Technically, of course, I should have waited for Thursday to make this post, but I’m jumping the gun a little so that people don’t miss cool stuff happening at the beginning of the month.

This lawn bowling ball, the oldest in North America, dates from between 1660 and 1715/16. Image from the Commonwealth Museum. Click to check it out!

October is Archaeology Month in Massachusetts, which means that places all over the state from libraries to museums to historical sites to town councils are sponsoring or hosting archaeological activities for the next 30-odd days.  (Some of them may be very odd, but don’t blame me!)  There’s a calendar of events available on the website, and also a great collection of resources for educators, including books, websites, museum links, and links especially for kids.  I don’t get the occasion to say this very often, but –Go Massachusetts Historical Commission!

If you’re curious, my museum, The Discovery Museums in Acton, is offering several archaeology themed programs this upcoming month:

Thursday, October 8
Uncovering the Past
3:00 PM Science Discovery
Uncover various artifacts and food remains including historic pottery, bottles, animal bones and seeds during a mock midden dig led by archaeologist Marty Dudek. Middens, the remains of old trash heaps, are important archeological sites. Try your hand at mending pottery, identifying vessel forms and measuring their size. Identify animal bones and recover seeds through flotation or water sifting. Find out about basic excavation and recovery methods and discover how archeologists learn about diet. This program is sponsored by Red Hat, Inc.

Monday October 12
Preschool Archaeology Dig
10:00 AM Children’s Discovery
Come explore our mock archaeology dig site. What will you discover? Use your “artifacts” to make an artistic collage to commemorate your adventure.

Tuesday, October 27
Pound Like an Egyptian: Papyrus Paper Making
3:00 PM Science Discovery
From the banks of the Nile all the way to The Discovery Museums—these strips of papyrus have a fascinating story.  Celebrate the feast of Thoth with us today, and learn about the way ancient Egyptians used papyrus paper.  Experiment with different techniques to make your own piece to take home!

So keep your eyes open for other archaeology-related posts throughout October!