An archaeology trowel.
Participate in an archaeology dig using authentic materials and methods.
North Carolina Fifth Grade Goal 4.01.
Virginia Standard CE.1.
Archaeology is the study of what people did in the past. Archaeology looks at the remains of things that humans possessed from the past.
A thing humans used in the past is called an artifact.
Archaeology uses the scientific method to analyze artifacts. Data is collected and catalogued. Conclusions are drawn and tested in order to determine the meaning of the artifacts.
Based on the artifacts that you analyzed, what do you think happened in the past? What information about the artifacts lead you to this conclusion? What information about the artifacts could lead to a different conclusion? Why is your conclusion more likely?
How did people do archaeology in the colonial period? How is modern archaeology different?
For Further Reading
White, John R. Hands-On Archaeology: Real-Life Activities for Kids. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press, 2005.
