Proposal submission and manuscript selection
We accept proposals and queries from any scholar. The publications committee, which is made up of several Museum curators and the editor, reviews proposals. The committee selects manuscripts based on quality of scholarship and writing, as well as technical and economic feasibility. The Museum looks especially for manuscripts that complement our research interests and theoretical approaches.
Please send your proposal via email or mail to the editor.
Museum of Anthropology Publications
Museum of Anthropological Archaeology
University of Michigan
3010 School of Education Bldg, Room 3012C
610 E. University Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259
Your proposal: what to include
Your proposal should include the following:
- a letter explaining your manuscript or project
- a detailed abstract
- the table of contents or outline (with brief chapter summaries)
- short bios of all the contributors
- a sample chapter
- specific details (word count, number of illustrations and other figures, and any special features, the current status of manuscript, and the date of manuscript completion)
We treat every manuscript proposal on a case-by-case basis.
The Museum of Anthropological Archaeology will not guarantee acceptance of a manuscript for publication until it is completed and submitted within the time frame agreed upon in advance. The UMMAA will require you to transfer the copyright to the Regents of the University of Michigan, but the author retains copyright of any illustrations.
If you have colleagues on the faculty of the Museum, we certainly encourage you to discuss your manuscript with them first. Please be aware that the publications committee, not individual faculty, makes decisions on manuscripts. For some very general guidelines, read Manuscript Preparation Guidelines.
UMMA active series
Anthropological Papers: The books in this series are collections of papers or short monographs on any subject in anthropology or archaeology, including short site reports. The physical size of this series is 6 × 9 inches. Recent examples of our Anthropological Papers are Prehistoric Copper Mining in Michigan, by John R. Halsey, and The Himalayan Journey of Walter N. Koelz, by Carla M. Sinopoli.
Memoirs: These are longer and more detailed manuscripts—typically complex site reports or comparative studies of regional settlement patterns, which include numerous figures, tables, and illustrations—that are published at a larger size (8 x 11½ inches). Recent examples include Coastal Ecosystems and Economic Strategies at Cerro Azul, Peru, edited by Joyce Marcus, and Caribou Hunting in the Upper Great Lakes, edited by Elizabeth Sonnenburg, Ashley K. Lemke, and John O’Shea.
History
The University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology began publishing in 1932 with the first monograph in the Occasional Contributions series. Several more series were inaugurated through the years, mostly under the directorship of James B. Griffin, including our two most well-known series: Anthropological Papers and Memoirs. In total, we have published more than 200 works, and all of them are available in print and as ebooks. They are found in libraries throughout the world and are priceless records of archaeological data.
Mission
The Museum of Anthropological Archaeology is one of North America’s leading publishers of archaeological and ethnographic research. Our publications disseminate knowledge, inspire scholars, and expand the reputation of the Museum and the University of Michigan. In partnership with our authors, we publish comprehensive scholarly monographs that contain excellent scholarship, meticulous research, and vibrant interpretation. As the archaeology wing of the University of Michigan Department of Anthropology, our publication program emphasizes archaeological topics. In particular, we publish works that reflect the research of the Museum: we have a particular interest in Museum collections and areas of the world where the Museum has invested in ongoing research. We specialize in publishing primary archaeological data, but we also publish works in related disciplines: ethnology, biological anthropology, biochemistry, and archaeological theory.