Experiencing Archaeology: A Manual of Classroom Activities, Demonstrations and Minilabs for Introduction to Archaeology

The authors have artfully crafted a concise volume that touches upon all of the central or key theoretical and methodological points covered in an “Introduction to Archaeology” course. The instructor’s ebook is paired with a student workbook edition. In the absence of real artifacts, the student workbook contains all the necessary materials to complete many of the classroom assignments. I commend the authors for creating a volume for audiences ranging from middle school to college students, and even for life-long learners as well.The instructor’s volume consists of thirty-three chapters sorted into six thematic modules: “Frameworks for Exploring Anthropological Archaeology”; “Attributing Meaning to Artifacts and Formation of the Archaeological Record”; “Frameworks for Measuring Time”; “Exploring Archaeological Specialties”; “Interpretation and Explanation in Archaeology”; and “Interpretation and Explanation in Archaeology.” Each chapter uses the same format: introduction to the topic; suggested educational level; a list of the resources needed to complete the assignment; whether the assignment is best completed in groups or by individuals; expected student learning outcomes; steps for completing the assignment; and alternative assignment options for both small and larger class sizes, as well as the age of the audience. Each chapter ends with a suggested reading list and references.Although assignments are designed to be completed within a 50–60-minute classroom period, many can be completed in only 15–25 minutes, allowing time for discussion and evaluation. For younger children, this time interval makes sense given their level of concentration and focus. However, for older students I see no reason why an assignment cannot exceed more than one classroom period, especially when an assignment must be completed outside of the classroom.There are chapters designed with the older student in mind. While certain concepts can be understood by fifth and sixth graders, such as stratification using a trash can, a pile of cloths tossed onto the floor, or a clothes hamper, chapters within Module 6, “Ethics and Stewardship,” deal with opinions and philosophical reasoning beyond their cognitive level. I was pleased to see chapters such as “Draw an Archaeologist Test,” “Archaeopolitics: Who Owns the Past?,” “Common Ground: Glacial Archaeology, Ethics, and Climate Change,” and “The Ethical Archaeologist.” I feel these topics have merit and should be discussed. It remains our task to educate the public about the importance of archaeological resources globally and the need to preserve sites both here and abroad.I also like the fact that the authors were bold enough to discuss the sensitive topic “who owns the past?” This is a touchy subject because it does not always portray archaeology in a positive sense. In today’s world “authority of knowledge” is being challenged by Native Americans and other ethnic groups who have not been in a position to challenge the historical record and the archaeological narrative. Ours is just one narrative: not the only one. In a way, this chapter is timely given the current social climate regarding ethnicity, colonization, and social rights.I was especially delighted to see the chapter on “Draw an Archaeologist.” The perception of archaeology and that of the archaeologist by children and young adults are quite different from the public perception of each. The authors’ mention of Indiana Jones and dinosaur hunting made me smile. These myths and misconceptions of archaeologists and what we do seem to be pervasive within the population in general, not to mention that white males are the norm of who is an archaeologist.There are a few chapters I was surprised to see listed in the table of contents, such as “Linguistic Anthropology” and “Economic Anthropology.” These usually do not appear in the textbooks I have used for my “Introduction to Archaeology” course. While the authors have expressed their reason for including these chapters, I am not sure these add to the purpose of “Introduction to Archaeology.”A principal intent of the textbook is the transformation of the classroom into an active learning environment. Assignments encourage students to work in groups and collaborate.Two of the attractive qualities of active learning are the ability to discover without the instructor being present, and learning from each other.What is especially nice is the adaptability of the course content to multiple audiences. This was the intent of the student workbook and the instructor’s volume. However, for some individuals, these qualities might miss the mark, especially those assignments that employ rather simplistic approaches—and, I might add, successfully—to explain complex concepts. However, the authors do apprise the reader that not all of the lesson plans need be used in an introductory class. I like the fact the authors elected to use more novel methods to explain archaeological concepts. But when designing a textbook to meet the needs of multiple groups at different education levels, the choice of how to explain concepts is a personal matter. I find the option of selecting the order of chapters rather than following the order as found in the instructor’s manual appealing; a point also encouraged by the authors.There is a niche for textbooks like Experiencing Archaeology because of its broad usability. It is important we connect with children, as well as older adults. This being said, the textbook may not appeal to everyone. As instructors, we select textbooks that we feel meet the needs of our course which is how it should be.