LV Life

Children interact in dig

ULV hosted Edgemont Elementary students Tuesday, in a archaeological excavation designed for elementary schools. The dig was located in between the Hanawalt House and the baseball parking lot. Fifth graders learned how to excavate by using sifters that help separate the artifacts from the dirt. The program will also allow sixth to eighth grade students the opportunity to participate as well. Every Tuesday between 9:30 a.m.-noon, La Verne will host a new elementary school. / photo by Andrew Woolsey
ULV hosted Edgemont Elementary students Tuesday, in a archaeological excavation designed for elementary schools. The dig was located in between the Hanawalt House and the baseball parking lot. Fifth graders learned how to excavate by using sifters that help separate the artifacts from the dirt. The program will also allow sixth to eighth grade students the opportunity to participate as well. Every Tuesday between 9:30 a.m.-noon, La Verne will host a new elementary school. / photo by Andrew Woolsey

by Greg MacDonald
Editorial Assistant

Fifth through eight grade students interested in the study and practice of archaeology have begun to excavate on the University of La Verne campus.

Students from four public and one private school districts are scheduled to excavate with their teachers supervising as trained archaeologists.

“We think it’s wonderful to bring children on to a college campus, so that they get exposed to what it’s like, they get a feeling of what it’s like,” said Dr. Kim Martin, associate professor of behavioral science.

“It’s really fun, and the kids will be compared in their classes. They are supposed to have eight lessons in the classroom, so they will be prepared,” said Dr. Martin. “When they get here they will be given gloves, and each group has a set of tool.”

The students will be digging through three layers of sediment, finding broken pieces of glass, burnout camp fire sites, riverbeds and bones from animals.

“We have an area that is a blacksmith area with lots and lots of mineral fragments, pieces of tin cans, nails, horse shoes, so its like a blacksmith, foundry area,” said Dr. Martin.

The students will fill out a site report after the digging based on what they find. Then a chart will be set up to show what each group found.

The dig was completely funded on a volunteer basis, with equipment and supplies donated from various groups.

The teachers supervising the dig have participated in a workshop instructed by Anne Duffield-Stoll, lab director at ULV. The Saturday classes gave teachers the knowledge and ability to teach archaeology in their classrooms.

Teachers also got to experience the excavations with a dig at the Lordsburg archaeological site on the ULV campus.

The digs are being held between the parking lot of Ben Hines Field and the tennis courts, and are on-going from now until November.

Greg MacDonald
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Andrew Woolsey
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