The scholarly body whose annual symposium was held aboard the Enterprise-D in 2367, with Jean-Luc Picard invited to give the keynote address on the ruins of Tagus III.
The Federation Archaeology Council brings together the leading archaeologists of the Federation. It appears in the Next Generation episode Qpid, when its members gather on the Enterprise-D in orbit of Tagus III for their yearly meeting.
Picard, a keen amateur in the field, has been asked to deliver the opening lecture on the planet's long-sealed ruins, and is anxiously polishing his text when Vash arrives uninvited. She has come hoping to slip down to the forbidden sites.
The council's proceedings are soon overshadowed. Q, wishing to repay a debt to Picard, whisks the captain, his officers and Vash into a recreation of the Robin Hood legend to test how far he will go for her.