By Dave Ball and Allyson Ropp, Proceeding Series Editors

Did you present on a topic relating to underwater or maritime archaeology at the 2026 SHA Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology in Detroit, Michigan, earlier this month? Interested in sharing your research with a broad audience? The ACUA invites you to publish your research in this year’s Underwater Archaeology Proceedings. The Proceedings is an annual publication by the ACUA that features the work of underwater archaeologists presenting at the SHA Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology.

The ACUA, and its predecessor organization, the Council on Underwater Archaeology (CUA), have a publishing history dating back to 1964. Our first publication was the landmark Diving Into the Past: Theories, Techniques, and Applications of Underwater Archaeology, the Proceedings of a Conference on Underwater Archaeology Sponsored by the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, April 26-27, 1963. Subsequently, the conference Proceedings were published annually from 1978-2000 with the support of the Society for Historical Archaeology. After an interruption in publication, the ACUA Proceedings returned in 2007, and continues with generous support from the PAST Foundation.

The ACUA Proceedings provide a record of the development of underwater archaeology as a profession and include research from around the world. Each volume since 2007 is available for purchase as print-on-demand and eBook through multiple sources; 2007-2020 are now available as free downloads through the Lulu Press ACUA Storefront.

The publication process is very straightforward. As a student and early-career professional contributor, I easily navigated the transformation of my SHA Conference presentation to a publishable paper. The ACUA provided clear guidance and support throughout the process, making it easily accessible for first-time authors. Each time, the process has been extremely rewarding – seeing all my hard work transition from a presentation to a published, peer-reviewed paper!

For those that presented at this year’s Conference in Detroit, the deadline to register intent to publish in the 2026 Proceedings is February 27, 2026, and manuscript submission deadline is March 31, 2026, use this link to start the process! Final papers should be between 2,500 and 5,000 words including references and abstract. Submissions from students and early-career professionals are especially encouraged, but anyone who presented on a relevant topic is welcome!

For those that did not present at this year’s Conference, please consider presenting at next year’s Conference in Austin and publishing in next year’s ACUA Proceedings; the Call for Papers for the SHA Austin Conference will come out later this spring. Also, don’t forget to buy a copy of the 2025 Underwater Proceedings here.

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