Teaching Without a Wreck: Using Museum Collections in the Classroom

Author(s): Michelle M. Damian

Year: 2017

Summary

Spring 2016 marked the first time maritime archaeology was taught to undergraduates at Harvard University. No diving was required for this introductory class, so in order to give the students the experience of researching and identifying a "wreck site" the class partnered with the Peabody Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology. The museum collection contained a number of models that were not on display due to space constraints. The class therefore used the museum ship models as substitutes for an actual shipwreck site. Students were required to choose a model and, with only minimal initial information, researched its historical background and construction. This paper will discuss the merits and challenges present in this approach and the benefits for both students and the museum.  

Cite this Record

Teaching Without a Wreck: Using Museum Collections in the Classroom. Michelle M. Damian. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Fort Worth, TX. 2017 ( tDAR id: 435446)

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Keywords

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 432