At the Grand Canyon Visitor Center - 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.,
with special evening program at the Shrine of Ages at 7:30 p.m.
All Archeology Day activities and programs are free of charge. (South Rim)

Grand Canyon Visitor Center

Visitor Center Activities

Join the rangers at the visitor center to learn more about people who lived here long ago. Family friendly activities take place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. including:

Cover appears courtesy of Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine. Photo by Betsey Brunner.

Evening Program Sat. March 24, 2012

Why do we celebrate Archeology Day at Grand Canyon National Park ?

Native people have lived in the Grand Canyon area for thousands of years and have left behind clues about their lives. The oldest artifacts are from the Paleo-Indian period and are nearly 12,000 years old. 

Did you know that Grand Canyon has over 4300 archeological resources with nearly 5% of the park surveyed? This gives us just a glimpse into the vast human history of the area.

What hands-on activities will be happening at Grand Canyon National Park during Archeology Day?

Hands-on activities for all ages will take place at Grand Canyon Visitor Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 19th. 

Join a ranger to make a split-twig figurine, similar to artifacts that have been found in  remote caves of the Grand Canyon. These split twig figurines may resemble a deer, or perhaps a bighorn sheep, and are thought to be a hunting talisman. 

You could also make a pinch pot out of clay and compare your work to thousand year old pots which were used for cooking, serving or storing food. Obtaining and preparing food used to take a lot more time for people of the past than it does for us today. 

If you want to pretend to be a modern archeologist, you can participate in the artifact sifting activity. When you find bits of evidence, perhaps you can discover what they are and what they were used for.

Archeological Excavations at 9 Sites along the Colorado River Corridor
Between 2007 and 2009, the National Park Service, in cooperation with the Museum of Northern Arizona, undertook the first major archeological excavations along the river in Grand Canyon National Park in 40 years.

Archeologists Make Exciting Discoveries Along the Colorado River
In October, 2007, archeologists excavated a habitation site along the Colorado River. The fascinating artifacts they found provide insight into the lives of people who once made the Grand Canyon their home.

Canyon Sketches Vol 03 - May 2008
Archeologists Excavate Kiva by the Colorado River
Archeologists excavated nine archeological sites along the Colorado River because they are being impacted by severe erosion. In April and May 2008, crews discovered a complete kiva during the excavation of one of these sites.

Canyon Sketches Vol 09 - March 2009
Archeologists Excavate Two Sites Along the Colorado River.
In fall 2008, archeologists excavated two archeological sites during a three-year project along the Colorado River corridor in Grand Canyon. One of the excavated sites has evidence of as many as six different human occupations over a time span of 3,500 years.

The Vanishing Treasures Program
Grand Canyon National Park is one of 45 National Park Service areas that participate in the Vanishing Treasures Program. The goal of the Vanishing Treasures program is the conservation of architectural remains through research, documentation, and preservation treatment.

Canyon Sketches Vol 04 – June 2008
Vanishing Treasures Archeologists Stabilize Transept Ruin (North Rim)
In late June 2008, archeologists from Grand Canyon National Park’s Division of Science and Resource Management cleaned and stabilized Transept Ruin, a two-room ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) ruin on the North Rim.