#RESIST – Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG – North America) Conference

May 29 – May 31, 2026 All Day

Plenary at CUNY Grad Center, and Conference Proceedings, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn Campus

Text on a white background reads tag, #resists with date

#RESIST

The Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) has long been a scholarly space for multi-modal, experimental, innovative, and activist-oriented archaeological thinking. TAG 2026, with the theme #RESIST, will take place on Lenape-hoking, the unceded lands of the Lenni Lenape in New York City, bringing together archaeologists and interdisciplinary thinkers to reflect upon historical and contemporary strategies for resistance to oppressive socio-political formations. Over three days, participants will engage with the material realities of struggle, exploring forms of solidarity past and present. Drawing from archaeology and related fields, the plenary and ensuing sessions will move beyond well-trodden analyses of domination and resistance to instead shine a light on the forces that cause(d) harm and the ways people and communities bear witness, manifest care, and engage in refusal. Such work engenders spaces for conceptual advances in the field, highlighting the complex relationships between things, humans, landscapes, soil, and non-human species. TAG builds community across generations of scholars, and prioritizes student participation through calls for student sessions, papers, reduced registration and housing, and lunches focused on career development. The conference reaches out beyond academia to engage with artists, archivists, cultural resource managers (CRM), and museum professionals.

Registration for conference will open in early March

Paper submissions to open in early February

TAG RESIST will be hosted by CUNY Graduate Center (Manhattan) and Pratt Institute (Brooklyn), New York City. The Friday night plenary and reception will be held at CUNY Graduate Center and the rest of the conference on Saturday and Sunday will be at Pratt.  Budget accommodation will also be available – more will be posted on this at a later date..

Directions 

CUNY Graduate Center is at 365 5th Ave, between 34th and 35th Streets. The nearest subway stations include the B, D, F, N, R, and Q trains. 

More information on finding CUNY Graduate Center

LINK to street address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/q7aQrQjBPENbLUqJ8

Pratt Institute is at 200 Willoughby Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205

LINK to street address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3dHn3qkJm2QroEeSA

Directions to Pratt Institute

ABOUT TAG

The Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) has been organizing an annual meeting in the UK since 1979, with the aim of promoting debate and discussion of issues in archaeological theory. 

TAG UK

TAG came to North America in 2008 when TAG NYC was organized at Columbia University. It has run almost every year since then, circulating between different institutions in the US and Canada. 

TAG RESIST marks the second time it has returned to New York City, after another successful conference at NYU in 2015. 

TAG North America runs in tandem with the British TAG meetings, which will be held in <<York>> in December 2025. It is part of a family of TAG conferences, with other offshoots including TAG Turkey, Nordic TAG, TAG Ibérico, Scottish TAG, TAG CZ, and Aus-TAG.

Visit York TAG Page

Plenary

CUNY Grad Center
365 5th Ave, NY, NY, 10016

Person with light skin standing in front of tall, illuminated stone columns at dusk. The individual is wearing glasses, a light-colored striped shirt, and a scarf, smiling toward the camera. The sky is blue transitioning to warm tones, and the columns are evenly lit, indicating a historic or monumental outdoor site.
Dr. April M. Beisaw, Professor of Anthropology, Vassar College
Head-and-shoulders portrait of a person with light skin wearing glasses and a knit sweater, photographed indoors near a window. The individual is smiling slightly, with soft natural light illuminating their face against a neutral background.
Dr. Kelly M. Britt, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Brooklyn College, CUNY Graduate Center
Head-and-shoulders color portrait of an older adult with light skin, wearing glasses and a black sweater, smiling gently while standing outdoors. The background is softly blurred with green and yellow foliage, suggesting a natural setting in daylight.
Prof. Jeffrey Hogrefe, Professor of Architecture, Humanities and Media Studies, Pratt Institute
Close-up indoor portrait of a person with medium skin tone, dark hair, and a short beard, wearing a white button-down shirt. The individual faces the camera with a neutral expression. The background shows an office environment with a bulletin board, papers, and a hanging jacket.
Dr. Mazen Iwaisi, Ibrahim Abu Lughod Fellow, Center for Palestine Studies, Columbia University