So You Wanna Be an Archaeologist? The Penn Museum Can Make It Happen For a Day!

Feature Photo via Hans Splinter Flickr

So You Wanna Be an Archaeologist? Penn Museum Marks International Archaeology Day

So You Wanna Be an Archaeologist?—Penn Museum’s all-ages celebration of International Archaeology Day, shines a spotlight on ancient Italy, and modern scientific studies, Saturday, October 15, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, in the Penn Museum galleries, with special behind-the-scenes tours of research rooms and activities in the Museum’s Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials (CAAM). Activities abound for children and adults, from an Indiana Jones-style obstacle course, to “Ask an Archaeologist” conversations, storytelling, group and individual mosaic making, Rome gallery tours—even a chance to enlist in an ancient Roman militia!

So You Wanna Be an Archaeologist? is co-sponsored by Ciao Philadelphia, the Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Society of the Archaeological Institute of America. The event is free with Museum admission ($15, general admission; $13, seniors [65+]; $10, children [6–17] and full-time students [with ID]; $2 ACCESS Card holders; free to children under 5, Penn Museum members, active U.S. Military, STAMP and PennCard holders).

INSIDE CAAM: THE CENTER FOR THE ANALYSIS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIALS

Guests can meet some of the expert instructors mentoring archaeology students through the Museum’s Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials (CAAM), a multimillion-dollar set of teaching labs and facilities that opened in 2014. Behind-the-scenes CAAM tours depart every 15 minutes beginning at 1:00 and continuing until4:00 pm (limited availability, by signup). Guests have an opportunity to learn about the usually behind-the-scenes research that takes place in the Museum, as experts in archaeobotany, ceramics, archaeometallurgy, zooarchaeology, digital archaeology, and physical anthropology participate in the open house tours.

Hot off the press, the latest edition of the national award-winning DIG Into History magazine for children and youth is a focus on ancient Rome—with a special 12-page section on Penn Museum’s CAAM and conservation laboratories! Copies of the October edition, just $4.95, are on sale in the Museum Shop: guests can take their copy on the CAAM tour and ask the articles’ authors to sign them!