<html>Introducing Archaeological Bone Conservation to 11–12-Year-Olds at the Lubbock Lake Landmark through <i>Conservation Academy: Digging Deeper</i></html>

Author(s): Madison Westfall

Year: 2025

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Lubbock Lake Landmark hosts two summer youth programs in the Conservation Academy series for students aged 11 to 12. Digging Deeper is a hands-on program where students are introduced to conservation principles and concepts and engage in conservation activities. During the two-week course, students participate in creating and excavating pedestals and jackets (usually bison bone), make conservation grade polyvinyl acetate solutions and adhesives, engage in methods of bone stabilization, and complete the documentation used when performing conservation techniques. Students conclude with a poster presentation of their results, conveying their newly learned skills to Conservation Academy attendees and parents visiting the exhibition. A five-question assessment is completed by each student to evaluate concepts learned throughout the program. Students scoring 80% or more on the assessment indicate that the conservation concepts were imparted successfully. Students graduate from the summer program with first-hand knowledge and budding skills in the conservation methodology used and the initial processing of field-generated collections at the Lubbock Lake Landmark, providing a foundation for higher-level concepts at an early age. The programming is an opportunity to explore future careers as museum professionals, archaeologists, or paleontologists in the fields of conservation and collections care and management.

Cite this Record

Introducing Archaeological Bone Conservation to 11–12-Year-Olds at the Lubbock Lake Landmark through Conservation Academy: Digging Deeper. Madison Westfall. Presented at The 90th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. 2025 ( tDAR id: 511010)

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53286