Archaeology for all ages

  • A selection of topics for virtual or in-person presentations! Ideal for classroom or library programming. Follow the stories that archaeological sites and artifacts can tell us! Presentations are 35-45 minutes of slides and stories, plus 15-20 minutes for Q&A. Questions can be about the topic, or I’m always happy to answer general questions about archaeology and other science!

  • More in-depth and occasionally slightly spicy talks for adults! Perfect for ancient history enthusiasts, curious learners, or entertaining Archaeology After Dark programs!

Kids’ Topics

Uh-Oh! Disasters and Archaeology:
Archaeologists learn about the lives of people in the past by uncovering the stuff they left behind. Usually, that stuff gets left or thrown away and buried little by little...but sometimes, something goes very badly -- like a shipwreck, or a volcanic eruption. What happens to stuff that gets preserved all at once during a catastrophe? What can that stuff tell us about life in the past?

The World’s Oldest Cheese and Other Ancient Foods:
Come along on an archaeological picnic as we assemble a menu of some of the oldest foods in the world! Where can you find ancient preserved noodles? How about some mega-old barbecue? Frozen fruitcake, anyone?

Butts and Brains: The Remarkable Human Rear:
The human butt is something special! Take a look at any of the creatures around you -- dogs, cats, squirrels, birds, bugs -- no other animal has a derrière that can go cheek to cheek with the unique shape and structure of human rears. Human evolution has been happening for millions of years, and believe it or not, our butts play a really important part in that story.

How We Made Dogs:
Dogs have been our best buddies for a really long time, but before there were dogs…there were wolves. How did people first become friendly with wild wolves? How did we get from a fearsome predator to a goofy golden retriever or a tough little terrier? Join the pack and find out!

Adult Topics

A Pirate’s Life for Me:
Buckle your swashes and get ready to learn about the lives of pirates and the archaeology of shipwrecks. Dive into the artifacts found on Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, and see what pirates and privateers truly treasured.

Wine, Beer and Cheese: Ancient Fermentation:
Travel back in time to the earliest days of wine vineyards, beer breweries, and other festive beverages. Learn about the science of fermentation, and how humans have used it for millennia to preserve food and drink. Plus — feast your eyes on some of the world’s oldest cheese!

The Coldest Case: Murder in the Alps
In 1991, hikers in the Alps found the body of a man who turned out to have lived more than 5,000 years ago. His body, clothes, and belongings were preserved by glacial ice and have taught researchers a stunning amount about people in the European Bronze Age. Learn about the life — and death — of the man who came to be known as Otzi.