AIA Honors Charlie Steinmetz

Charlie Steinmetz, long-time supporter of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology (CIoA) at UCLA, has been honored with a 2024 Martha and Artemis Joukowsky Distinguished Service Award for his dedication to the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA). Presented at the AIA’s Annual Meeting in January, the award, which is given to no more than two people annually, “recognizes those volunteers who have furthered the work of the Institute and have improved its effectiveness through their sustained exceptional service.”

In describing the Distinguished Service Award presentation, the AIA noted that “Mr. Steinmetz has been active in the AIA at both the national and local levels for several decades...and has long been at the forefront of promoting archaeology at various levels: in his Los Angeles County community, in the wider United States, and abroad. His example and encouragement have also attracted many of his friends and neighbors into supporting archaeology, whether at UCLA or through the AIA and its programs.”

In the announcement, AIA Los Angeles noted that while “Charlie is our vice-president, more than that he is a foundation stone of our L.A. Society. He is known to all of us for tirelessly bringing people together, opening his home to host our meetings, and raising funds to sponsor our programs.”

Steinmetz commented that “his great respect for the previous recipients of this award makes him grateful for the honor of being counted among them.”

“The Steinmetz Foundation has provided continuing financial support for the Cotsen Institute for more than 20 years, and Charlie Steinmetz has been personally involved through his participation in Friends of Archaeology, the Cotsen Director’s Council, and his many activities in the field,” according to former Cotsen director Willeke Wendrich when she announced a Steinmetz Foundation gift during the UCLA Centennial Campaign.

The AIA is North America’s largest and oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to archaeology. The Institute advances awareness, education, fieldwork, preservation publication, and research of archaeological sites and cultural heritage throughout the world.