Amanda,
Forgive the long response, but this kind of program is very close to my
heart.
I am not currently associated with any archaeology/paleontology pits, but I
have been in past lives. They were simple 5 x 5 sandbox affairs, and
approximately 6 inches deep. We would bury the "artifacts" in different
places, provide brushes and trowels and let them go at it. Of course we
would teach them the basics of archaeological investigation and field
practice first, but it often turned into looting none the less. I would
suggest never providing or suggesting rewards for finding things. That
universally undermines the purpose of the exercise.
For design considerations...size of the pit was the most critical concern.
Too many kids in the pit at any one time was very counterproductive and
potentially dangerous...flying trowels and all. It was always better to
have smaller pits with fewer kids per pit, than larger pits. It was always
good when we maximized the number of objects buried in the pit, which
helped each kid to find a few things, even if it does not paint an accurate
picture of a real site. I always wished I had a means of indicating
stratigraphy in the dig, so you might consider working that into your
concrete retaining walls. If you have time, let the children section off
the pit with stakes and string, and show them how careful archaeologists
have to be in real dig situations, or perhaps you could work that into the
design with permanent stakes. Non artifacts, such as bones, unusual rocks,
etc. were good filler, which could be unearthed and analyzed along with the
more obvious objects. You might also put a number of very small objects
into the mix, coins, buttons, seeds, etc, which some students would then
have to sift out, and which would of course require a sifting box(perhaps
an advanced program). A big stone or bone sticking out of the sand from the
beginning was always an exciting place for them to start; a uniform sandy
plain only seems to encourage shoveling, rather than careful investigation.
Thematic artifact assemblages were useful, depending upon the program, but
random assortments were also fine. Post-dig analysis was always a difficult
proposition.
We tried wetting the sand a few times to simulate compacted soil, but it
did not work unless it had a very long time to dry out. Wet sand only made
a mess. A mix of medium and finer grade sand, which was tamped down just
before digging, seemed to work best. It was also very useful to have people
there to help the kids understand what they were finding as they unearthed
things, rather than afterwards. Putting objects at varying levels and
orientations was also interesting. Have some kids alternate digging and
drawing/measuring the objects and site layouts(also likely rather
advanced). You will get some very interesting renditions.
Things not to do...Do not give the children shovels and pails, which just
equals digging. Do not make the pits so big that kids have to walk across
the sand/medium to get to their spot. Do not make the objects more than 1-4
inches deep, unless you have a great deal of time on your hands; they will
end up having to move a lot of sand, and you will have to put it all back.
I would also suggest designing in a place for them to deposit their dug
up/sifted sand, which will make it easier for you to return it to the pits,
rather than having to sweep it up over and over again.
Finally, you must enjoy getting dirty.
These suggestions are informed by my time at the Fort Bend Historical
Museum in Richmond, Texas, as well as years as an amateur field archeology
buff and a bachelors in archaeology. Seems like Richmond(just west of
Houston) would be accessible from central Texas in just a few hours. It has
been a decade since I was there, but their website(www.fortbendmuseum.org)
has lots of info on the program, which is apparently still active.
By the way, are you talking about trap doors to cover the pits? If so you
will want to make them seal very well or you will get field mice nesting in
your pits. Put a screen grate in the center of the door for ventilation.
Covers are nice for keeping cats and squirrels from "using" the pits.
Good luck.
Mark Janzen
Registrar/Collections Manager
Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art
Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection
Wichita State University
(316)978-5850
Amanda Thompson
<amanda.thompson@
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Hello All:
As part of our museum's upcoming expansion, we are planning to install 2
outdoor archaeology pits. Currently, we are planning permanent, concrete
pits with trap doors. We have some ideas about covering the closed trap
door with signage, and also having signage on the underside of the door,
to be viewed when the pit is in use.
I'm hoping for some input from members of the list re: archaeology pits at
your facility, or other good ones that you have seen. What works and what
doesn't? If you could install them over again, what would you do
differently? We would also be interested in seeing any images that you
might have of your archaeology pits, to better guide our planning. In
particular, if you know of any good examples of archaeology pits within a
day's drive of central Texas, we would love to hear about them so that we
might plan a visit! Please feel free to email me directly at
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Thanks in advance for any and all help!
Amanda Thompson Dyer
Curator
Bell County Museum
Belton, TX
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254.933.5244
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