Archaeologists can’t just dig into a site like it’s a sandbox—they’d scramble the evidence and more than likely destroy precious artifacts. Try your hand at the careful sifting they employ.

It’s time to excavate the contents of your desk—that is, after you first create a scale drawing of the site. Explore how precise mapping helps archaeologists keep track of their finds.

With access to products and information from around the world, our range of choices is seemingly endless. But how would life be different if you lived in a different time and an isolated place?

How does one generation stack up to the next? Find out why it’s easier for archaeologists to answer this question when a family settles in one place.

From hot deserts to frozen tundra to underwater caves, archaeological sites can be as diverse as our planet’s environments. See why some evidence from past cultures survives over time and some doesn’t.

Context is everything when it comes to identifying and understanding artifacts. Explore how archaeologists use surrounding objects to sort out how an artifact was originally used.

With a few simple tools from around the house and garden, you can execute a sound archaeological dig. Level by stratigraphic level, learn how to find and analyze objects like a pro.

Vivid mosaics of stone and glass cubes—some enhanced with precious gold leaf—once gleamed from the floor, walls, and ceiling of the Petra Church. Learn how to make your own colorful masterpiece.

Want to learn more about archaeology but don't know where to start? Dig in with this list of books, with titles for both kids and adults.

Explore Petra and learn more about archaeology with this Web list for kids and adults.