Michigan Archaeology Day Recap

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This past weekend Campus Archaeology took part in Michigan Archaeology Day. Every year the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), in conjunction with the Michigan Historical Center, hosts Michigan Archaeology Day at the Michigan Historical Museum. Michigan Archaeology Day is not only a day to celebrate archaeology and recognize the history of this Great Lakes state, but also a way to get non-archaeologists involved, and aware of the necessity of stewardship.

This event encourages the public to engage in all things archaeology; from flintknapping to excavation, and become informed on the happenings in Michigan Archaeology through the series of presentations on archaeological research in Michigan given throughout the day. Archaeology programs and anthropology/archaeology departments come from across the state to exhibit their fascinating research.

Lisa and Ian explaining the games.
Lisa and Ian explaining the games.

This year CAP offered a couple activities in addition to our usual informational table. We had the “Artifact Memory Game” which required participants to match the historic artifact with the modern equivalent, i.e. the ink well and the ink cartridge. This game was quite popular with the older kids, in fact, we had one kid in particular that was so enthusiastic about the game that she insisted we change up the order and start to time her every time she came around. I’m pleased to announce that her best time was 54 seconds! The other activity we offered was “Guess the Artifact.” We set out a few artifacts that we were not 100% certain about, and asked people to guess, or give their informed opinion on the identity of the object. This activity ended up being quite helpful in identifying our unknowns. It’s nice to get a fresh set of eyes and a second opinion.

As always, the organizers of Michigan Archaeology Day did an amazing job, and put together a wonderful event. We are excited to be a part of this every year and we look forward to next year.

 

Author: Kate Frederick



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