Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA)

The Register of Professional Archaeologists is a listing of archaeologists who have agreed to abide by an explicit code of conduct and standards of research performance, who hold a graduate degree in archaeology, anthropology, art history, classics, history, or another germane discipline and who have completed a thesis or dissertation (or its equivalent) that addresses a substantive archaeological research question. Registration is a voluntary act that recognizes an individual's personal responsibility to be held accountable for their professional behavior. By formally acknowledging this relationship between personal actions and the wider discipline of archaeology, the act of registration is truly what sets the professional archaeologist apart from all others who are involved with or interested in archaeology. Established in 1998, the Register provides the mechanism for the easy identification of Registered Professional Archaeologists (RPA). RPAs are listed in a directory, published annually, and updated quarterly on the Register's website at www.rpanet.org. RPAs may also identify themselves by displaying a registration certificate or by the abbreviation RPA after their names.