Kids in Alabama are invited to a day of discovery at Troy University this weekend. The school is hosting its first Junior Archeology Day on Sunday. The event is open for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. They will be given the opportunity to learn about a variety of elements of archeology. This includes collecting artifacts, learning the importance of excavations and gathering data. Stephen* Carmody* is the Associate Professor of Anthropology at Troy University. He says he hopes the day will teach youngsters what it is that archeologists do and encourages them to learn more about the past.
“It’s how we know what we know about our ancestors and our past. There are so many questions that we still have about the past that are unanswered and that’s really the way that we will learn. And, you know, outside of thinking of the archaeological record as a time capsule, there are a lot of questions that we have in contemporary society and about the future that we may be able to answer.”
The Junior Archeology Day is part of the 2023 Alabama Archaeological Society Winter Conference. The conference is open to the public and will allow both professionals and students to share their research in Alabama. Carmody says he hopes the event will inspire youngsters to be curious about the past.
“People have lived in this part of the state for fifteen-thousand years so, there is a lot out there to learn. I realize it is not a site of interest for everybody, but I think there is a general interest in the community for people who are curious about the past.”
APR Gulf coast correspondent Guy Busby recently reported on some professional archeologists digging for clues into the city of Mobile’s past. The dig site was the spot where construction workers plan to begin building the new Interstate-10 bridge over Mobile Bay. Click below to hear Guy’s story again.
