Artifacts Lesson for Explorer Treasure Chest WebQuest

1
ArtifactsLesson for Explorer Treasure Chest
WebQuest

• 5th Grade Social Studies
• Bloomington Public Schools

2
What is archaeology?

• Archaeology is the study of the remains of
  another culture (often one that existed a long
  time ago) in order to learn about life during
  another time.

3
What does an archaeologist do?

• Archaeologists study artifacts, objects that are
  found by digging in areas where archaeologists
  think other societies once flourished.

4
Lets pretend to be an amateur archaeologist.

• You are going to look at artifacts from
  Jamestown, Virginia, the first colony the English
  established in the New World in 1607.
• Archaeologists found the artifacts at the
  Jamestown excavation site in the mid-1990s.

5
Jamestown Excavation Site
6
Artifact 1
-What is the artifact? -What is the artifact made
of? -How do you think it was used? -Who do you
think used it? -What does the artifact tell us
about life in Jamestown?
7
Artifact 1 Broad Axe
The broad axe was an important tool of the
colonists, this axe has a very sharp blade and
was used for cutting timber and shaping the wood
into smaller pieces suitable for fires and other
purposes.
8
Artifact 2
-What is the artifact? -What is the artifact made
of? -How do you think it was used? -Who do you
think used it? -What does the artifact tell us
about life in Jamestown?
9
Artifact 2 Cooking Pot
Archaeologists think that this pot was used in
Jamestown between 1630 and 1645. Its remains, the
handle, were discovered in 1995. It may have been
crafted by one of the first potters working in
Jamestown.
10
Artifact 3
-What is the artifact? -What is the artifact made
of? -How do you think it was used? -Who do you
think used it? -What does the artifact tell us
about life in Jamestown?
11
Artifact 3 English Coin
Coins are a particularly useful find for
archaeologists because they are one of the few
artifacts that have a date on them. But in
Jamestown, there was a shortage of change, so
coins often were used for a long period of time.
This means that archaeologists have to be careful
about attributing a specific date to the coin.
12
Artifact 4
-What is the artifact? -What is the artifact made
of? -How do you think it was used? -Who do you
think used it? -What does the artifact tell us
about life in Jamestown?
13
Artifact 4 Ring
This ring has been attributed to a colonist
named William Strachey, who was in Jamestown
for only a year, between 1610 and 1611. While
sailing to Jamestown on the Sea of Venture, he
ran into intense storms, which left him
shipwrecked in Bermuda. Apparently his account of
the adventure inspired William Shakespeare to
write the play The Tempest.
14
Artifact 5
-What is the artifact? -What is the artifact made
of? -How do you think it was used? -Who do you
think used it? -What does the artifact tell us
about life in Jamestown?
15
Artifact 5 Piece from necklace
The colonists made jewelry out of copper to trade
with the Indians in exchange for food. It is a
corner from a sheet of copper that has been cut
off and pierced.
16
Here are some more artifacts from Jamestown
Tools
Ceramics
17
Whistle
Trumpet Mouthpiece
Cymbal
Dice
This is a lead figurine of a boy who appears to
be dancing. It may be a toy brought for the
amusement of an adult or child in the colony.
18
Household Items
Drawer Pull
Keyhole
Coins
Curtain Ring
Key
Bed Bolt
19
Armor and drums
Sky Blue Beads
20
Lets look at this interactive website about
mummy artifacts
Click here to see inside an Inca mummy
Next, click on the Interactive link to explore
the mummys layers
http//channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/inca
/
21
What does this tell you about life in the past?
http//www.treasurenet.com/images/americanwest/WES
T134.JPG
22
What are a few artifacts that might represent
this family?
http//www.treasurenet.com/images/americanwest/WES
T134.JPG
23
Credits-Jamestown artifact pictures and
information from The Association for the
Preservation of Virginia Antiquities Jamestown
Rediscovery (http//www.apva.org/jr.html)-Jamesto
wn lesson from Discovery School
(http//school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/
artifacts/)