Archaeo-Tech

Investigating the Ring People in the coastal zone requires scientists of many disciplines. The technology of archaeology goes far beyond shovels.

Investigating the Ring People in the coastal zone requires scientists of many disciplines. The technology of archaeology goes far beyond shovels.

Title:
 Geophysics | Archaeo-Tech | SCDNR
Geophysics | Archaeo-Tech | SCDNR

Video

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Archaeologists survey an early Spanish settlement on Parris Island using ground penetrating radar, magnetometry and resistivity.
 Radiocarbon Dating  | Archaeo-Tech  | SCDNR
Radiocarbon Dating | Archaeo-Tech | SCDNR

Video

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Scientists at the University of Georgia’s Center for Applied Isotope Study use an accelerator mass spectrometer to count Carbon-14 isotopes to determine the age of ancient material.
Archaeo-Tech: Atlatl Physics
Archaeo-Tech: Atlatl Physics

Lesson

Grades: 4, 6, 8

Students learn about the atlatl, a prehistoric throwing tool that uses leverage, then build and test replicas to measure the increase in throwing distance compared to throwing by hand. They discuss...

Archaeo-Tech: Documenting an Archaeological Site
Archaeo-Tech: Documenting an Archaeological Site

Lesson

Grades: 6, 7

Students become archaeologists for a day, creating scaled drawings of a mock excavation unit to document its features and artifacts. Through this activity, they explore the importance of accurate...

Archaeo-Tech: Geophysics
Archaeo-Tech: Geophysics

Lesson

Grades: 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Students design a mock archaeological site and simulate a survey using punch holes to represent shovel test pits. They then discuss the limitations of this method and explore how geophysics offers a...

Archaeo-Tech: Introducing Experimental Archaeology
Archaeo-Tech: Introducing Experimental Archaeology

Lesson

Grades: 3, 6

Students brainstorm examples of artifacts archaeologists might find in prehistoric South Carolina and then analyze photos of real artifacts to understand how archaeologists use them to learn about...

Archaeo-Tech: LIDAR
Archaeo-Tech: LIDAR

Lesson

Grades: 8

Students build a miniature landscape in a sandbox and use tools to measure elevations at various points. By converting these measurements and coloring a graph, they create a 2D elevation model similar...

Archaeo-Tech: Mollusk ID & Coloring Activity
Archaeo-Tech: Mollusk ID & Coloring Activity

Lesson

Grades: 3, 6

Students learn about mollusks, their characteristics and habitats, and how their shells provide clues to the diet of ancient hunter-gatherers who lived on the South Carolina coast thousands of years...

Archaeo-Tech: Radiocarbon Dating
Archaeo-Tech: Radiocarbon Dating

Lesson

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Students explore the concept of radioactive decay and half-life through a penny-flipping activity, then learn how this principle is used in radiocarbon dating to estimate the age of ancient organic...

Archaeo-Tech: The Barrier Island
Archaeo-Tech: The Barrier Island

Lesson

Grades: 3, 5, 6, 8

Students build model beaches and use waves to simulate coastal erosion, observing how it disturbs and destroys archaeological sites. They then explore engineering solutions to reduce erosion and...