The people of the past have left behind tantalizing clues to help us understand how they lived.  These spell-binding clues often leave researchers scratching their heads but also makes them realize the cultural richness of their lives.  Ancient people made astute observations of the natural environment, constructed monumental architecture, and developed the first writing systems.  They survived in formidable environments and maintained spiritual connections to their ancestors and gods.  In this module students will learn about the types of evidence that archaeologists use to learn about the past.  This module is full of hands-on activities that will help students learn about engineering developments in Ancient Egypt, Rome, and Mesoamerica, the significance of celestial bodies in ancient cosmologies, and understanding ancient trade networks.  Modules do not need to be taken in order and can be taken concurrently with other modules or as stand-along modules.


Week 1.  Ancient Engineering, Geometry, and Technology I:  Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptians were master craftsmen and constructed magnificent wonders.  In this section, students will learn about the construction of Egyptian tombs and monuments.  They will learn about the different methods and styles of construction, and how simple machines were used to move monoliths and erect monuments.  They will also learn about the geometric attributes of Egyptian architecture.  

Week 2.  Ancient Engineering, Geometry, and Technology II:  Ancient Rome
The splendor of Rome.  The Romans built long-lasting structures that awed the ancient world.  The engineers of Rome left their mark on the ancient world and catapulted the abilities of humankind centuries ahead of its time with the timeless wonders they created.  In this class, students will learn about some of these impressive structures as well as some of the most important contributions by Roman architects.  

Week 3.  Ancient Engineering, Geometry, and Technology III:  Ancient Mesoamerica
The engineering, craftsmanship, and precision of Mayan cities continue to awe and captivate contemporary people.  Using stone-age technology, the Maya were able to construct expansive cities capable of supporting many thousands of people.  Each city is carefully situated and planned with uncanny precision.  How did they do it?  And what can we learn about the Maya by studying their architecture?  

Week 4.  Archaeology and Art
Art has been a trademark of modern humans since leaving Africa 130,000 years ago.  Art is found in every ancient culture and offers tantalizing clues to the mindset of ancient people.  But what can artwork tell us about ancient people?  And how can archaeologists use artwork to better understand the mindset of ancient people?  In this class students will learn about the different media that was used to create ancient artwork.  They will learn about the artistic conventions used by different cultures and how to interpret the meaning embedded within the artwork.  

Week 5.  Trade and Exchange
Trading and exchanging goods has been a part of human cultures since humans first emerged.  Human societies often traded for goods that were unavailable to them in their local environment or traded prestige goods as part of ritualized exchange systems.  But how to archaeologists study and understand trade and exchange?  And what does it mean in regards to understanding ancient cultures?  In this class students will learn about the modes of exchange, different types of economies, valuable cultural objects, characterization studies, and some of the traditional and cutting-edge technology that is shedding light on ancient trade networks.  

Week 6.  Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Architecture
Ancient people, like today, were interested in the skies above.  Many cultures built structures or earthly representations of what they observed in the sky.  The night skies are replete with ancient mythologies that defined the cosmologies of ancient people.  The heavens served as a calendar with which to plan events or was a gateway to the ancestors or the gods.  In this class students will learn how ancient people viewed the skies and methods they used to observer heavenly bodies.  They will learn how sites such as Stonehenge, Machu Piccu, the pyramids and many others figured into these cosmological plans.