Presentations & Programs

• Pyrotechnology
• PB&J: How (and why!) Archaeologists Find Sites
• Prehistoric Pottery (for kids!)
• Shipwreck on a Tarp
• Atl-atl Antics (for schools only)

Pyrotechnology

This activity introduces students to prehistoric culture, focusing on ways that local prehistoric people used fire to meet their daily needs. A hands-on experiment provides a bang as students use balloons (and water balloons!) to explore how prehistoric people could cook prior to the advent of pottery.

PB&J: How (and why!) Archaeologists Find Sites

A classic! Students systematically excavate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to explore the concepts of stratigraphy and survey, emphasizing how archaeologists use the scientific method in the field. If Power Point is available, this activity can include pictures of real tools, fieldwork, and sites to enhance learning.

Prehistoric Pottery (for kids!)

Students learn about the advent of pottery in Florida, and do hands-on experimentation using play-doh or air-dry clay to explore pottery-making and -decorating technology. The lesson also teaches about how pottery can help archaeologists understand a site and its prehistoric people.

Shipwreck on a Tarp

Archaeologists don’t just work on land; they also try to learn about past people through the things they left behind underwater! In this fun and educational program, kids learn about the basics of underwater archaeology through our portable shipwreck on a tarp!

Atlatl Antics (for schools only)

Learn about how hunting technology changed through time in prehistoric Florida, as well as how archaeologists study these changes. In this program kids get an introduction to archaeology and the chance to try a prehistoric hunting tool, the atlatl, for themselves.

• Prehistoric Snowbirds
• Archaeology of the Cold War in South Florida
• Weeds and Seeds: A History of Dining in Southern Florida
• History and Prehistory of the New River
• Archaeology Works: Art for Scientists

• Who Made the Everglades?
• What the Heck is Archaeology
• Hidden History of the Dry Tortugas: Writings on the Walls
• Florida’s Ice Age

Prehistoric Snowbirds

We are not the first people to realize the wonders of Southern Florida; people have been living here for over 10,000 years. Come learn about these prehistoric snowbirds and the evidence they left, as they made seasonal rounds throughout the United States. See if people have been traveling your route for thousands of years!

Archaeology of the Cold War in South Florida

The Cold War shaped South Florida to what it is today. In this presentation, we will explore the top secret sites associated with the Cold War located throughout south Florida.

Weeds and Seeds: A History of Dining in Southern Florida

This lecture examines various plants utilized by early Floridians as well as some of the ‘meatier’ issues of early diet in South Florida. Learn how the wealth of natural resources in southern Florida has made it a unique dining experience for over 10,000 years.

History and Prehistory of the New River

The New River is an important landmark in the history and prehistory of the Fort Lauderdale area. In this talk we will explore the ways that the river shaped the lives of its caretakers for over 2000 years.

Archaeology Works: Art for Scientists

Does art have a place in modern science? Why would an archaeologist want to work with an artist? Can artists use science to represent the world around them, or bring the past back to life? Learn the answers to these questions, the history of scientific illustration, and several art tips and tricks with Archaeology Works!

Who Made the Everglades?

This talk will explore the geological and cultural history of the Everglades. In particular, we will look at the role of early Native Americans and initial tree island formations.

What the Heck is Archaeology

Join us for a quick and dirty introduction into archaeology! This fun talk is perfect for those who want to learn what it’s like to work as an archaeologist. We take a look at the basics of fieldwork and hear about the interesting clues that archaeologists have dug up about Florida’s past.

Hidden History of the Dry Tortugas: Writings on the Walls

Fort Jefferson is one of the most extensive and ambitious permanent coastal fortifications ever constructed by the United States Army during the 19th Century and many details of its construction and military history are well documented. Many other aspects of the history of this place are still being researched and documented, including the diverse human experiences that span centuries. This incredible structure in the Gulf of Mexico has attracted different groups of people throughout time as varied as the color of the bricks. The purpose of these visitors range from military duty, to human migration, to day tripping pleasure seekers. Throughout time many inscriptions have been left behind marking these arrivals. This presentation highlights a project that focused on several inscriptions spanning the first few decades of the 20th Century to modern times.

Florida’s Ice Age

With a cooler climate and roaming mastodons, Florida used to be much different place 10,000 years ago. Learn about how Florida’s first people survived and thrived in this environment by counting on a paleo-diet (before it was all the rage).