December 22, 2025
On November 8th, the New Orleans Society of the AIA hosted a Society Outreach Event in collaboration with several other local organizations, including the Louisiana Archaeological Society, West Baton Rouge Museum, local schools, and more. The event was titled “Can You Dig It? A Public Archaeology Fair.”
Nathalie Roy from Glasgow Middle School and Josetta LeBoeuf from the Louisiana Division of Archaeology organized the event with a goal to educate K-12 students (specifically LEGO First STEM/Robotics teams), K-12 Social Studies teachers, Southeastern Archaeological Conference attendees, and the general public.
All of the collaborators were greatly involved in the fair! It included tables with hands-on activities led by archaeologists and middle and high school students with information about the history of brick making materials from the LA State Historic Preservation Office), as well as LEGO sugarhouse reconstruction and sugar making processes, pinch pots, oak gall ink, atlatl technology led by the Poverty Point World Heritage Site Park Manager, sonar and shipwrecks, and prehistoric pottery decorating. Dr. Ryan Gray from the University of New Orleans and Dr. Helen Bozan (LSU and LA Division of Archaeology) exhibited and discussed the Midlo Center and work in New Orleans pertaining to the city’s history and culture.
The Louisiana Office of Cultural Development also exhibited its programs and provided brochures and giveaways about Louisiana Archaeology. State Archaeologist, Dr. Rachel Watson, welcomed and introduced visitors to the value of archaeology in Louisiana. Dr. Chip McGimsey gave a scholarly lecture on recent investigations at the LSU Campus Mounds and Dr. Heather McKillop (LSU) discussed her work on the salt industry in Belize. Nathalie Roy presented on the many opportunities to incorporate archaeology in classroom instruction. Additionally, all visitors and volunteers were provided free entrance to the Capitol Park Museum and exhibits during the event.
The event had a large turnout of about 140 participants, all of whom enjoyed the fair! Roy and LeBoeuf noted that “The event provided opportunities to learn about local history as well as careers in archaeology,” and that “Several robotics teams had an opportunity to speak with professional archaeologists and receive feedback on competition projects for the LEGO First challenge ‘Unearthed.'”
The New Orleans Society hosted another “Can You Dig It?” event last year that you can hear the details of here. Curious about other resources available for First LEGO League teams? The AIA has resources including answers to commonly asked questions, links to webinars, info on how to connect with an archaeologist, and more.
