Museum of Science, Boston

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Museum of Science

The Museum celebrates Archaeology Week with special programs and events at the Museum, October 12 - 17. See a spear hurtle through the air at over 60 miles per hour in a live presentation, watch the Sun rising above the ruins of Stonehenge in our archaeology-themed Planetarium show, or design and race your own miniature Inuit dogsled. Discover how science and technology illuminate our view of the past through special programs and activities. Unless otherwise indicated, events are free with Exhibit Halls admission.

Archaeology Activity Fair Take a trip back in time and explore archaeology through dozens of hands-on activities, live presentations, and special programs. Talk to over 20 archaeologists from throughout New England and explore how their research is changing the way that we look at the past. Decode Mayan glyphs, use ancient technologies from the Arctic, see spear throwers in action, and participate in many other fantastic adventures.

Featuring archaeologists and educators from: American Textile History Museum; Archaeological Institute of America; Association for Gravestone Studies; flintknapper Joseph Bagley; Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources; Boston Children's Museum; Calliope Magazine; Diablo Glass School; Dig Magazine; Franklin Pierce University Anthropology Club; Harry Feldman Inc.; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Massachusetts Archaeological Society; Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources; Massachusetts Historical Commission; Museum of Science, Boston; New Hampshire Archaeological Society and Project Archaeology; Public Archaeology Lab, Inc. (PAL); Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology; Robbins Museum of Archaeology; Semitic Museum, Harvard University; Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary; Strawbery Banke Museum; University of Massachusetts Archaeological Services; Visual and Spatial Technology Centre at the Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of Birmingham, UK; and authors Jon and Pamela Voelkel. Friday, October 16, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 17, 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Blue Wing, Lower Level

Sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America and the Museum of Science, Boston. This program funded in part by Mass Humanities.

Additional Archaeology Programs and Activities

Investigating Stone Tools Find out how humans and earlier hominids made and used stone tools, and consider the implications of this early technology on human evolution. Examine replicas of stone tools to learn how archaeologists interpret the worked stones they find. Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m. Human Body Connection

Archaeology Experiment Station Children up to age eight and their adult companions are invited to participate in hands-on activities that show how archaeologists unearth and interpret evidence. Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m. Discovery Center

Inuit Dogsleds Design Challenge Step into the mukluks of an ancient arctic engineer as you design, build, and perfect a model of an Inuit dogsled and then race it on our eight-foot-long track. Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Blue Wing, Level 1

Ancient Engineers of the Arctic The Inuit people of the Canadian Arctic developed incredible technologies that helped them survive in an extreme environment. See our temporary exhibit of artifacts on loan from the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology that highlights some of these amazing technologies. You can also use a working model of an Inuit bow-drill to bore holes through wood — just like Arctic peoples did hundreds of years ago. Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Blue Wing, Level 1

Dr. Meg Watters of PBS's Time Team America Meet geophysicist Meg Watters and hear how she uses technology such as ground-penetrating radar, magnetometry, and geographic information system data in her archaeological research. Friday, 11:00 a.m. and Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Gordon Current Science & Technology Center

Adventures in Archaeology Look back in time to discover the challenges archaeologists face as they reconstruct the past. Friday, 11:00 a.m. Shapiro Family Science Live! Stage

Fantastic Forces: Archaeology Explore how, throughout history, objects following the laws of physics behave in surprising (and sometimes explosive) ways. Friday, 11:30 a.m. and Saturday, 1:00 p.m. Cahners Theater

Iceman Mystery Frozen in a glacier for over 5,000 years, Otzi the Iceman was found in 1991 in the Italian Alps. The manner of his death was a mystery, but new evidence suggests that he was murdered. We use modern techniques to investigate an ancient crime scene. Friday, 12:30 p.m. Gordon Current Science & Technology Center

Spearthrower Science Watch a five-foot-long spear hurtle through the air as we explore ancient spearthrowing technology. Saturday, 2:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Cahners Theater

The Sky Tonight: Ancient Astronomy In celebration of Archeology Week, this live Planetarium show examines the connections between astronomy and archeology and explores how ancient cultures throughout the world observed and interpreted the night sky. Friday, 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Ticket purchase required; visit Museum box office or store.mos.org.

The programming for Archaeology Week is funded in part by Mass Humanities.

Related Links:

Mass Humanities
The Archaeological Institute of America
Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology
Massachusetts Archaeology Month