The Alabama Archaeological Society was established in 1954 and incorporated shortly afterwards. The objectives of the Society are:

* To promote the study of the archaeology of Alabama and neighboring states
* To encourage careful scientific research and excavation
* To discourage careless digging without record keeping
* To promote the conservation of important archaeological sites and artifacts
* To support the passage of laws protecting archaeological resources from vandalism or wanton destruction
* To promote the spread of archaeological knowledge through publications and meetings

The Society sponsors a summer and winter annual meeting of its members. Usually, the summer meeting includes a visit to an on-going excavation; the winter meeting includes scholarly presentations of current archaeological research in the state.

The Alabama Archaeological Society is a nonprofit organization chartered under State of Alabama Laws. There are no paid officers or staff. All funds come from membership dues and contributions and are used to investigate and document sites as well as for other educational purposes.