The International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (Union internationale des sciences préhistoriques et protohistoriques – UISPP) is a learned society, linked through the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences to UNESCO, and concerned with the study of prehistory and protohistory. In the words of its constitution:
:The UISPP is committed to promote prehistoric and protohistoric studies by the organisation of world congresses, through the creation of scientific commissions dedicated to specific themes, by supporting excavations of international significance, scholarly publications of international scope, conferences or any other learned meeting.
The UISPP, as an international association of scholars, is founded on the principle of the universality of science. It firmly upholds academic freedom, recognizing that the study of humanity is relevant to all contemporary societies. In this spirit, the UISPP staunchly opposes any form of discrimination, whether based on race, creed, philosophical or ideological beliefs, ethnic or geographical background, nationality, gender, language, or any other criteria. Such discrimination, rooted in intolerance, inherently contradicts the scientific approach.
Furthermore, the UISPP rejects attempts to fictionally rewrite history or engage in negationism. As a non-governmental organization, it welcomes all bona fide scholars to participate in its scientific activities, regardless of their background or affiliations. This inclusive approach reflects the UISPP's commitment to fostering a diverse and open academic community dedicated to the advancement of knowledge about human prehistory and protohistory.
A permanent council of the CIAAP was founded in 1880, and regular congresses continued to be held until the outbreak of World War I disrupted the regular scholarly meetings, causing a hiatus in international academic collaboration and exchange. In the aftermath of the war, efforts to revive the tradition of regular congresses were spearheaded by the Institut international d'anthropologie (IIA – International Institute of Anthropology). However, this organization's structure and focus proved inadequate for the evolving needs of prehistoric and protohistoric research. The Institut's limited international perspective and the secondary role it assigned to the fields of prehistory and protohistory ultimately led to calls for the establishment of a more specialized body that would more closely continue the tradition of the CIAAP. In response to these calls, the Congrès international des Sciences préhistoriques et protohistoriques (CISPP – International Congress of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences) was formed in 1931, providing a dedicated platform for scholars active in prehistoric and protohistoric studies. This new organization aimed to foster international collaboration and advance research in these specific fields, addressing the gaps left by its predecessor. The creation of CISPP marked a significant step towards a more focused and globally-oriented approach to prehistoric and protohistoric sciences in the interwar period. Congresses were held in London in 1932 and in Oslo in 1936. In 1955, the permanent council decided to affiliate the CISPP with a member organisation of UNESCO, the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences. This required a change of name, and in 1956 the CISPP became the Union internationale des sciences préhistoriques et protohistoriques (UISPP – International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences). UISPP congresses subsequently emerged as a vital forum for scientific exchange, bridging the divide between scholars from both sides of the Iron Curtain, despite the tensions of the Cold War. This role as a conduit for east–west dialogue was made possible by adhering to the principle of intellectual neutrality, which explicitly does not regard participants as representatives of any state or government. This approach proved key to fostering an environment of open academic discourse, transcending political boundaries and ideological differences. In 2019, UISPP joined the International Union of Academies (UAI – Union académique internationale). they shifted to a five-year cycle in 1966 following UISPP's affiliation with CIPSH, aligning with UNESCO guidelines. Since 2011, world congresses have been organized triennially, aiming to alternate between Europe and other continents.
{| class="wikitable"
| Ist Congress
| London, United Kingdom
| 1–6 August 1932
|-
| IInd Congress
| Oslo, Norway
| 3–8 August 1936
|-
| IIIrd Congress
| Zurich, Switzerland
| 14–19 August 1950
|-
| IVth Congress
| Madrid, Spain
| 21–27 April 1954
|-
| Vth Congress
| Hamburg, West Germany
| 24–30 August 1958
|-
| VIth Congress
| Rome, Italy
| 29 August – 3 September 1962
|-
| VIIth Congress
| Prague, Czechoslovakia
| 21–27 August 1966
|-
| VIIIth Congress
| Belgrade, Yugoslavia
| 9–15 September 1971
|-
| IXth Congress
| Nice, France
| 13–18 September 1976
|-
| Xth Congress
| Mexico City, Mexico
| 19–24 October 1981
|-
| XIth Congress
| Mainz, West Germany
| 31 August – 4 September 1987
|-
| XIIth Congress
| Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
| 1–7 September 1991
|-
| XIIIth Congress
| Forlì, Italy
| 8–14 September 1996
|-
| XIVth Congress
| Liège, Belgium
| 2–8 September 2001
|-
| XVth Congress
| Lisbon, Portugal
| 4–9 September 2006
|-
| XVIth Congress
| Florianópolis, Brazil
| 4–10 September 2011
|-
| XVIIth Congress
| Burgos, Spain
| 1–7 September 2014
|-
| XVIIIth Congress
| Paris, France
| 4–9 June 2018
|-
| XIXth Congress
| Meknes, Morocco
| 2–7 September 2021
|-
| XXth Congress
| Timișoara, Romania
| 5–9 September 2023
|-
| XXIst Congress
| Poznań, Poland
| scheduled for 31 August – 4 September 2026
|}
The XIth UISPP World Congress was originally to be held in Southampton in 1986. However, the decision of the British organising committee, led by Peter Ucko, to exclude South African and Namibian archaeologists for political reasons, despite the declared opposition of many of them to apartheid and despite that exclusion constituting a violation of UISPP statutes, led the UISPP to withdraw its endorsement of the congress and postpone the XIth World Congress until 1987. The British organising committee went ahead with the congress planned for Southampton under the new name of the World Archaeological Congress (WAC). Whereas the majority of UISPP members rejected the split as a division of scholars and an opportunistic move, writing in 1987, Peter Ucko still described the UISPP as:
:a dinosaur which continues to seek to manipulate the world situation according to its archaic Western European preconceptions about what is relevant and important and what is not. It does so by devices such as the imposition of white rules and regulations which no one bothers to explain and by the manipulation of bureaucratic procedures.
Despite these initial divides, since 2005 relations between UISPP and WAC have resumed. The UISPP remains focused on prehistoric and protohistoric research, while WAC evolved to focus primarily on politically committed approaches and advocacy. The two organisations therefore have different scopes.
The XVIIIth World Congress of UISPP was held in Paris in June 2018. Its overarching theme was "Adaptation and sustainability of prehistoric and protohistoric societies confronted with climate change". This major congress formed part of the ongoing refoundation of Humanities led by the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences (which includes UISPP) and UNESCO. While all UISPP congresses have a general theme, they remain open to sessions on any other topic, which can be proposed during the general call for sessions.
The XIXth UISPP World Congress, originally planned for 2020 in Meknes, was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was ultimately held as a fully virtual event. The awards are presented at each UISPP World Congress:
- Honorary Prize
- Award for major long-term archaeological excavation project
- Award for archaeological mediation (public outreach)
- Award for site monograph
- Award for synthesis book
- Award for doctoral thesis
UISPP Publications
In addition to the publication of the proceedings from its congresses, UISPP since the 1950s has been overseeing the publication af a number of international monograph series aimed chiefly at the systematic publication of primary archaeological source material (Inventaria Archaeologica, Prähistorische Bronzefunde, Fiches typlogiques de l'industrie osseuse préhistorique) but also at specific themes of global interest (Human Societies facing Climate Change). Since 2018, UISPP has been publishing the peer-reviewed and open access Journal of the International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences / Revue de l'Union Internationale des Sciences Préhistoriques et Protohistoriques (short: UISPP Journal).