Archaeology 101

Archaeology 101 is designed to introduce elementary and middle school students to archaeology and the study of the past. In the website, written content and interactive elements are used to teach students about archaeology and some of the basic concepts and tools that archaeologists use to study past people. While aimed at students, this website is accessible for other interested parties as well, and can serve as a broader public education and outreach platform.

The Archaeology 101 website includes six main components that outline different aspects of archaeology. The first section is the landing page, which provides a brief introduction into archaeology. From the landing page, users can then select any of the other five pages within the website from the navigation bar just underneath our project logo. In order, these pages are Time, Place, Artifacts, Resources, and About. The Time page focuses on aspects of dating within archaeological research, including two sub-sections: 1) Dating Archaeological Sites and 2) Stratigraphy. This page includes an interactive drag-and-drop game to reinforce the concept of stratigraphy and relative dating of artifacts. The Place page discusses the concept of place in archaeology, i.e. how do archaeologists find sites and where they can be found. This page also includes a ‘Dig Deeper’ component that allows visitors to learn more about methods archaeologists use to find archaeological sites and an interactive map of historic and prehistoric archaeological sites in Illinois. The Artifact page focuses on artifacts and includes two interactive elements, an artifact matching game and a visual example of preservation (in the form of a juxtapose image). The Resources page includes a link to a keyword definition page, alongside useful links to websites, videos, activities, coloring pages, and summer camp programs. Lastly, the About page of the website provides background information about the project and the creators.