There are two major archaeology organizations in Virginia, COVA and the Archeological Society of Virginia (ASV). While COVA is comprised primarily of professional archaeologists, it has an Associate Membership category open to all with an interest in Virginia archaeology. The ASV is a statewide membership organization for anyone interested in archaeology; members are primarily avocational archaeologists who wish to participate in the discovery and preservation of Virginia historical sites. Both organizations are important partners for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

The 2025 Virginia Archaeology Month poster is designed after a Munsell color chart, specifically, some of the colors archaeologists use to describe soils in Virginia. Munsell color charts are tools that provide standards used to match, name, and describe colors. Albert H. Munsell established a theory of color that combines the art and science of color and provides a framework for color-matching systems used today. Munsell charts use a combination of color chroma and value to define thousands of colors. These precise references allow us to accurately describe the colors of many things – soils, artifacts, paper, paint, etc. Instead of using a subjective description, like “these soils look orangey brown,” an archaeologist would use a Munsell chart to identify a specific color and record it as “5YR 5/6 yellowish red,” where 5 refers to the value and 6 refers to the chroma in the 5YR color family. Archaeologists are not the only discipline that uses Munsell color charts; there is a set of color chips just for food quality control. To learn more about how Munsell color theory is applied in many disciplines, visit the Munsell blog at Munsell Color Blog; Where Color Expression Comes to Life | Munsell Color System; Color Matching from Munsell Color Company.

The front of the poster features a timeline of important events in the history of the ASV and Virginia archaeology. This timeline is laid out in the style of a classic Munsell soil page, as often seen on Virginia’s archaeological sites. You can read more about Munsell charts at www.munsell.com.

The back of the poster contains information on current programs of the ASV that are leading the organization into the future. These include Historic Kittiewan, the ASV Headquarters; The Sandra and William Speiden Archaeological Facility, a newly renovated space for research and education; the Certification Program, an award-winning training program open to all members; and a map of chapter locations.

To learn more about COVA, visit cova-inc.org
To learn more about the ASV, visit virginiaarcheology.org.

If you are hosting an event for Archaeology Month, please submit it to our calendar using the form accessed through the button below, or contact DHR Senior Curator Allison Mueller at 804-482-6441. To receive a free copy of this year’s poster, please fill out the form accessed through the button below. To learn about some of the many activities being held during Virginia Archaeology Month, see the event list on this page. The event list will be updated regularly as new information is submitted to DHR.