Annual Meeting | CCPA Main

47th Annual CCPA Meeting
March 13 -16, 2025 | Grand Junction Convention Center

The Grand Junction Convention Center is on historic Main Street in downtown Grand Junction, Colorado. Both Main Street and nearby Colorado Avenue offer a wide variety of restaurants, breweries, pubs, gift and boutique shopping, bookstores, museums, art galleries, music venues, and entertainment. All is within easy walking distance from the hotel with both streets displaying Art on the Corner, a dynamic outdoor sculpture exhibition. Grand Junction is bicycle friendly with designated bicycle lanes throughout the City. The 7th Street Historic District shows off lovely 1800s/early 1900s homes with a variety of architectural styles of the period. First class dining and entertainment is available throughout the City. The Grand Junction Riverfront Trail is only a 2 minute drive from downtown. It’s 28-mile paved bike/walking, skating, wildlife watching path that follows the Colorado River and offers beautiful riverside, open park, and valley views. The Trail connects to Las Colonias Park a 130 acre area that includes paddle board ponds, river access, dog parks, disk golf, an amphitheater, and the Botanical and Butterfly Gardens. The Museum of the West, also in walking distance, holds prehistoric artifacts, rock art, and ceramics. They are known for their extensive collection of 19th century firearms and displays related to the history of western Colorado.The nearby town of Fruita offers breweries, pubs, shopping, and access to miles and miles of mountain biking trails. With a comfortable balance of urban and rural, this town provides a pleasant break from the action of the City. Palisade is the hub of the western Colorado fruit and wine industry. Winery and meadery tours are available year-round and downtown provides shopping and specialty dining with a hometown atmosphere. Except for the “Official Town Grouch”, Palisade has some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.The Colorado National Monument is 10 minutes from downtown Grand Junction. The spectacular landscape of red sandstone canyons, buttes, and towers are not to be missed. Glade Park can also be accessed from the Park.Only 30 minutes away from Grand Junction is the Grand Mesa. This, the largest flattop mesa in the world, begins in the high desert and covers seven biomes as it ascends to elevations above 10,000 feet. With over 500 high country lakes and beautiful alpine forests, it offers hiking, skiing, and sightseeing with views that stretch to Utah and the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado.

Click through the tabs below to see the schedule of events and general conference information, register for the meeting, submit and abstract, and make hotel reservations!

Paper presentation schedule is posted!

See linked schedule in Schedule tab below or access directly here.

VIEW PROGRAM

VIEW BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA

Organizers have reserved four hotels at the CCPA group rate. Please use the the links to directly book your reservations. Rates vary between $119 and $129. Click the hotel links below to see rates and the full list of amenities. Every hotel has free breakfast listed and all are just steps away from the GJ Convention Center.

Parking: All hotels charge for parking and will not give a discount; however, parking is extensive and free at the GJ Convention Center which is immediately next door. There is also some free parking downtown.

REDUCED CONFERENCE RATE ENDS FEB 20!

Grand Junction and the surrounding cities of Fruita, Clifton, and Palisade all have a wide variety of lodging options. Search Google for alternative hotels, B&Bs, VRBOs, and Airbnbs.

Fairfield Inn, $119/night

Book Here

Hampton Inn, $119/night

Book Here

Spring Hill Suites, $129/night

Book Here

Tru by Hilton, $119/night

Book Here

The Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists 47th Annual Meeting at the Grand Junction Events Center, 159 Main Street, in historic downtown Grand Junction.

For conference related questions, please email the organizer, Sonny Shelton (DARG).

Important Dates:

Last day to book lodging at the conference discount for SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, Hampton Inn, and TRU by Hilton, is February 20th, 2025.
Abstract submission ends February 28th, 2025.
Early conference registration ends February 28th, 2025.
- Online registration will remain open until March 13th.
- On-site registration will be available starting March 13th and throughout the conference.
Sponsorship commitments must be received by February 28, 2025.

This year's conference will feature the sessions for papers and posters, a student competition, early bird welcome reception, banquet, fundraisers benefiting the Ward F. Weakly Scholarship Fund, as well as field trips to Museum of the West, Cross Orchards Living History Museum, and Colorado National Monument.

Conference registration is through the Zeffy platform, which serves non-profit organizations like CCPA. Zeffy relies entirely on donations to support its services and passes none of the fees onto CCPA. When you register, you will see an option to donate to Zeffy. This is entirely voluntary, but please consider donating to Zeffy when you register.

Visit bit.ly/ccpa-2025, scan the QR code, or the Register tab to register for the conference.

Early Bird Welcome Reception

Join us Thursday, March 13th, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at Ramblebine Brewing Co. The brewery is located in Grand Junction at 457 Colorado Ave., less than 3 blocks (approximately a 5 minute walk) from the GJ Events Center and right next door to the Museum of the West. In addition to the large indoor area, there is heated outdoor seating. Registration includes snacks and a drink ticket. Additional tasty treats will be available for purchase from the excellent food truck.

Banquet and Scholarship Fundraiser

A buffet-style banquet will be held Friday evening March 14th in the main conference room of the Grand Junction Events Center. Gluten free and vegan options will be available. Banquet tickets should be purchased online by the early registration deadline of February 28th, 2025. Limited banquet tickets will be available to purchase following the deadline via Zeffy before March 13 or on-site during the conference.

Please confirm any dietary restrictions for your banquet ticket with the conference organizers. Special tickets will be given for those with restrictions to receive those meals at the banquet.

Silent Auction

If you are willing to help with coordinating auction items and the event after the banquet, please reach out to Sonny Shelton. Please inform her of auction items to be donated by February 28, 2025.

Student Volunteers

Students who plan to attend the conference are asked to consider volunteering two hours of time to receive free conference registration. Volunteer slots will be granted on a first-come, first-come basis. To volunteer, please email Sonny Shelton.

Conference Merch

Conference t-shirts will be available for purchase at the conference. You can also pre-order t-shirts along with your registration.

Cancellation & Refund Policy

No refunds will be given after March 6, 2025. If you need a refund prior to this date, please contact the CCPA Treasurer.

CALL FOR PAPERS, POSTERS, AND SESSION

The CCPA conference organizers are issuing a call for Panels, Papers, and Posters for the annual meeting. Abstracts for paper and poster presentations are due by February 28, 2025. Abstracts should be limited to 150 words, summarize the presentation's content, and include the presentation's title, all authors, and author affiliations for inclusion in the CCPA Annual Meeting program. As always, there are a limited number of slots for papers and posters -- entry will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you would like to propose a session, please email Kiki Lathrop. Please direct any questions on paper or poster presentations or on abstract submission to Kiki Lathrop.

SUBMIT ABSTRACT

Propose a general paper or poster

Abstracts on all topics of interest and value to Colorado archaeologists will be accepted. Topics of general interest will be presented on Friday afternoon and all-day Saturday. All paper presentations will be limited 20 minutes in length. Posters will be displayed on easels Friday afternoon and all-day Saturday. Posters must not exceed 60 inches wide and 48 inches in height.

Propose a student paper or poster

The CCPA is excited to host its 15th annual graduate and undergraduate student research presentation and poster competitions. Graduate and undergraduate students will compete separately in two categories: research paper presentations and posters. A panel of judges will evaluate the entries and present awards in each category at the end of the day on Saturday. Entries can be on any topic of archaeological interest and do not need to be specifically about Colorado archaeology.

The competition provides students an opportunity to present research in a supportive environment, to meet and get feedback from professional archaeologists from across the state and beyond, and to engage with students and educators from other academic institutions. All students are invited to participate in the student paper and poster competitions. For more information, please contact INSERT NAME AND EMAIL

Qualifications

Competitors must be students who are currently enrolled as full-time or part-time graduate or undergraduate students, or graduated within the past 6 months.
Presentations and posters may be co-authored, with the entry category set by the lead author.
- Any award for a multi-authored entry will be split among the authors.
Research that has been submitted for publication, has been published, or written for an academic course may be presented. The entry needs to have been written when the author was a student.
- The entry cannot have previously been entered in a CCPA student competition.
Competitors must register for the conference and are strongly encouraged to join CCPA.
The content of the entries must adhere to CCPA's Code of Ethics.
When submitting your abstract, please indicate that you are submitting to the competition. Paper presentations and poster dimensions for general submissions will be the same for student submissions as for general submissions.

Awards

Graduate & Undergraduate Papers

1st Place

2nd Place

$200

$50

Graduate & Undergraduate Posters

1st Place

2nd Place

$125

$50

Thursday, March 13

3:30-4:45 pm: Museum of the West tour

462 Ute Ave, Grand Junction
A tour of the remarkable collections and artifacts of the Museum of the West will be given by Vida Jabar, the museum’s curator. The museum is within easy walking distance of the event center and is located right next door to Ramblebine Brewing Co.
Meet in the Lobby of the Museum by 3:25 pm.

5-9 pm: Early Bird at Ramblebine Brewing Co.

457 Colorado Ave, Grand Junction
No host happy hour with food truck.
Conference registration available at the Early Bird.

Friday, March 14

8:00 am - 5:00 pm: Registration and Merchandise Sales (Foyer)

8:00 am - 11:30 am: Business Meeting (Main Conference Room)

Open to all members
- Available to remote viewers via YouTube Livestream
Agenda (click here)

9:00 am - 5:00 pm: Poster Session (Foyer)

11:30 am - 1:30 pm: CCPA Executive Committee Meeting (Creek Room)

Invitation only

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Afternoon Paper Session (Main Conference Room)

Program (page 19)

6:15 pm - 7:15 pm: Banquet (Main Conference Room)

Tickets required -- very limited tickets available for purchase at the conference!
Cash bar begins at 6 pm.

7:30 pm - 9:30 pm: Name the Function at the Junction (Main Conference Room)

Open to all

VIEW LIVESTREAM

Saturday, March 15

8:00 am - 5:00 pm: On-Site Registration, Merch Sales, and Silent Auction (Foyer)

8:00 am - 12:00 pm: Morning Paper Session (Main Conference Room)

Includes Continental Breakfast
Program (pages 20-21)

9:00 am - 5:00 pm: Poster Session (Foyer)

9:00 am - 10:30 am: Student Poster Competition

Participant must be present for judging

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm: Lunch (on your own)

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Afternoon Paper Session (Main Conference Room)

Program (page 22)

Sunday, March 16

8:00 am: Monument Canyon Petroglyph Site Field Trip

Full -- Meet at Monument Canyon Trailhead at 8 am.

9:30 am - 11:00 am: Mammoth Hunt Atlatl Toss & Tour

A few spots are still open! Sign up at the conference.
Meet at Cross Orchards Living History Museum at 3073 F Rd. at 9 am.

Be a Sponsor of the 47th Annual CCPA Meeting

Being a sponsor of the 2025 CCPA Annual Meeting has many benefits. In addition to enhancing your organization’s visibility, sponsorship is a great opportunity for capitalizing on networking opportunities and showcasing your organization.

Sponsorships help keep conference costs affordable for all attendees and, especially, for students. Promoting student interest, attendance, and participation in the conference is one of the primary goals of CCPA. To aid in increasing student attendance and participation, a portion of the sponsorship funds will support student awards. We depend on your support!

Sponsorship Levels

Colorado River Level ($1,500)

Your support includes the option to have a vendor table, three conference registrations and banquet tickets, three conference t-shirts, and your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.

Gunnison River Level ($1,000)

Your support includes the option to have a vendor table, two conference registrations and banquet tickets, two conference t-shirts, and your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.

San Juan River Level ($750)

Your support includes one conference registration and banquet ticket, one conference t-shirt, and your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.

Yampa River Level ($500)

Your support includes one conference registration, and your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.

White River Level ($250)

Your support includes one conference t-shirt, and your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.

Dolores River Level ($100)

Your support includes your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.

Please contact Kiki Lathrop to confirm your sponsorship level. Sponsorship commitments must be received by February 28, 2025. Sponsors will be asked to provide logos in high resolution (300 ppi or greater at print size) and at screen resolution (72 ppi).

Thank you for supporting CCPA!