February 4, 2025
The New Orleans Society ran an evening of hands-on history and archaeology for K-8 students in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Joined by Archaeologists from the Louisiana Division of Archaeology, students ran a series of 9 stations with hands-on history activities at each encompassing stratigraphy, excavation, iron gall ink, ancient construction techniques, and reconstruction of pottery from assemblages. Students had the opportunity to win prizes and had the chance to take home vintage National Geographic magazines.
The Rome Society was awarded a grant in the fall for their upcoming spring event. The Society will be hosting this event in collaboration with the Van Buren Archaeological Collection of the American Academy in Rome (AAR). Guests will be allowed to handle ancient Greek vases from their collection and to observe a potter, Roberto Paoloni, reproducing Greek vases following the original techniques. Paolini is an artisan from Cerveteri, Italy who reproduces Greek and Southern Italian red figure pottery.
The Niagara Society was awarded a grant in the spring for their event, which focused on bringing archaeology to the participants, as not everyone can experience archaeological fieldwork, though many may share an interest in the practices and findings reported by journals or discussed at lectures. Attendees were immersed through an afternoon of canvassing and learning about the different phases of fieldwork with hands-on activities and display tables, such as surveying, excavating, and analysis, that will provide a pedagogical and fun experience for members of our society and the wider community.