The Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences at Indiana University of Pennsylvania will hold its annual Community Archaeology Fair on October 10 from noon to 3:00 p.m. in celebration of International Archaeology Day.
Activities will take place on the ground floor of McElhaney Hall, home to the department, and on the east lawn adjacent to the building, weather permitting.
All events are free and open to the community.
Events planned for the day are family-friendly and are designed to be enjoyed by people with all levels of archaeological knowledge, including those new to the topic. The Archeology Fair offerings include the opportunity to throw a spear, make a stone tool, dig a mock excavation, touch and use real artifacts, taste traditional recipes, watch artifacts print in 3D, and tour IUP’s archaeological laboratories and talk to archaeologists. The children’s activity room has stations to make pottery using indigenous methods, stenciling “cave art,” wampum beading, and more.
This event is a long-standing tradition of the IUP Anthropology program that allows IUP students and faculty to share their knowledge and love of the past. It is held during Archaeology Month and is celebrated in conjunction with International Archaeology Day, a celebration of archaeology and cultural heritage by the Archaeological Institute of America.
Every October, the AIA and archaeological organizations across the United States, Canada, and abroad present archaeological programs and activities for people of all ages and interests.
For more information about the IUP event, contact Lara Homsey-Messer (lmesser@iup.edu).
More information about International Archaeology Day and associated programming state-wide is available on the AIA website.
IUP’s Anthropology program offers degrees at both bachelor’s and master’s levels. The program places special focus on applied anthropology, which uses anthropological knowledge to address practical, real-world applications, including forensic anthropology, the handling of archaeological remains to meet state and federal regulations, or work on environmental and social issues.
The programs offer hands-on learning opportunities and a wide scope of career-building experiences, including field schools in the region and in Germany at the site of a World War II plane crash. In addition to the bachelor’s degree programs in applied anthropology/anthropology and archaeology/anthropology, the department also offers a minor and a cultural competencies certificate. The master’s program is a master of arts degree in applied archaeology.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. IUP’s Impact 150 comprehensive campaign is designed to honor a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, public service, and leadership in healthcare education, including the first college of osteopathic medicine at a public university in Pennsylvania.