DigIt

Dig it!

Explore Ancient China, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome with hands-on and digital archeology themed activities. Good intro - game: Dirt Detective [] What does an archeologist actually do? [] Famous Archeologists: [] Ancient Greeks 3000 BC - Minoans Minoan Murals 1600-1200 BC - Myceanaeans Activities: //Murals// //Ancient Greek Scrolls// Materials:paper; dowels, glue gun //Ancient Greek Pots// Materials: clay Writing: Ancient Greece Games: [] Ancient Greece: [] || Potter, Painting and Sculpture article link "Early Greek potters painted their work with shapes and lines. During the 600's B.C., they began showing scenes from myths or from daily life, such as animal hunts. A distinct style of pottery painting developed in Athens, featuring human figures in black or red. Battles, marriages, and feasts were sometimes shown, and archaeologists study this art to learn more about Greek life." "Some Greek artists also painted large works on the walls of buildings. Most that survive were made on the insides of tombs. Archaeologists know of other artworks that did not survive from descriptions made by ancient Roman writers. Greek painters tried to show human expressions, and some of their best works were later copied by Roman artists." || 2650 BC - Old Kingdom Activities: // Scarabs // Materials: air dry clay, easter plastic eggs // Tomb “painting” murals // // Cartouche // Materials: papyrus // Make your own shabiti // Materials: air dry clay Make Your Own Papyrus media type="youtube" key="Ua_-5eA1UwY?rel=0" height="315" width="420" Writing: Ancient Egypt - [] Ancient Egypt Games: [] || Draw Like an Egyptian “The people in ancient Egyptian paintings can look strange to us because they are shown very differently from modern styles. The head is drawn in profile (turned to the side), but the eye is shown in full. The legs turn the same way as the head, but the **torso** is seen from the front. The artists wanted to show the whole of a person’s body, not just part of it from a single angle. Scholars think the ancient Egyptians believed that by depicting the whole body, they would preserve it for eternity.” Painting and Sculpture article link Language and Writing article link Hieroglyphs article link || 2100 BC - Xia 1766 BC - Shang Activities: // Oracle Bones // Materials: popsicle sticks, pictograph document // Shang Dynasty Pottery // Materials : air dry clay, markers, taotie pictures // Calligraphy mural/stele // // Bis // Materials: air dry clay Oracle Bone Writing: Ancient China Games: [] || Shang Bronzes "Common features found on all five styles of Shang bronzes were lined designs and taotie motifs, or repeated designs. Taotie is a mysterious animal-face image common on Shang bronzes. Some see taotie as a monster, while others see it as a dragon." Art and Sculpture article link || Activities // Make A Mosaic // Materials: paper, Modge Podge, glue sticks //Plaque in Latin// Materials: Latin language document, paper Ancient Latin Writing: Roman Empire [] Ancient Roman Empire Games: [] More activities if there is time: [] || Roman Art "The Romans brought back paintings on panels from Greece, but painting directly onto walls, or fresco painting, became very fashionable during the period of the empire . The houses of the wealthy were decorated with scenes from Greek and Roman mythology, from history, and from everyday life. Just as with sculpture, Roman paintings were often very realistic. Creating mosaics was a Roman specialty used to decorate floors (and sometimes walls and ceilings too). A mosaic is made by pressing small pieces of colored glass or stone into a soft mortar. The pieces, called tesserae <> , fit together to form a picture or pattern. The Romans learned this technique from the Greeks and then spread it throughout their empire." Painting, Mosaics and Sculpture article link ||
 * **Week I Activities** || **Resources** ||
 * What is archeology?
 * **Week II Activities** || **Resources** ||
 * Ancient Egyptians
 * **Week III Activities** || **Resources** ||
 * Ancient Chinese
 * **Week IV Activities** || **Resources** ||
 * 146 BC - Romans