The ability of ancient hunters to create and use stone projectile points was integral to survival. About 10,000 years ago and possibly earlier, long before the bow and arrow, Iowa’s earliest hunters used a spear thrower known as an atlatl to increase the speed and force of their spear for more efficient hunting. Projectile points, also known as spear points and arrowheads, also give archaeologists clues to technology, trade networks, chronology, and stone material sources. Students examine and learn about authentic projectile points from throughout Iowa’s prehistory and use an atlatl to throw spears in an appropriate and supervised outdoor setting.

People have lived in Iowa for at least 13,000 years, which is about 650 generations. Students visualize this chronology through actively stepping through an archaeological timeline, with each step representing one generation of time. With guidance from the archaeologist, students handle and examine replica and authentic artifacts from each archaeological time period, from the Paleoindian to the historic 19th century. The artifacts signify not only changes in technology and material types, but how past peoples adapted to the land and changed their ways of life throughout time.

Archaeologists do not just collect cool artifacts, they use scientific methods to study the human past and keep detailed records, maps and photographs of their findings. They use the context of the artifacts as clues to help them determine relationships in time and space. In this activity, students explore a scale mockup of an ancient earthlodge site with real artifacts arranged in the same cultural contexts they might be found in during an archaeological excavation. Students work in small groups to examine and self-interpret portions of the site and propose their ideas about the functions of artifacts and activity areas based on their observations. The groups then combine their knowledge of the site to arrive at an idea of what the entire site represents.

This presentation examines Ice Age life in Iowa. Students examine animal skulls and teeth, and they compare ancient megafauna replica skulls with those of modern relatives. Archaeologists also discuss how animals adapted to the Ice Age, how humans hunted them, and what archaeological evidence tells us about life in the Pleistocene epoch.

Over 2000 years ago, the invention of pottery revolutionized ancient cooking and food storing techniques. Ceramic technology started out crude, but potters of the past worked to refine and perfect their techniques throughout time. Students learn that ancient peoples had extensive knowledge about how tempering and firing clay affected the strength and quality of their final product. Students also examine the composition and decoration of authentic Iowa potsherds and explore how to recreate the decorations with tools from nature.

Traditional toys and games had many purposes and were not meant to be played alone. Games brought people together, stimulated social interaction, strengthened social bonds, and taught skills, patience, and endurance – virtues that would be important in adult life. Students get to challenge themselves by playing some traditional Native American and pioneer-era toys and games and learn that fun and challenging games can be made with simple materials found in nature.

Two different activities introduce students to animals bones found in association with archaeological sites. Students learn basics of recognizing different kinds of animal bones and discuss what they can tell us about the lifeways of humans throughout Iowa’s past. One activity allows students to examine animal skulls and teeth to formulate conclusions about animal diet and adaptations and use comparative analyses to investigate relationships between animal families. A second activity has students work together to articulate an actual deer skeleton, discuss how that skeleton could affect knowledge about an archaeological site, and learn the many ways animals remains were used beyond food.