If your kids like digging in the dirt and solving mysteries, they’ll love archaeology
Duke and Daisy invited a couple of their friends Doug the Digger and Dick the Detective to share their interest in archeology to inspire kids.
Greetings, I’m Doug the Digger. My expertise is digging deep into the dirt to discover ancient ruins. I love it. And, hiya, I’m Dick the Detective. My expertise to solve the mysteries of the past. I love a mystery!
Kids and archaeology?
Do your kids like to dig into the dirt? Do they love finding things that are lost? Do they love to solve puzzles? Do they find the clues in stories? Do they want to learn about the past? These are all things archaeologists do—maybe your kids could be one, too!
Archaeology is tons of dirt-digging, story-telling, mystery-solving fun. Like your kids, many archeologists caught the archeology bug as kids. You can get started by looking at a site to visit. An adult can help you to find a place or a museum to visit. Dig in!
Okay, kids here’s what we know about archaeology.
- Archaeology is a science that studies past cultures and the way people lived based on the things they left behind. Archaeology helps us understand not only where and when people lived on the earth, but also why and how they have lived.
- The things that people leave behind are called artifacts. Archaeologists can tell a lot about people by looking at their houses, clothes, bones, and even their garbage. A garbage site is one of the best places to find artifacts of the past.
- Most artifacts are underground, and archaeologists must dig them up. This process is called excavation.
- The prehistoric site is one were the artifacts are dated before people began writing records. These sites are more difficult because scientists can’t look up information in any type of book or encyclopedia. At a historic site, archaeologists can look up information about the objects they find.
- The goal of archaeological research is to find cause and effect explanations of human behavior over the centuries. Studying the past actually helps scientists understand the present and can sometimes help scientists predict the future.
Do you want to know more?
The Illyrian Adventure (Vesper Holly #1 by Lloyd Alexander
It’s 1872, and adventurous Vesper Holly and her guardian set out for the tiny country of Illyria, on a quest for its legendary treasure. But once Vesper and Brinnie arrive, they are plunged into a fierce struggle between rebel forces— and someone is out to kill the two of them! If anyone can triumph over those kinds of odds, it’s Vesper — one of Lloyd Alexander’s most intrepid (and best-selling) heroines.
A Dig in Time by Peni R. Griffin
While spending the summer with their grandmother in San Antonio, Texas, twelve-year-old Nan and her younger brother find artifacts buried in the yard and discover how to use them to travel back through time to significant moments in their family history.
The Other Island by Margaret Leighton
While visiting archaeological excavations on an Aegean island, a fifteen-year-old girl and a young man resembling the Apollo statue experience an eerie glimpse of the ancient Greek world.
Do you want to get into the action?
Archaeology for Kids: Uncovering the Mysteries of Our Past, 25 Activities (For Kids series) Paperback by Richard Panchyk
Written by renowned archaeologist John White, Ph.D., this book shows any teacher or parent how to help kids become young archaeologists. Imagine the thrill students will experience as they discover artifacts from the past. There isn’t a single student who won’t love the activities in this book!
From creating simulated archaeology to participating in digs in the classroom to conducting digs in the community, this book is a how-to for teaching archaeology. Of equal importance is that while learning the discipline of archaeology, students will be acquiring skills in math, biology, geology, art, geography, history, and language skills, as well as motor, social, and conceptual skills.
Hands-On Archaeology shows teachers everything they will need to help students conduct real-life archaeological digs. Packed with activities, this book first offers small-scale activities that easily can be conducted in the classroom using everyday materials. Then, the author takes kids out of the school to an empty lot in the community. Students will not just learn about archaeology―they will be archaeologists!
Kidsdiscover.Understanding the daily lives of ancient people is the driving force behind archaeology, kids will discover here.
