From the Field to the Museum: Engaging Young Armenians in the Complete Life-Cycle of Archaeological Artifacts

Abstract

<p>Through a partnership between a local heritage foundation, an active archaeological field project, and a museum, we developed a novel educational program for schoolchildren to introduce the full life-cycle of archaeological artifacts. Our program demystifies heritage knowledge construction and presentation at the same time. During the past two summers, multiple groups of children aged 7 to 15 have visited an excavation and a museum in Armenia. Over the course of four days, each group gained hands-on experience while excavating on-site, conducting lab work and analysis, restoring their finds, and creating an actual public museum exhibit. Formal and informal assessment preliminarily indicates the effectiveness of the program in providing a baseline of knowledge to support the public’s involvement in future heritage-based decision-making. Our project also serves as an example of collaboration among a variety of different types of archaeological and heritage organizations.</p>