Nov. 13 | Digging for Recovery: AVAR’s Model for Veteran Well-Being Through Archaeology

November 14, 2025 @ 5:00 PM MT

Digging for Recovery: AVAR's Model for Veteran Well-Being Through Archaeology

About the lecture

Archaeology can help people—when it's properly resourced and managed. Since veteran-oriented projects began to appear in the United Kingdom more than a decade ago, they have been instrumental in popularizing the idea that fieldwork can benefit participants.
Nearly a decade of experience working at the intersection of archaeology and veterans' welfare has provided the 501c3 nonprofit American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) with a more nuanced view of what archaeology can do for military veterans, but more importantly has demonstrated what military veterans can offer to archaeology. This presentation will introduce current research on the interaction between fieldwork and mental health and will detail AVAR's unique approach.
Learn more about AVAR in our fall issue of American Archaeology (Vol. 29, No. 3) or AVAR’s website at americanveteransarchaeology.org.

Metal detectors in hand, veterans participating in the American Veterans Archaeological Recovery program (AVAR) walk to the section of the Camden battlefield designated for survey. Photo by Chris M. Rogers / American Battlefield Trust

About the presenter

Stephen Humphreys co-founded AVAR in 2016 and serves as its CEO. Prior to his graduate studies, he was a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force, deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He has carried out dozens of excavations alongside American military veterans and specializes in developing methods to use archaeology to deliver tangible benefits to veterans.

He holds a Ph.D. in archaeology from Durham University, a Master of Arts in Archaeology and Biblical Studies, and a Master of Arts in Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the PI of AVAR Conflict Archaeology School-Camden and Finding Medina Projects, has directed fieldwork on numerous Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency recoveries, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for Integrative Research in Conflict Archaeology. He is a National Geographic Explorer with experience excavating and directing projects in Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Sicily, and the United States.

Free For Everyone

Our virtual lectures are a part of our Outreach and Education efforts. They are free to our Members and the General Public. Recorded lectures are posted on YouTube and on the event page after the event occurs.

For questions about the event or how to register, please contact Tracy Loe ([email protected]) or Sarah Webber ([email protected]).