archaeology?

[HollyDay]

Dd wants to study archaeology in college. She has expressed a great deal of interest in the field since 7th grade. Unfortunately, we do not live in an area where archaeology opportunities exist.

 

I'd like to put together a high school course for her, but I have no idea where to begin. What are some resources or ideas for a 1 credit, done at home, course in archaeology?

 

Thanks!

[kiana]

I found this unit at rainbow resource:

 

http://rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1298421160-633597&subject=14&category=4258

 

MIT has an OCW archaeology course here:

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/materials-science-and-engineering/3-986-the-human-past-introduction-to-archaeology-fall-2006/index.htm

 

I'm not sure how much you'd get without the labs (archaeology is far along on my to-do list) but the readings might be worth incorporating. I don't know how old your daughter is either, the OCW one would probably be better in late high school.

 

The other thing you might do is see if your local university has anyone who teaches archaeology and ask them for recommendations.

 

P.S. If you ever get anything, I'd love to know too -- archaeology is something I really want to learn more about for myself, but it's been pushed to the back burner.

[Punchie]

What about doing a physical anthropology class at a local CC? The ppl I know who have gone into archeology got their bachelor's in anthro.

[Harriet Vane]

Check with Lukeion--they are archaeologists. They may have some educational opportunities that fit your dd. They are really, really nice people too, so even if they don't have resources for her if you call them they may be able to offer some advice.

 

http://www.lukeion.org/

[angela in ohio]

I second the recommendation to contact Lukeion. Thye are very nice people, and i bet they could recommend something.

 

We are really enjoying the Teaching Company's couse on Classical Archaeology. That would be a good start.

[msk]

I'm an archaeologist. But, it wasn't even on my radar in high school, so I'm not sure how much help I can be. I second the recommendation of community college courses if that's an option; a lot of CCs and universities offer them online, too.

 

For a hands-on program specifically for high school students, Crow Canyon Archaeology Center in SW Colorado is GREAT. They offer a high school field school and a one-week program too (as well as all kinds of family programs). They are not cheap, though! http://crowcanyon.org/archaeology_adventures/summer_camps.asp.

 

For a less expensive field experience, check Earthwatch. Some well-respected archaeologists have run programs through them in the past. You could also check the Archaeological Institute of America's Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin at http://www.archaeological.org/fieldwork/afob.

 

Once she's 18 she could enroll in a university summer field school, but most won't take younger students. If you go that route, make sure to check it out very carefully; she'd be with college students, and some (not all) field camps can be rowdy. Ask to see their list of rules for students, and pick one that sounds draconian on paper.

 

She should also know (if she doesn't already) that in the U.S., Classical archaeology tends to be housed in Classics departments, and all other archaeology tends to be in anthropology departments (although a few schools differ). Historic archaeology is usually in an anthropology department, not history. So, search the right departments for her interests.

 

You could also try looking around the Society for American Archaeology website's public section: http://www.saa.org/publicftp/PUBLIC/home/home.html. I haven't looked around on this site much, but the organization is good.

 

Good luck!

[Alphabetika]

Check with Lukeion--they are archaeologists. They may have some educational opportunities that fit your dd. They are really, really nice people too, so even if they don't have resources for her if you call them they may be able to offer some advice.

 

http://www.lukeion.org/

 

:iagree:

[Jane in NC]

My son is now a first year college student pursuing a major in Archaeology. Although his interests are classical/medieval, his hands on experience in high school related to what he could do close to home. Are there any historical sites near you? My son's work at a field school near us led to a senior project for which I awarded him 1/2 credit.

 

Following a WTM path fit beautifully with my son's interests. He studied Latin and read Great Books. He spent many hours watching Teaching Company history lectures, did a couple of years of French in addition to the Latin, studied chemistry at the CC.

 

If your daughter is interested in Mesoamerica, for example, I would suggest Spanish. You can tweak things to follow her interests.

 

In the meantime, you might want to order a subscription to Archaeology Magazine.

 

PM me if you want to know more about college related things. While many colleges have anthropology programs, few have archaeology majors.

[SkateLeft]

She should also know (if she doesn't already) that in the U.S., Classical archaeology tends to be housed in Classics departments, and all other archaeology tends to be in anthropology departments (although a few schools differ).

 

Good point! My undergraduate degree is in classical archaeology, and at UC Santa Barbara, it fell under the umbrella of the classics department though my coursework was interdisciplinary.

 

Looking back now, I really wish I'd had the opportunity to take Latin and Greek in high school. I had a Spanish teacher who gave me some old Artes Latinae textbooks he had laying around, but I had no formal Latin or Greek education until I went off to college. If your child is interested in classical archaeology, I'd encourage them to take as much Latin and/or Greek as possible. Oh, and a rigorous course in English grammar would be a huge help with college level Greek and Latin!

 

During my freshman year of college, I found a professor (Dr. Anabel Ford) who needed volunteers to catalog and classify Mayan potshards recovered from the BRASS project in Belize. It was tedious and not very exciting, but it was good experience. I also did some database work. So not all archaeology opportunities have to be field work. Maybe your student could volunteer to do some grunt level desk work, if they're unsuccessful in finding field work. (Most field work opportunities available to the general public are quite expensive.... at least they used to be.)

 

I don't know if it would be helpful for you, but you can search for volunteer jobs here through the Archaeological Institute of America's field work listing. Perhaps you can contact any local listings and see if there's anything your high schooler can do (even if it's just database work).