Recently I found a website from Nova, Be an Archaeologist that I shared at the HEM Guide to Resources Blog. Many years ago my family took part in a dig thanks to a National Park Program that is not far from our home. We are big fans of history to begin with, so to be a part of such an event was memorable to say the least. This got me This got me to wondering what resources HEM might have on the subject and it didn’t take me long to find one.
Time Travel with a Teaspoon Archaeology For Kids by Rebecca Rupp was featured in the September-October 1998 issue of Home Education Magazine. Rebecca opened the column by writing:
Caleb, our youngest son, wants (just now) to be an archaeologist when he grows up. Accordingly, he reads everything he can find on archaeological topics, surfs the Internet in search of the ancient, and subscribes to the magazine Archaeology, published bimonthly by the Archaeological Institute of America. Archaeology, which is aimed at adults, has a fairly sophisticated text, but the pictures – all in color – are great for persons of all ages. Each issue includes several feature articles about archaeological discoveries worldwide.
In this one paragraph, Rebecca explains the beauty of learning and that children do not have to be limited to age appropriate material when exploring their passions in the real world! The column was written over ten years ago, but as always, much of what she shared remains available today. Here are some of the Archaeology resources she shares:
Society for American Archaeology (SAA) http://www.saa.org. This first one offers many great resources, but I was delighted find Frequently Asked Questions About A Career In Archaeology In The U.S.
Next she offered these recommendations:
- Calliope http://www.cobblestonepub.com/magazine/CAL/
- Faces http://www.cobblestonepub.com/magazine/FAC/
I was able to find the following book suggestions at my local library:
- Dig This! How Archaeologists Uncover Our Past (Michael Avi-Yonah; Runestone Press, 1993) Also in this series; Scrawl! Writing in Ancient Times; Fired Up! Making Pottery in Ancient Times; Piece by Piece: Mosaics of the Ancient World; and Sunk! Exploring Underwater Archaeology
- The Magic School Bus Shows and Tells: A Book About Archaeology (Jackie Posner; Scholastic, 1997
- The Young Oxford Book of Archaeology by Norah Moloney (Oxford University Press, 1997)
- Gods, Graves, and Scholars by C.W. Ceram (Bantam, 1976
I could not find these at my local or statewide library, but as Becky writes, many can be found in libraries or used bookstores.
- All About Archaeology by Anne Terry White (Random House, 1959)
- Archaeology by Dennis Fradin (Children’s Press, 1983)
- The Practical Archaeologist by Jane McIntosh (Facts On File, 1986
- Archaeology: A Brief Introduction by Brian Fagan (Addison Wesley, 1996)
As always, Rebecca offers some interesting hands on resources as well.
- Prehistoric Cave Painting Kit and Rock Art Painting. Both kits are available from Ancient Graffiti, 52 Seymour St., 888) 725-6632 fax (802) 388-7104; e-mail: ancientg @ sovernet.com. (I could not find the company on line, so I’m not sure if they remain in business or not.
In this column Rebecca also reviews some other great resources. was able to find: Reading Through the Ages By Linda Thornhill and Sally Barnard, The Game of Shakespeare, Beaver Tooth and Days of Knights and Damsels
HEM columnist Rebecca Rupp has a Ph.D. in cell biology, has written for many magazines, and has published several books. She lives in Vermont with her husband and three sons.
