ABSTRACT

One of the most popular educational concepts ever designed to teach archaeology, the simulated excavation, or ‘mock dig’, is suitable for students of all levels and can be conducted in the classroom or in the outdoors. This simulated archaeological experience, in which excavators use one or more data-recovery techniques to find planted artifacts, has been popular for years in the United States because it is relatively easy to produce and is an exciting, enjoyable experience for all who participate. Cobblestone Press (2004) maintains a list of many of the better programs presented in the United States. The methodical exposure of ‘clues to the past’, supervised by a trained archaeologist, is meant to inculcate a preservation ethic (‘archaeology is more than artifacts and if you move too quickly, you will lose important information’). The careful scraping with trowels, screening, measurements, and drawings is meant to demonstrate science in action.