Come to the Museum on Archaeology Day and enjoy demonstrations and hands-on activities involving the creation of ceramics, their use, and various aspects of archaeological investigations. Ceramics are essential to human activities. Nearly every documented culture has some form of clay-derived objects that are typically fired in kilns. The people coming to and already living in America had a rich and varied ceramic background, which our Archaeology Day activities will showcase.

Museum-wide activities will provide you with an understanding of how archaeology impacts our understanding and interpretation of past life-ways.

Appropriate for all ages! Dig boxes will be available for the kids at the 1740s American Settlement exhibit. Activities will be ongoing throughout the day at each of the Museum’s exhibits noted below.

– West African Farm: Pottery Making
– English Farm: Ceramics and their uses
– Irish Forge: Ferrous Metals and their uses
– Irish Farm: Ceramics and their uses
– German Farm: Ceramics and their uses
– Ganatastwi: Pottery Firing & Lithics
– 1820s American Farm: Ceramics in Foodways
– 1850s American Farm: Ceramics for Food Preservation
– 1740s American Settlement: Field Excavation 
Come get dirty! Dig boxes let you try your hand at excavation to find ceramic sherds, then take your finds over to our outdoor lab to learn about how archaeology provides information about past life ways.