off Cotsen Institute Publications
• 15% off one archaeology class from UCLA Extension

Director’s Council ($1,000/year)

• Basic Membership benefits
• Invitation to 2 additional private dinner lectures with Cotsen Institute faculty or affiliates at a UCLA venue
• Behind-the-scenes tour at Cotsen Institute research facilities or affiliated institution followed by cocktail reception
• Invitation to visit an active Cotsen Institute international field research project with an affiliated archaeologist

A Director’s Council member’s perspective…

“The Director’s Council provides an opportunity to explore the world at a level so much deeper than a tourist would or could. We can focus our travels and learning to a specific topic that may be important to us personally, or we can experience personal growth through the experiences of travel with some of the world’s finest archaeologists. The Director’s Council presents such a unique combination of opportunities to ‘armchair’ archaeologists in the Los Angeles area. We all have careers and lives in the business community, and have had no formal education in the sciences, but we all share a love of world history and travel, and we have really enjoyed meeting and traveling with the expert scientists that work for and teach at the Cotsen Institute.”

— Patty Civalleri, Director’s Council Member

Please send any questions and comments to the Friends of Archaeology at our e-mail address foa@ioa.ucla.edu or contact the Assistant Director, Shauna Mecartea.