Practical Archaeology
How do we Discover the Past?
What do archaeologists do? How can the past be pieced together by digging holes in the ground?
During this introduction to the subject, children will learn the basic concepts of archaeology and excavate and record their own set of artefacts.
Through fun, practical activities children will have a unique opportunity to learn about Manor Lodge, how and why archaeologists excavate a site and how different artefacts help us build a picture of the past.
They will get a chance to look at and handle many of the artefacts that archaeologists have excavated on site.
Curriculum Links
Investigative programmes based on archaeology can be adapted for full or half days for both KS2 and KS3
This is the only site where it is possible for pupils to carry out investigative archaeology on a scheduled ancient monument site.
Session Outline
The session will be based on the following activities
- A guided tour of the Manor Lodge site, looking at and drawing the existing walls, masonry and buildings for clues to their past.
- Using maps, prints and photographs to work out a chronology of how the buildings have changed.
- Excavating finds from sand on our simulated dig, then sort and record discoveries.
- Using our touch screen databases they will discover what their finds tell us about the past.
- Finally pupils will look at our handling collection and the collection of hundreds of artefacts from the past excavations
- The lesson plan used for this session
