Due to COVID 19, the Montana Historical Society has had to cancel the ever-popular October Archaeology Day.  Although we are going to miss the social aspect of having the day here at MHS, we wanted to give teachers the opportunity to provide Archaeology Day virtually in their classroom or online.  

Station 1- Flintknapping

Bob Keiper and Gary Eldred are flintknappers. They use ancient techniques to turn rocks into stone tools like knives or arrowheads. But first they have to find the right kind of rock, and that leads them to Hixton, Wisconsin.
Flintknappers (5:42 mins.)

After watching the video write about something that surprised or interested you and something that confused you or that you have more questions about.

Station 2 - Atlatl

This video covers technology ancient Native Americans used for hunting, including spears, atlatls, arrows, and more. Students see demonstrations on how each hunting tool was used.
Native American Hunting (3:27 mins)

After watching the video write about something that surprised or interested you and something that confused you or that you have more questions about.

Station 3 - Stone Boiling

Native Americans used fire-heated stones to boil water in order to make soups, cook meat, and extract nutrients from bones.

Boiling Stones Demonstration (3:40 mins)

After watching the video write about something that surprised or interested you and something that confused you or that you have more questions about.

Station 5- Ice Patch Archaeology

Ice patch discoveries provide an amazing way to capture public interest and to integrate education about archaeology and Native American cultures with education about ancient and modern climates. This video provides a brief overview of more than a decade's worth of investigation into the archaeology of alpine snow and ice in the Greater Yellowstone region and the effects of climate change on archaeological resources.

Ice Patch Archaeology (9 mins)

After watching the video write about something that surprised or interested you and something that confused you or that you have more questions about.

Station 6- Anzick Boy

Dr. Shane Doyle, an adjunct professor of Native American Studies at MSU, talks about his connections to a boy buried 12,600 years ago near Wilsall, Montana.

Prehistoric Connections (2:18 mins)

After watching the video write about something that surprised or interested you and something that confused you or that you have more questions about.

Station 6- Madison Buffalo Jump

 Dr. Shane Doyle, an adjunct professor of Native American Studies at MSU, offers a tour of Madison Buffalo Jump State Park.

Welcome to Madison Buffalo Jump (2:09 mins)
Madison Buffalo Jump - Ceremonial and Cultural Connections (5:19 mins)
Madison Buffalo Jump - Viewed from the Top (2:19 mins)

After watching the video write about something that surprised or interested you and something that confused you or that you have more questions about.

Additional Resources for Teaching about Archaeology and Paleo-Indians

MHS Footlocker User Guides
 

• Prehistoric Life in Montana - Exposes Montana prehistory (10,000-12,000 years ago) and archaeology through a study of the Pictograph Cave site in eastern Montana.
• Tools of the Trade: Montana Industry and Technology - Surveys the evolution of tools and technology in Montana from late 1700s to the present.
• Stones and Bones - Uncovers the earliest evidence of Montana's human history through a study of casts and reproduction stone and bone tools from the Anzick collection found in Wilsall, Montana.

Montana: Stories of the Land Companion Website and Online Teacher's Guide

• Provides low resolution pdf files of each textbook chapter as well as worksheets, tests, answer keys, and background information as well as links to lesson plans and relevant websites.
• Particularly relevant to archaeology day is Chapter 2,”People of the Dog Days.”  Many additional resources are listed on the “For Educators” page for Chapter 2.

Montana Ancient Teachings: A Curriculum for Montana Archaeology and Prehistory 

• Introduces elementary and middle school students to the world of archaeology and what archaeologists have learned about Montana prehistory through archaeology and related scientific disciplines.  Use the Stones and Bones: Prehistoric Tools from Montana's Past footlocker as a companion piece to several of the lessons.
• Theme 1 - Ancient Teachings in Archaeology 
• Theme 2 - Ancient Origins And People 
• Theme 3 - Ancient Technology 
• Theme 4 - Ancient Subsistence 
• Theme 5 - Ancient Shelter 
• Appendices 

What They Left Behind Lesson Plan and PowerPoint

This lesson introduces students to the various types of archaeological sites found in Montana.

Making an Atlatl This lesson provides detailed instructions on how students can make atlatls and darts while learning more about the physics behind this ancient technology and the tremendous skill it took to hunt large games in the pre-contact era

Native American Trade Routes and the Barter Economy

• Activity One, "Resources and Routes," focuses primarily on mapping pre-contact trade routes, with a special emphasis on Montana.
• Activity Two, "Trading Times," asks students to simulate the process through which various products from different regional tribes were bartered and disseminated to gain a better understanding of pre-contact barter economy and how it compares with the modern-day cash economy.

Investigating the First Peoples, The Clovis Child Burial

This curriculum guide is for eighth through twelfth grade teachers and their students studying U.S. History. Recently, there has been DNA analysis of the ancient skeletal remains of a child buried near Wilsall, Montana. The investigation of the child’s DNA revealed surprising new information about the First Peoples in America and their relationship with modern American Indians.

First Peoples Buffalo Jump

In an effort to pay homage to the buffalo and the people who honor this mighty animal, First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park has a terrific on-site education Visitor Center. The 6,000 square foot center offers visitors buffalo culture exhibits, a storytelling circle, classroom, gallery and bookstore. An outdoor amphitheater and traditional games playing fields are featured outdoors.