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Internet Resources Relating to Archaeology
According to Merriam-Webster, archaeology (earliest recorded use of the word in English, 1837) is the scientific study of material remains—fossil relics, artifacts, and monuments—of past human life and activities and/or the remains of the culture of a people. While most children would not recite this definition when asked what archaeology is, they will tell you two things. First, they'll know that archaeology involves digging in dirt, a concept most children can directly relate to. Second, they'll tell you archaeologists dig up dinosaurs. . . even though that's actually what paleontologists do. This month's "Tech Tip" will explore some engaging Internet resources for teachers and students that deal accurately with the topic archaeology and archaeologists.
Archaeology
is more than just digging for "stuff." Understanding the dirt and
being able to recognize the differences between layers is critical to understanding
how archaeologists date discovered artifacts. A good beginning Web activity
is located at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's site (http://www.history.org/history/argy/strat/argysq00.cfm).
Your students will have the opportunity to challenge their observational inferential
skills as they explore the concept of stratigraphy. Stratigraphy is the study
of layers and in this exercise students take a quiz in identifying layers and
being able to date objects found within those layers. Students will enjoy "digging"
around in trash pits, cellars, looking for postholes, and trying to solve the
riddle of "Do these artifacts belong to the Jones or the Smiths!"
You will find eight different activities that will engage students in basic
archaeological techniques and skills, other than actually digging in dirt! There
are also puzzles, word searches, toys, trashcan archaeology, and artifact examination
tasks.
Are your students looking for some "moo-velous" adventures on a farm? Do they enjoy QuickTime movies, puzzles, trivia, and outrageous characters? Then the Reed Farmstead Archaeological site in West Virginia is the place for you! Reed's interactive Web site (http://www.kidsdigreed.com/default.asp) explores the 1803 Reed farmstead and, as the narrator says, "It's udderly fantastic!" The site is filled with QuickTime movies, games, explorations, puzzles, artifact challenges, and the history of the Reed and Garrett families.
Great Britain has many very old archaeological sites. The BBC History "Hunt the Ancestor" site (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/games/ancestors/index.shtml) uses role-playing to explore many facets of archaeology for children. The quest is to rescue a prehistoric burial site from destruction by quarrying and to analyze the artifacts that are uncovered. Time is critical since the quarry closes in on the archaeological site every day and you are held to a tight budget! The site is designed in Flash animation so it's creative, fun, and engaging.
The NOVA "Building a Tree Ring Timeline" site (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vikings/treering2.html) is less flashy that the previous two sites, but works well to demonstrate how dendrochronology (dating past events through the study of tree ring growth) is used to use crossdate and discover many facts about the past. It also contains some fascinating information about Vikings and their travels.
Students
interested in the great plains or Plains Indians will find the Texas Beyond
History Web site (http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/kids/facts.html)
to be wonderfully illustrated and filled with many unusual features such as
"How many ways can you use a buffalo?" There is also a bingo game,
a board game, a "Meet the Archaeologist" section, and even a "Date
the Archaeologist" activity!
Students wishing to read more about archaeology should check out the "dig,
the archaeology magazine for kids" (http://www.digonsite.com/).
While this site is text heavy, there is an "Ask Mr. Dig" feature,
a glossary, and links to other interesting archaeology sites.
There are also many resources for teachers on the Internet. A great place to
start is at the "Jamestown Rediscovery" (http://www.apva.org/jr.html).
The archaeologists at Jamestown have created an easy-to-use format for exploring
the collection of artifacts that have been unearthed as well as much historical
information about them. The site also has a lot of "how did we do it"
information.
Finally, the Archaeology Channel's site (http://www.archaeologychannel.org/)
is an engaging place for Web users who prefer their data in video format! This
site is filled with beautifully created videos from archaeological sites around
the world. The current leadoff article is "Ancient Mound Builders: The
Marksville State Historic Site" in Louisiana. The video runs for fifteen
minutes and shows some gorgeous scenery as it takes you into the depths of the
Markesville archaeological dig site. The site lists approximately twenty-five
videos that will stream in Real Player or Windows Media Player, both of which
are available for Macintosh and Windows computers.
This article was written by Dale Van Eck, Associate Producer Education Technology, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
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