History is a Mystery

A: Taking on the role of a detective

Archaeologists, historians, geographers, and anthropologists all are "detectives," as well!

In their own ways, using their specific skills and special understandings of our world (both past and present), these social scientists are doing the detective work to help us understand the past and connect to today.

During this activity, YOU will assume the role of a detective in evaluating artifacts from the past! But, before you do, make sure that your hard hat is on, your flashlight is charged, and you bring your keen sense of wonder and attention to detail. This is going to be one incredible spelunking adventure!

CHART - Cave Activity (revised 2021)

B: The Lascaux place you'd expect to find it...

Take a virtual tour of the site

Using today's technologies, people around the world can digitally tour the caves at Lascaux, France!

LascauxThe discovery of the monumental Lascaux cave in 1940 brought with it a new era in our knowledge of both prehistoric art and human origins. Today, the cave continues to feed our collective imagination and to profoundly move new generations of visitors from around the world.

C: Framing history to better understand the past > present > future

The Past is vast...

How can we organize the massive amount of events and sources in a way that makes it understandable and usable?

Frames are a tool that historians use to sort through, group, and think about long term historical trends.Three of those frames are

communities,
networks, and
production and distribution.

These frames help us connect events, people, and trends across era and enable us to create frame stories that make the past meaningful.

D: Look at all this..."stuff!"

E: Okay, so you're an up-and-coming detective...Let's see what you've got!

You ask good questions about the past!

Now that you have demonstrated your abilities as a social scientist, take things one step further and into the more recent past! How good of a detective are you???

Camping Conundrum

You have just arrived at a campsite. You see an ordinary can of trash and are suddenly overcome by a strong desire to sift through it to learn about the people who were here before you. The following list contains all the items you find in the trash can, in order, from the top to the bottom of the barrel.

What's in the trash!?

1. diaper

2. broken sunglasses

3. soda cans

4. paper plates, plastic forks

5. foil

6. chicken bones

7. corn cobs

8. cherry fruit-drink bottles

9. broken necklace

10. red-stained clothes

11. size 16 boy’s shirt, sleeve ripped

12. diaper

13. suntan lotion

14. soda cans

15. fishing line, old hooks

16. diaper

17. paper plates, plastic forks

18. bread bag wrapper

19. orange-juice container

20. egg shells

21. empty can of camping fuel

22. gum wrappers

23. diaper

24. toy doll dress

25. paper plates, plastic forks

26. soda cans

27. hot dog package

28. marshmallow bag

Campsite Detectives

What does the evidence tell you?

Use the sorted evidence from the trash to respond to the following items on the chart.

Campsite Detectives - Recording Sheet

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