In celebration of International Archaeology Day and National Fossil Day, UT’s McClung Museum and the East Tennessee Society, the Archaeological Institute of America’s local chapter, will host “Can You Dig It?” This family-friendly event featuring activities about archaeology and fossils will be held Sunday, October 11, from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. at the museum.
UT archaeologists, paleontologists and geologists, together with their graduate students, will host displays about their projects being conducted locally and around the world. They will be on hand to talk with visitors about their work and offer hands-on activities demonstrating their research. Visitors can also bring artifacts, rocks, and fossils to the museum for identification by experts.
There will be a number of activities for children, including make-and-take Roman-style shield decorating, writing names in Egyptian hieroglyphs, identifying plant remains in sandboxes, matching animal bones, and making Roman “coins.”
Additionally, there will be short interactive presentations for adults and children about caves, fossil crocodiles, a day in the life of a Roman soldier, and exploring Mars.
All activities are free and open to the public, and reservations are not required.
International Archaeology Day is a project of the Archaeological Institute of America. The organization sponsors local activities about archaeological projects around the world. National Fossil Day was begun by the National Park Service to encourage interest in the field of paleontology and the study of fossils. UT Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Department of Anthropology, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and private archaeologists are also participating.
The museum is located at 1327 Circle Park Drive on the University of Tennessee campus. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Parking passes are not needed on the weekends.
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CONTACT:
Leslie Chang Jantz (865-974-2144, lcjantz@utk.edu)
Debbie Woodiel (865-974-2144, woodield@utk.edu)