It's
a long, rough ride to the site of the Adams Museum's summer archeology camp, a former icehouse on the hills surrounding Deadwood. But this is where 26 area kids, ages 9
through 12, are spending the start of their summer vacation. This is an actual
dig site sponsored by the Adams Museum, Deadwood's oldest history museum. It
regularly sponsors educational events dealing with history, art and the natural
history of the Black Hills.
Archeologist Laura Floyd says the purpose of the camp is to show kids what
archeology is really all about. "Everybody's seen [the movie] Indiana
Jones by now," she points out, "and they know archeology can be
really exciting. But we want to show them that archeology is also science, and
that there are certain ways that you have to go about doing things if you want
to record things for the future so that other people can learn from them,
too."
The
first thing the kids learn is that every archeological dig begins with
carefully surveying the site for visible artifacts – in this case, anything
that was made by people. Those items are flagged. Groupings of flags will
determine the most likely spots for test units, areas where other artifacts
might easily be found. Then it's a matter of measuring off a one-meter square
space, carefully removing any grass and weeds, then re-examining for more
artifacts.
The exact location of any artifact found is recorded on a map of the test unit.
Floyd shows the young archeologists how to use trowels to gently remove layers
of dirt, which is then sifted through for any items that might have been
missed. Each new level of dirt requires a new map of the test unit.
The process seems slow and involved… and it is. But the kids think it's also
pretty cool. One young boy explains that they learned how to use a compass to
help set up their unit."So if we
write out a field map we know which way is north from the object that you have
found."
A
girl working near him says she's enjoying the experience. "It's just fun
to, like, discover new things that you would never know that were
there."
She
says the coolest thing they're found so far is a big bone of some sort. She
guesses it could be a hoof or part of a horn, and they're trying to figure out
what it is.
Helping kids figure out what things are and where they come from is the
goal of everyone involved in the camp, says the Adams Museum's Anne Rogers.
"We wanted to offer kids in this area a chance to get outside and really
get a sense of the history that they're exposed to every day, but take it to a
deeper level. And what better way to dig deeper than through archeology."
Black Hills National Forest archeologist Kay Shelnutt says using a hands-on
approach like this to teach kids about the past is a huge step in the right
direction. "I think a lot of times," she notes, "history is
presented in a rather dry context within a conventional school setting."
She says anything that gets them excited about history is a good thing.
Digging
in the dirt seems to be doing just that for the kids attending the archeology
camp.And some, like Jade Derby, 10, have some pretty exciting plans for the
future. "I was thinking, well maybe I could be an archeologist
someday." It would be fun to be a female Indiana Jones, she adds with a
giggle.
Whether a real-life Indiana Jones emerges from this archeology camp or not, the bottom line is that 26 kids have helped break ground and begin the research for a new archeological site in the historic Black Hills.
