Where are the Dinosaurs? The Children’s Museum’s Role in Archaeological Education
Author(s): Ashley R. Hannum; Laura Ferries
Year: 2018
Summary
Public outreach and involvement is an increasingly important part of the field of archaeology. Yet for many people outside of the discipline, archaeology education comes solely from misleading television documentaries and fictional movies. The average visitor to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is no exception to this, with many unaware of the difference between archaeology and paleontology, let alone the difference between archaeology and looting or treasure hunting. In fact, many of the Museum’s 1.2 million visitors a year have never visited a museum before, and come to The Children’s Museum without expectations of real artifacts or museum content. The Treasures of the Earth exhibit seeks to introduce visitors to archaeology through immersive environments, interactive exhibit elements, real artifacts, and a working lab. This presentation will discuss the unique opportunity- and challenges- The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has in presenting archaeology to its vast, but nontraditional, audience.
Cite this Record
Where are the Dinosaurs? The Children’s Museum’s Role in Archaeological Education. Ashley R. Hannum, Laura Ferries. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441511)
This Resource is Part of the Following Collections
Keywords
General
Lab
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Museums
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Public Archaeology
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
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): 712