EAA 2002 was the 8th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists, and took place from 24-28 September 2002 in Thessaloniki, Greece. The 8th AM, held at the Philosophy School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, was co-organized jointly by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Attendance of 850 delegates from 48 countries made it the highest figure in the history of the EAA to that point. While this is far fewer than attended the 2018 AM in Barcelona, it did mark the continued expansion of EAA, and the annual meeting as a major event in the yearly calendar of many European archaeologists. The Opening Ceremony was held in the Main Amphitheatre of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where Henry Cleere was awarded the 2002 EAA Archaeological Heritage Prize. Additional culture events were offered free of charge on Friday afternoon.
“The EAA meeting in Thessaloniki has been a tremendous success. Not only did we have our biggest Annual Meeting ever, the outstanding hospitality of our Greek colleagues will see to it that we will always fondly remember the general atmosphere of this meeting. It has by now also received several favourable reviews because of its programme.
Thessaloniki will also be remembered for several important decisions. The Annual Business Meeting decided to change the membership system, which, in combination with the new contract with the publisher of the European Journal of Archaeology, will lead to a sustainable financial future for the EAA. Membership has also increased considerably since last year, which proves that EAA is serving the needs of European archaeologists.” Willem J.H. Willems in “The President’s Corner”, The European Archaeologist, No 18, Winter 2002, p. 2.
Please help us remember the early years of the European Association of Archaeologists. If you have any fun and interesting pictures from past events, e-mail us at tea@e-a-a.org.