XXXI International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology: Archaeology, building bridges across the Caribbean Sea.

The IACA / AIAC Organizing Committee is pleased to inform you that the XXXI International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology will be held in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on July 13 and 17, 2026. The theme of the Congress on this occasion is: Archaeology, building bridges across the Caribbean Sea.

The congress will be dedicated on this occasion to the figure of the archaeologist and historian Dr. Manuel García Arévalo, one of the greatest experts on the pre-Hispanic cultures of the Caribbean and a renowned scholar of the Amerindian cultures of Hispaniola. From the García Arévalo Foundation, he has supported the development of archaeology in the Dominican Republic for more than fifty years, providing funds for a multitude of specialized research and publications. Dr. Manuel García Arévalo is an Emeritus Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic and an Associate Researcher at the Museo del Hombre Dominicano, as well as President of the Association of Friends of the aforementioned institution, standing out for the support he has always given to this museum, which is also an important research center dedicated to archaeology and anthropology.

Thus, we invite all IACA / AIAC members and researchers who dedicate their efforts to studying Caribbean archaeology to register for the conference and send us their papers. The papers, as well as the academic credentials of their authors, will be evaluated for inclusion in the conference program. The papers must be the result of academic research and maintain a high level of scientific quality and may be presented in Spanish, English or French. During the sessions we will have a simultaneous translation service into these three languages.

Speakers must fill out the attached form and send us a summary of their paper of a maximum of 200 words. They must also indicate the thematic block to which their presentation belongs, choosing it from the list presented below. To register for the conference, they must be up to date with their membership in IACA / AIAC or become members of this institution.

Thematic blocks of the XXXI International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology

• First settlers of the Caribbean.
• Advanced agricultural peoples.
• Colonial and viceregal archaeology.
• Industrial archaeology.
• Archaeology of enslaved groups.
• Underwater archaeology.
• Rock art.
• Archaeoastronomy.
• Mythology, symbolism and ancestral traditions.
• DNA, isotope and starch studies.
• Archaeozoology and archaeobotany.
• Geoarchaeology, climate change and the environment.
• Methods, equipment and support systems for archaeological research.
• Museography and putting archaeological assets and sites into public use.
• Dissemination, education and academic study of archaeology.

Submission of papers

The deadline for receiving proposals for papers is May 11, 2026. All abstracts will be reviewed by the IACA/AIAC Academic Committee and will be accepted or not based on the quality and scientific content of the work. The decision on whether your paper was accepted or rejected will be communicated to you as soon as possible and, at the latest, June 1, 2026.

Proposals for inclusion of papers in the congress will be sent in Word format, with Times New Roman font, size 12, 1.5 line spacing and must include the following:

1 – Participation form.

2 – Title of the paper.

3 – Name and surname of the authors.

4 – Institutional affiliation of the authors.

5 – Summary of the paper with a maximum of 200 words detailing the following:

• Objective of the research work.
• Description of the research procedures used.
• Summary of the results.
• Conclusions of the study.

It is understood that the language in which the presentation is written will be the one used to read it in the corresponding session of the congress.

The documentation must be sent to the attention of Adolfo José López Belando, president of the congress, to the following email address:

info@congresoiacard2026.org

Conditions and details for the presentations

Each participant may present a single presentation as the first author, unless for reasons of scientific interest of the works, in exceptional cases, and if there is space for it in the program or if a participant is absent, the organizing committee of the congress allows the of a second presentation.

The speakers will have at their disposal the necessary audiovisual equipment for the presentation of their works (computer, slide projector). All presentations will have a maximum duration of 15 minutes. The full text of the presentation must be sent before May 11, 2026, via email to: info@congresoiacard2026.org

Welcome to Santo Domingo

Organizing Committee of the XXXI International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology.