Archaeology Site Map Activity
| Strand: | history, culture, archaeology |
| Grade Level: | grades 9 through 12 |
| Duration: | two class periods |
| Location: | off site, class room |
| Objective: | The student will be able to explain how archaeologists work. Students will be able to explain how archaeological evidence is evaluated and categorized. The student will analyze the development of abstract thought in human culture through the analysis of burials and the attempt to explain the supernatural. |
| Materials: | Archaeological Site Map Chart Site Artifacts Archaeological Site Map Questions |
| Vocabulary: | artifact awl bundle burial chert conical mound copper breast ornament (#17) cremation ashes effigy mound extended burial feature grave goods hide scraper (#1) Hopewellian linear mounds mano and metate (#9) obsidian pipestone(#21) pot sherd (shard) (#4) projectile point (#3) red ocher (ochre) rock shelter scapula (#14) |
| Procedure: | Archaeologists often reach conclusions based on small amounts of information gathered at a site. Place the students into groups. Inform them that as amateur archaeologists they should be able to answer the Site Map Questions through discussion among their group and careful analysis of the Site Map and Site Map Artifacts. All the questions can be answered accurately based on the information given on the chart. Start out by studying the artifact descriptions and the map key. The vocabulary terms are for teacher use and post discussion purposes. Also make sure you understand the scale or distances involved on the map. The locations of the artifacts and their spacing are both very important concepts in solving the mysteries of the site. Prior to starting the activity teachers should have an adequate knowledge of the cultures that inhabited the area of Effigy Mounds National Monument. |
