" Youths Explore Past," Citrus County Chronicle, July 17, 2003, pg. " Students to uncover fictional Mayan site," Citrus County Chronicle, April 2003. The Foundation wishes to express our gratitude to the Gulf Archaeological Research Institute for providing participants with an opportunity to learn more about "Mesoamerica" as the topic of the 2003 archaeological camp and for their efforts to create such a rich and varied experience as many of the children's first exposure to not only Archaeology but also Mesoamerica. The children were able to compare for themselves how much farther the spear would fly when used in combination with the atlatl as opposed to the distance without it.Įach participant was awarded a certificate upon completion of the camp. They learned these were ancient tools the people had used for hunting and that the "atlatl" is the Aztec name for a "spear thrower". For example, one excavation team upon finding the jaw bone of a dolphin, charcoal, and a piece of burnt wood hypothesized that the ancient people might have lived near an ocean, hunted for fish, and cooked their food by fire.Īt the end of each day, while waiting for their parents to pick them up, the children practiced throwing the spear by itself as well as with the atlatl. In addition, to help the children gain a better understanding of the Maya culture, they were asked to give preliminary interpretations of their findings. The students discovered that the glyphs were letters and numbers and that this was the Maya people's system of writing. They consulted various sources, including The Maya Hieroglyphics Study Guide, compiled by Inga Calvin, to ascertain the meanings of the inscriptions. The children's natural curiosity about the "pictures" on the tools and tiles they uncovered led to an opportunity for them to conduct research. The information they recorded was later used to reconstruct the site on paper in order to map the layout of the excavation unit. The participants took careful measurements and made in situ drawings of the items they uncovered. They learned it also involves detailed record keeping with accuracy so that information is not destroyed or lost forever. The students saw firsthand that archaeology is about much more than just "digging" for artifacts. This screening technique enabled the children to uncover a variety of items such as fragments of bone, glass, pottery, arrowheads, and charcoal. They learned how layers are deposited over time and that the lower the layer, the older it isthe Law of Superposition.Īs part of the excavation process, camp participants learned how to sieve through the soil removed from the excavation unit to help locate smaller pieces or broken artifacts. In the field, the participants were divided into groups of three and given their own unit to excavate. Basic training in archaeological field techniques such as survey and site identification, mapping, excavation, artifact identification and processing were also discussed. They learned that interpretations can be made using inductive and deductive reasoning, based on what objects were found as well as where they were found within the site, and how this contributes to an understanding of the past. In the classroom, the children were introduced to the definition of archaeology and how archaeologists process and analyze information. A hand-painted replica of a portion of the murals that decorate the walls at the site of Bonampak, located in Chiapas, México, was also buried for the children to find during their excavation. "Under their professional supervision, the children explored an area the size of a small ancient home, where handmade artifacts such as arrowheads, animal bones, pieces of glass, ceramic fragments and pottery inscribed with Mesoamerican glyphs were buried in an archaeologically meaningful manner." ( Citrus County Chronicle, 7/03). The site was prepared in advance for the children to "discover" various Mesoamerican artifacts by the director and lead instructor of GARI, Gary Ellis, assisted by upper level graduate students. The summer series of three-day camps invited primary and middle school-aged children to explore and learn about Mesoamerican archaeology by participating in an actual excavation of a fictional Mayan site. Scholarships were made available courtesy of FAMSI. Tuition from the camp was used by GARI to support continuing professional research, the preservation of archaeological sites, and educational programs ( Citrus County Chronicle, 4/03). FAMSI - Archaeology Kids Camp: "Expedition Mesoamerica" by Karen AllenĪrchaeology Kids Camp: "Expedition Mesoamerica"ĭuring the summer of 2003, FAMSI sponsored the Archaeology Kids Camp, "Expedition Mesoamerica" at the Gulf Archaeological Research Institute (GARI) in Crystal River, Florida.
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