Museums and Archaeology: Creating Partnerships to Engage Families and Children

Summary

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis created the "Treasures of the Earth" exhibit to engage children and families in the world of archaeology.  Museum staff worked closely with archaeologist advisors to produce recreations  of three distinct archaeological "sites", the tomb of Seti I in Egypt, the terra cotta warriors of China, and the underwater remains of an 18th century Caribbean shipwreck.  Artifacts and activities in each area convey the sense of discovery that drives archaeology while explaining a variety of methods, tools and goals.

Additionally, through a partnership with archaeologists at Indiana University and the Dominican Republic, artifacts from several shipwrecks are loaned to the museum for conservation treatment and display in a working in wet lab.  This dynamic partnership allows the museum to give children and families the extraordinary opportunity to meet the archaeologists who are actively investigating the sites.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013   •
• Cultural Heritage in the Dominican Republic: Archaeology, Management, and Innovation

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 242