Pre-Columbian Civilizations

You will be the archaeologist! You must individually journal and log info/data collected. Though by the end of the assignment you and your team will reconvene to elaborate on your discovery. Everyone must contribute.

In this lesson, you will learn about what archaeologists do in discovering ancient worlds. The material remains archaeologists find are termed artifacts, which they define as “objects made and used by people.” You must explore, discover, and obtain artifacts of an ancient Pre-Columbian civilization. You will study the past of the ancients through the information and artifacts you have collected. You are the archaeologist.

During your two week quest, you will complete a daily journal of your experiences. Documentation is key for archaeologists and historians. You will be the archaeologist! Describe life of the ancient civilization, i.e. daily routines, agriculture & food, economics & trade, culture, beliefs & practices, medicines, games & sports, and art. Provide at least one example per day for two weeks.

By the end of your quest, you will submit a 3-4 page written report of the civilization of your choosing. Artifacts are items of cultural and historical interest. Provide illustrations of your findings in your journal. The information you gather is of great value! You are required to have in-depth knowledge of your ancient civilization.  You and your team of archeologists are to give a presentation of your discovery. An in-depth study and analysis must be presented to fellow colleagues.

A visual aid shall be part of your teams presentation; this shall be a proper and fitting representation of your ancient civilization (model representation of ancient civilization and explanation of your artifact: i.e. ancient ruins, pyramid, temples, ancient tools/weapons, hieroglyphs, codices.) Everyone must prepare a visual aid.

A ppt. presentation of artifacts will be accepted into the archives, but you must have thorough explanations. The ppt. is not required and is not your visual aid, it is merely a way for you to enhance your presentation. You will be required to give a report upon your return to home-base. Remember documentation is a must for an archaeologist/historian. So, document your sources.

Helpful resources:

Archaeologist: 

http://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/lmon/what_arch1.htm 

http://archaeology.mrdonn.org/archaeologists.html 

http://www.ajaonline.org/ 

http://www.archaeology.org/ 

Latin American Studies:

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/ancient-civilizations.htm 

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/E335.htm 

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/ancientamerica.htm 

Videos: Documentary, pyramid, and art.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=554927562721156012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iE90WG7Jio