Archaeology and Education: Principles and Techniques

The study of archaeology is fundamental to our understanding of the development of the humans, the creation of societies and connections between cultures across time and space. Archaeology has been introduced into the curricula for all ages of students, usually within the history curriculum, whether a curriculum defined by the state or through common practice in schools, colleges and universities. In recent years it has been shown that archaeology can be part of most curriculum subjects in schools and, perhaps most importantly, can help in the new citizen currcula. This book will be a comprehensive guide to the ways in which it can be used to further an understanding of the work of archaeology in both the formal and non-formal education. It has been written for the student of archaeology and heritage management and for the archaeologist or educator working at a heritage site, an excavation or a fieldwork project open to the public or a museum. The book will set out to raise issues about the current view of the past in Britain and compare these with views in other centuries. It will discuss the way in which pressure groups other than archaeology, such as those concerned with the natural environment and ecology, have their concerns. The book argues that archaeologists and educators can be successful in helping future citizens, and adults, become more aware of archaeology and heritage, and of those issues surrounding them, by working through formal and non-formal education.