What is the Florida Archaeological Council's Stewards of Heritage Award?

The Stewards of Heritage Award is presented by the Florida Archaeological Council (FAC) to individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to aid archaeological preservation, further research, educate, or otherwise promote public awareness of Florida archaeology. If you are looking for who has been recognized and why, the most recent awardees named on the FAC site are the City of Sarasota, Florida, and journalist Andres Viglucci, announced via video presentation.

What the award recognizes

According to the Florida Archaeological Council, the Stewards of Heritage Award honors contributions in four broad areas:

• Archaeological preservation — protecting archaeological resources and materials
• Research — furthering archaeological knowledge
• Education — teaching or training related to Florida archaeology
• Public awareness — promoting public appreciation of archaeology

Both individuals and organizations are eligible. This aligns with the FAC's stated objectives, which include encouraging public appreciation of archaeology, promoting high standards of archaeological practice, and advocating for the conservation and preservation of archaeological resources and materials.

2024 awardees

The FAC announced its award winners via video presentation. The 2024 recipients were:

The City of Sarasota's Historic Preservation officer, Dr. Clifford Smith, accepted the award at the Florida Anthropological Society Annual Conference in Pensacola, Florida, in May 2024.

How awardees are announced

The FAC presents the award winners through a video presentation rather than only a written list. If you want to see the recognition as it was shared, the FAC site points to that video format for the annual announcement.

Where the award fits in FAC's work

The Stewards of Heritage Award is one expression of the Council's broader mission. The FAC describes itself as an organization of professional archaeologists involved in Florida archaeology, with objectives that include:

• Promoting and stimulating interest in Florida archaeology
• Encouraging public appreciation of archaeology
• Promoting high quality standards of archaeological practice
• Advocating for and aiding in the conservation and preservation of archaeological resources and materials

The award directly serves the public-appreciation and preservation objectives by highlighting people and institutions whose long-term work has protected Florida's archaeological heritage.

Related context: FAC events

The FAC also co-hosts major gatherings. The Council and the Department of Anthropology at the University of Florida hosted the 77th Annual Meeting of the Florida Anthropological Society in Gainesville, May 9–11, 2025, at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center across from the University of Florida. The program included a welcome reception at Swamp Head Brewery, a full day of paper and poster presentations, an awards banquet with keynote speaker Dr. Charles Cobb (Professor of Historical Archaeology at the Florida Museum of Natural History), and Sunday field trips and workshops such as Dudley Farm Historic State Park, Newnans Lake Archaeological Site, the Florida Museum of Natural History Behind the Scenes, and an FPAN Historic Cemetery Tour and Preservation Short Course. Business meetings and workshops included the FAS Board with annual elections and a workshop about the FAC publication Thinking About Significance.

Key takeaways

• The Stewards of Heritage Award honors significant contributions to archaeological preservation, research, education, or public awareness of Florida archaeology.
• It is given to both individuals and organizations.
• The 2024 awardees were the City of Sarasota, Florida, and Andres Viglucci.
• Winners are announced via video presentation.
• The award reflects FAC's core objectives of public appreciation, high practice standards, and conservation of archaeological resources.