Archaeology

General Resources

Science Trek: Archaeology (Y,M,T)
Video-based lesson for grades K-5 from PBS Learning with support materials for teachers and for use with students

Archaeology for Kids  (Y,M,O,T)
From the National Park Service, this collection has information for learning about archaeology online as well as in-person at NPS sites.

Archaeology: Clues From The Past  (Y,M,O,T)
Reading, games, activities, and videos from Ology, the website of the American Museum of Natural History

Repatriation in Archaeology (M,O,T)
"Repatriation is the act of returning objects to the places and people they come from. To many communities, these items are so much more than material things. . . [This lesson discusses] how repatriation to Indigenous communities works and why it is critical to return items to their rightful places." From the Science Museum of Minnesota

Interactive Archaeological Digs (O,T)
From the Archaeological Institute of America

Archaeological Artifact Processing with Dr Bloch (M,O)
"Dr. Lindsay Bloch of the Florida Museum of Natural History explains the sequence of steps needed to process archaeological artifacts from the time they are excavated at a site until they are curated in permanent storage. "

Archaeology Teaching Resources (Y,M,O,T)
Lesson plans and activity packs for K-12 from the Society of American Archaeology

Project Archaeology Educator Resources (T)
"Engage learners with award-winning inquiry-based curricula . . . Project Archaeology teaches four enduring understandings:  1. Understanding the past is essential for understanding the present and shaping the future. 2. Learning about cultures, past and present, is essential for living in a pluralistic society and world. 3. Archaeology is a systematic way to learn about past cultures. 4. Stewardship of archaeological sites and artifacts is everyone’s responsibility."

Archaeology in the Community Curricula (Y,M,O,T)
Lesson plans and activities for grades 3-5 and 6-10 along with young learner activities for younger grades

HarvardX: Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology (O)
From EdX: "This introductory course will explore the art, archaeology, and history surrounding the Giza Pyramids. We will learn about Egyptian pharaohs and high officials of the Pyramid Age, follow in the footsteps of the great 20th-century expeditions, and discover how cutting-edge digital tools like 3D-modeling are reshaping the discipline of Egyptology."

Video: Solving Mysteries with Archaeologists (Y,M)
Learn all about archaeologists—the scientists who solve the great mysteries of human history—in this four-and-a-half minute video from SciShow Kids

Archaeology Activities

Real Archaeology: Treasures in the Trash (Y,M,T)
"Real archaeology isn't like Indiana Jones . . . If Indy were a real archaeologist, he'd be spending a lot less time pocketing golden treasure, and a lot more time digging through trash." With this activity, kids can be like real archaeologists and learn about everyday lives through what people get rid of.

Make Your Own Archaeological Dig (Y,M,T)
"One way that archaeologists determine the age of an artifact is by stratigraphy [the study of the earth's stratum, or layers]. By comparing an object to other artifacts found in that layer, they develop a better understanding of the people living at the site at that time.  To get a better understanding of stratigraphy, let’s create a model archaeological dig. "Prehistoric Archaeology

The Rhythm of Rattle Making (Y,M)
"In this video, meet Park Interpreter Melissa Ray from Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park and learn how to recreate the rhythmic sound of American Indian rattles. They are simple to make but deep in meaning. "

Adventures in Archaeology Coloring Book (Y,M,O)
15-page coloring book created by scientists covering different aspects of archaeological science

Prehistoric Archaeology

Kenniwick Man  (M,O)
From PBS.org The Kennewick Man was a well-preserved, 9,000-year-old human skeleton found in Washington State in 1996.

Plum Bayou Mounds Archaeological State Park  (Y,M,O,T)
Learn about one of the largest prehistoric American Indian mound sites in the Lower Mississippi River Valley.

Exploring Archaeology with Cahokia Mounds (M,O,T)
An extensive collection of videos for upper elementary through high school with supplementary printables

Cahokia Mounds (M,O,T)
"The remains of the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico are preserved at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. Within the 2,200-acre tract, located a few miles west of Collinsville, Illinois, lie the archaeological remnants of the central section of the ancient settlement that is today known as Cahokia." Video and timeline exploration are available online. For those able to visit the park, the augmented reality app is well worth the low cost of experiencing the park as it is today, overlaid with views of the prehistoric native civilization.

Pueblo Farming Project (M,O,T)
Online eBook collaboration between Hopi farmers and the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center that includes background and details of the project followed by lesson plans (navigation is in the left sidebar)

Ancient Archaeology

Podcast: Classical Archaeology with Darius Arya (O)
"If you LIVE for drama, you will LOVE dead Romans. Wars, murders, opulence and uprisings: a little something for everyone. Classical Archaeologist and TV host Dr. Darius Arya dishes about priceless garbage piles, lead poisoning, ancient political scandals, pottery graveyards, unearthing sculptures, tomb discoveries, what's under European cities, and how Roman society was a little like America these days. But also a lot different. "

Modern Archaeology

Chinese Workers on the Transcontinental Railroad (O,T)
"Chinese workers made a significant contribution to the construction of the first transcontinental railroad during the 1860s. Historians estimate 12,000 Chinese immigrants worked for the Central Pacific Railroad, blasting tunnels and laying track from Sacramento, through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and into Utah. This lesson draws on the science of archaeology, focusing on Chinese material culture to explore the lives of these workers."

Abandoned Mineral Lands (M,O,T)
"Many [national] parks boast rich mining histories and are active in preserving and even reconstructing mining-related historic structures and landscapes." Learn about the history of these lands with the information found on the NPS website.

Teaching with Historic Places (T)
From the NPS: "Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) offers  teaching tools and lesson plans to help educators engage young people with powerful stories representing America’s diverse history . . . Place-based learning puts 'place' – a historic structure, an archaeological site, a cultural landscape, or National Park – at the center of the story."

Marine Archaeology

Queen Anne's Revenge  (Y,M)
Blackbeard's ship "Queen Anne's Revenge" Shipwreck Project.

Archaeology of the Titanic (O)
Article from Archaeology Magazine written by maritime archaeologist Dr. James Delgado

Archaeology on the Waterfront (T)
Learn about the Eighteenth Century ships found during excavations along the waterfront in Alexandria, Virginia.