CE-HSPA-1024 - Exploration of Archaeology
Course Description
Archaeology is the study of the human past using the physical residue of past human behavior. If you’ve ever wondered how archaeologists can make statements about past humans, their way of life, activities, customs, and beliefs when all they have to go on is this fragmentary residue left over from activities that happened long ago, this course will answer that question for you. Get a hands-on look at what it’s like to work and study in the field of archaeology and how archaeologists discover the ways humans used to live.
Is This Course For You?
If you’re a rising high school sophomore, junior, or senior interested in archaeology, this course is a great way to discover what it’s like to study and work in the field of archaeology. From bone identification to learning how ancient people lived to getting hands-on experience with the techniques archaeologists use, you’ll get a glimpse into what a future studying the past could look like.
What You’ll Learn
In this five day intensive course, you’ll explore the techniques and tools archaeologists use. From exploring ancient technology by replicating the arrowheads and other stone tools made by ancient people using the same techniques and materials they did to learning how archaeologists identify bones, you’ll get a glimpse of many facets of archaeological study. You’ll even find out how archaeologists reconstruct ancient diets using plant and animal remains and get the chance to “eat like a caveman” with what you uncover. By the end of the week, you’ll understand some of the ways that archaeologists use modern technologies to test their hypotheses about how people lived in the past.
How You’ll Learn
This hands-on course will give you the opportunity to use some of the technology and techniques used by archaeologists today to discover new things about the past. You’ll get to learn about and try out different techniques popular in archaeological studies today, including how human biology and anatomy help archaeologists understand the human past and replicative studies. With hands-on laboratory exercises and activities such as “eating like a caveman” by replicating the food and cooking techniques from the Paleolithic era, you’ll get a look at what the study of archaeology is like today.
Skills You Walk Away With
By the end of this course, you will:
- Understand how archaeologists create new knowledge about the human past.
- Understand how the scientific method is applied in the social sciences.
- Know some of the key questions that archaeologists are trying to answer about the human past.