Where are the Dinosaurs? The Children’s Museum’s Role in Archaeological Education

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. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions) 2018   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 712