Archeology

Archaeologist looks to ancient solutions to help solve contemporary global problems

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 20:04:06 +0000

Archaeologist looks to ancient solutions to help solve contemporary global problems

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 08/22/2023 - 16:04

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Justin Jennings, the curator of world cultures at the Royal Ontario Museum and an associate professor in U of T’s department of anthropology, explores alternative methods of resolving global issues in his new book, Rethinking Global Governance (photos supplied)

Cynthia Macdonald

Topic

Our Community

Archeology

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Humanities

Indigenous

Royal Ontario Museum

Subheadline

“Other societies had political, social and economic ideas that could be very useful as we look at the decades ahead of us”

As the world grapples with cross-border challenges such as climate change, pandemic disease, cybercrime and income inequality, it may be tempting to look to the United Nations and other international organizations for solutions.

Or is it time to change our modern thinking about the best way to address global problems?

Justin Jennings thinks so.

The curator of world cultures at the Royal Ontario Museum, Jennings is an associate professor in the department of anthropology in University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts & Science who has been researching different societies – some of them thousands of years old.

In doing so, he says he has learned a great deal about alternative methods of resolving difficult issues and maintaining order – insights that form part of his new book, Rethinking Global Governance.

“The book is structured to say that global governance could benefit from some of these lessons,” Jennings says. “Other societies had political, social and economic ideas that could be very useful as we look at the decades ahead of us.”

Jennings notes the world has changed significantly since many of the current crop of international organizations were first convened in the 20th century in the wake of two catastrophic world wars. Authoritarianism and nationalism are once again on the rise and trading blocs based on Western ideals did not anticipate the rise of economies in the East – all of which can make international co-operation more difficult.

Yet, Jennings says before the rise of the nation-state people often governed themselves in a more flexible, borderless way.

He says one such society is the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, a group of First Nations Peoples in the northeastern region of North America. The Confederacy’s constitution, known as the Great Law of Peace, outlined a detailed, thoughtful process to be used when seeking consensus on important decisions.

In fact, when crafting their own constitution, the founding fathers of the United States were initially curious about incorporating ideas from the Great Law of Peace, Jennings says.

“I quote from John Adams in the book, who said the framers of the constitution could learn a lot from the Haudenosaunee,” he says.

“[But] then they didn’t – because those ideas weren’t in their wheelhouse.”

While Jennings notes that some ancient societies were also hierarchical – ancient Egypt, he says, was a “pyramid society in more ways than one” – he asks whether a more decentralized governance model, where power is more equitably shared, might not be more responsive to our changing times.

“The galactic polities of traditional Southeast Asian kingdoms were often organized around a centre, with different groups in and out of the orbit of that centre. There wasn’t a lot of effort towards creating rigid connections between that centre and other places. Now, is this a good idea? I’m not sure. But it’s a different idea and one that should be explored because putting patches on the big bucket that is the nation-state isn’t proving very effective.”

A council meeting held by the Onondaga, one of the nations of the Haudenosonee Confederacy, is depicted from the 1700s (Illustration by H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images)

He says decentralization could be useful when it comes to dealing with climate change since some of the most affected regions are located far from the centres of decision-making.

“Perhaps we can start to build new coalitions of impactful groups and provide them with the capacity to work through solutions that adapt to local conditions,” Jennings says. “Then get funding for them that isn’t tied up in red tape.”

In other parts of the book, Jennings describes ways in which perennial problems were managed in the past. He shows how the Enga people of Papua New Guinea defused warfare and resolved economic inequality through a system known as the “tee cycle,” and how societies such as the Pomo of northern California organized daily life by creating order out of anarchy.

Hippies experimented with anarchy in the 1960s, he adds, “but communes often failed because members weren’t looking at solid examples of communal, collective, egalitarian structures that lasted millennia.”

While Jennings is studying smaller societies, he believes there are nevertheless learnings that could inform global governance.

“Certainly there are scalar elements,” he says. “As a community gets larger it does tend to get more hierarchical, and the decision-making process changes. But this book suggests there may be alternative pathways. Those New Guinea tee cycles, for example, created vast amounts of wealth moving from one side of the country to the other. Thanks to a solid overarching structure, they had a playing field that was much larger than the village where they lived their day-to-day lives. This allowed them to interact with and organize hundreds of thousands of people doing things hundreds of kilometers away.”

As the world changes and our concerns mount, Jennings says rather than rely on ideas that clearly aren’t working, we should look to the past to find new solutions.

“Human history is all about trying to solve problems together,” he says. “We’ve been doing it successfully for many years. Now, as we take on some of the biggest challenges that humans have ever faced, it would be wrong for us not to be looking at other ways that people can come together to solve issues, especially because the context in which some groups used to – and in some cases still continue to – live is in many ways parallel to where our societies are going in this increasingly globalized world.”

After a life-changing accident, Beau Hayward finds 'a new direction' at U of T

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 14:12:46 +0000

After a life-changing accident, Beau Hayward finds 'a new direction' at U of T

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 04/04/2023 - 10:12

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Beau Hayward, a third-year student studying history and archaeology, says sustaining a spinal cord injury in 2018 caused him to re-evaluate what was truly important in his life (photo courtesy of the Division of People Strategy, Equity & Culture)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

History

Undergraduate Students

Woodsworth College

For Beau Hayward, pursuing a degree at the University of Toronto is a dream – one that arose from a life-altering event.

In the summer of 2018, he dove off the dock of a friend’s cottage in Sudbury, Ont. and unexpectedly struck the bottom. Face down in the water and unable to turn over, he started to drown. Luckily, a friend found Hayward and was able to revive him on shore.

But Hayward sustained a spinal cord injury that damaged his C4 and C5 vertebrae, which caused him to become an incomplete quadriplegic, meaning he still has limited function in his upper body. A period of profound adjustment followed that involved “continuously working towards regaining my independence in any way possible.”

That included a new mindset to focus on what was truly important, and worthy of his time and energy: studying history and archaeology at U of T.

“History has always been a point of interest for me,” says Hayward, 33, a third-year student in the Faculty of Arts & Science and a member of Woodsworth College.

Beau Hayward takes his dog, Aster, for a walk on the St. George campus (photo courtesy of Beau Hayward)

“As I grew up, my dad and I started watching war movies and I fell in love with the stories. As time went on my interest diverged from military history into more political and social theory.”

He says he’s especially interested in 20th-century American history and wants to learn as much as he can about the U.S. civil rights movement.

“I'd like to study some of the documents that are coming out now, [with] archives being declassified because their 50-year classification limit is over,” he says. “The documents include what was going on with the CIA and the FBI and all the crazy stuff going on during the Cold War.

“It’s a pretty cool time to study that type of history.”

Hayward’s own history involves working as an iron worker for 10 years before the accident.

“I just did it for the money,” he says, adding that while he enjoyed the camaraderie of his co-workers, he was left feeling unhappy and unfulfilled.

“After my accident I promised myself that whatever I ended up doing, I would do something I love. I wasn't going to spend any more time doing things that didn't bring me any joy in life.”

These days, Hayward says he is finding joy in connecting with his professors, and “having access to some of the brightest people in the field.”

“They turn you on to some amazing material and help guide you through really complex issues,” he says. “They also give you a space to ask questions.”

He also speaks highly of U of T’s accessibility efforts.

“Before school, I heard, ‘U of T is an old school, it's not really that accessible,’” says Hayward. “That’s a myth and it’s a shame because it really is accessible.”

He singled out the work of Michelle Morgani, an accessibility adviser on U of T’s Accessibility Services team.

“Michelle has been my adviser since day one,” says Hayward. “She helps me get funding. She helps me get educational assistance. She helps me get assistive tech. She does it all.”

Beau Hayward and his partner Meghan (photo courtesy of Beau Hayward)

He says it took time to get accustomed to navigating campus with a wheelchair.

“There are physical barriers I have to deal with once in a while, but probably 95 per cent of the classrooms are fine. It's not ideal sometimes, but they're workable,” he says, adding that newer classrooms have designated seating areas, adjustable desks and accessible washrooms – all of which make it easier for him to focus on his studies.

He says it took time to get accustomed to navigating campus with a wheelchair.

“There are lots of spaces for people with disabilities, especially for wheelchair users.”

Hayward has offered his input into several accessibility projects, including taking part in a work-study position with the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education's sports and recreation diversity and equity team from 2020 to 2022.

“It’s a work in progress for sure, but the university is taking steps to involve people like myself with disabilities, which is a great indication of their commitment to going beyond code and asking individuals with disabilities to consult,” he says.

Like most students, Hayward balances his academic demands with being active. An avid snowboarder before his accident, Hayward says he is now a sit skier.

“It's a real physical challenge – just the balance point on the ski and turning and having the strength takes a lot of practice,” he says. “But sit skiing has been my opportunity to get back on the mountain.”

He’s recently tried wheelchair rugby, too.

“That's been the best community that I've found thus far,” he says. “It was designed for quadriplegics. Most of the guys I play with are Paralympians and they have so much to offer in way of insight.”

He’s also looking forward to trying hand-cycling this summer, while he and his partner, Meghan, are fans of sailing. He also plays a mean game of bocce ball.

“It's fun, easy and affordable,” he says. “And for me, it’s a good option to bring people together that have a range of abilities so that everyone can play.”

Hayward is also looking forward to completing another semester.

“My experience at the university has been one of the best of my entire life,” he says. “After my accident, my life flipped upside down. I had to find a new direction and a new way to contribute, and the community at U of T welcomed me and that made the transition easy. School has given me purpose.”

New U of T building to create a cultural and intellectual gateway between university and city

Romi Levine — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 05:00:00 +0000

New U of T building to create a cultural and intellectual gateway between university and city

Romi Levine Thu, 02/21/2019 - 00:00

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A rendering of the new U of T building located at 90 Queen's Park (rendering by bloomimages, courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro)

Romi Levine

Topic

City & Culture

Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies

Archeology

School of Cities

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Law

History

Islamic Studies

John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture

Meric Gertler

Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations

A proposed new University of Toronto building at 90 Queen’s Park Crescent will bring together academic and public spaces to create a hub for urban and cultural engagement.

The proposal will come forward for consideration by university governance.

The nine-storey building will be designed by world-renowned architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the firm behind New York City’s High Line and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. The New York-based firm is working with Toronto’s architectsAlliance. ERA Architects is serving as the team’s heritage consultants.

“This stunning architectural landmark will provide the University of Toronto with an invaluable opportunity to create a meeting space for scholars and the wider city around us,” says U of T President Meric Gertler.

“It also gives the School of Cities a permanent home for its urban-focused research, educational and outreach initiatives.”

In addition to the School of Cities, the building will house a number of academic units from the Faculty of Arts & Science, including history, Near and Middle Eastern civilizations, as well as the Institute of Islamic Studies, an arm of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies and the Archaeology Centre. It will also provide facilities for the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Music.

There will also be space designated for classrooms and public spaces, as well as for the Royal Ontario Museum.

“It will be a building that brings a diverse grouping of folks together to advance knowledge around cities and how they can work successfully, contributing to a positive impact here in the city but also more globally,” says Scott Mabury, U of T’s vice-president, operations and real estate partnerships.

As design architects, Diller Scofidio + Renfro will draw on their experience designing cultural and academic spaces to create a building that will inevitably become a Toronto landmark, says Gilbert Delgado, U of T’s chief of university planning, design and construction.

“They're very provocative and thoughtful architects,” he says. “This dramatic building expresses the very special role of the university within the city.”

Among the building’s showpieces is a music recital hall, with a large window serving as an exceptional backdrop to the stage and providing the audience with south-facing views of the Toronto skyline. Above the hall will be a 400-seat event space with similar skyline views. There will also be a café on the ground floor and a multi-storey atrium leading up to the recital hall.

The music recital hall, with its large window as a dramatic backdrop (rendering by bloomimages, courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro)

“Because the building is a large and complex site, the experience doesn't just play out on the ground floor, it climbs through in a kind of spiral up until the performance space," says Richard Sommer, dean of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design and a member of the university’s Design Review Committee.

And the views will be just as impressive from the exterior of the building, says Delgado.

“The building is very engaging,” he says, adding that it will be particularly striking when driving or walking northbound along Queen’s Park Crescent.

Delgado says the building’s location will serve as a gateway that connects Toronto’s cultural corridor with the university. “It represents an important new addition to the cultural corridor with the Gardiner Museum, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Faculty of Law and Queen's Park.”

It's important for the university to have public-facing buildings that sit on the borders of its downtown Toronto campus, says Sommer.

"The edges of the campus and its borders with the city are the places where you engage the community and the vibrancy of the city of Toronto," he says. "When you have buildings that are at these edges, it's particularly important that they have programming that produces a platform for public exchange."

A site plan for the building, which is located on the west side of Queen's Park (copyright Diller Scofidio + Renfro)

The building will also honour U of T’s history and heritage, carefully incorporating the 118-year-old Falconer Hall, part of the Faculty of Law, into its design.

“Falconer Hall provides an opportunity to integrate the old and the new in an exciting way,” says Delgado. “As opposed to an addition to an historic building, what we see here is a novel and creative way of having a historic building influence a new building.”

Charles Renfro, partner-in-charge at Diller Scofidio + Renfro, says the building is designed to encourage individual scholarship, while fostering collaborative discourse and public engagement.

“This 'campus within a campus' is revealed in the building's dual identity – a smooth cohesive block of faculty offices and workspaces gives way to a variegated expression of individual departments as the building is sculpted around Falconer Hall, the historic home of the law department. Several public programs are revealed in the process. At the heart of the building is a dynamic central atrium and stairs linking all floors with clusters of lounge spaces, study spaces and meeting rooms, mixing the various populations of the building with each other and the general public,” he says.

(Rendering by bloomimages, courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro)

As part of U of T’s commitment to sustainability, the building will adhere to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ (ASHRAE) sustainability standards.

“It will use roughly 40 per cent less energy than a conventional building of this type,” Delgado says. “The dominant issue right now in terms of sustainability is minimizing the carbon footprint of our buildings and our facilities.”

The new U of T landmark will be built on the site of the McLaughlin Planetarium, which was closed in 1995. The university’s department of astronomy and astrophysics has included a state-of-the-art planetarium theatre in its plans for a proposed new building at 50 St. George St.

Inside 90 Queen's Park (rendering by bloomimages, courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro)

U of T researchers identify domesticated 3,000-year-old quinoa seeds in Ontario

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 19:57:44 +0000

U of T researchers identify domesticated 3,000-year-old quinoa seeds in Ontario

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 01/15/2019 - 14:57

Cutline

The ancient goosefoot crop (left), discovered in Brantford, Ont., has never been found north of Kentucky this early in history, and may be evidence of an Indigenous trading system. A wild, weedy relative is on the right (image courtesy of Gary Crawford)

Topic

Research and Innovation

University of Toronto Mississauga

A mass of charred seeds found while clearing a home construction site in Brantford, Ont. has been identified as ancient, domesticated goosefoot, a form of quinoa native to eastern North America.

The seeds date back to 900 BC, and have never been found north of Kentucky this early in history, says Gary Crawford, a professor in the department of anthropology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, who was brought in by Archaeological Services Inc. (ASI), the archaeological consulting firm that excavated the site.

Archaeological discoveries don’t normally shock Crawford, but this one comes close.

“Finding domesticated seeds that are so old in Ontario is special,” Crawford says. “The next time we find a crop in the province is about 500 AD, and it’s corn. All previous research on this species of quinoa, which is now extinct, has taken place in the central United States: Arkansas, Illinois and Kentucky.”

The charred seeds, about 140,000 in total, were discovered in Brantford in 2010 during a required archeological assessment conducted by ASI prior to site development. The Tutela Heights site, which has since become a housing development, yielded some stone tools, post holes, debris and the seeds.

Jessica Lytle, a co-author of the resulting research paper, was one of the assessors who did the initial seed analysis and brought them to Crawford for further analysis, having studied with him at U of T Mississauga. The analysis took time, especially given the number of seeds and the need to document whether the whole collection was from the same crop.

Their findings a re published in the December 2018 issue of American Antiquity.

“This discovery raises more questions than it answers,” says Ron Williamson of ASI, another co-author. “We had to consider whether the seeds were only traded here or grown locally.

“We also had to consider whether this was the beginning of agriculture in the province. It appears not, because we don’t see any evidence of local cultivation. If it were grown in the region, we would have expected to see seeds of the crop in other pits around the site, but they were confined to this specific pit. We also don’t see any sign of agricultural weeds or stone tools that may have been used for cultivation.”

Indigenous peoples at the time exchanged certain kinds of minerals and finished stone objects over long distances, but this is the first evidence of a crop circulating in this exchange system. What meaning this plant had for local Indigenous people nearly 3,000 years ago still is not clear.

Crawford notes: “We always wondered if they were also exchanging perishable materials. We’re taking the conservative view that these seeds were traded; it would make sense that it wasn’t only stone and minerals being moved around. In Kentucky, Illinois and Arkansas, this was a very important foodstuff; its nutrient value was probably similar to that of modern quinoa, which comes from South America.”

The researchers also explored how and why the seeds were charred. They speculate that it may have happened accidentally when the local inhabitants were attempting to parch them.

“You can lightly parch seeds so they don’t sprout and store them,” Crawford says. “It could have been a mistake to have burned them. There was a slight oxidization of the surrounding sediment, so the soil was heated; we think they were burned in place in the pit.”

For Crawford, the next step in answering some of the questions will be to review seeds in his lab that were collected at other sites in Ontario to see if there are other charred seeds that may be variations of this subspecies and to examine other Ontario seed collections. Today, there is a weedy version that grows locally and he is curious whether this is a holdover from Indigenous agriculture.

“All of these bits of data demonstrate that the Indigenous Canadians were knowledgeable, sophisticated and well-connected across Eastern North America,” Crawford says.

U of T working to establish a research centre and archeological park in Turkey’s Amuq Valley

noreen.rasbach — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 13:20:23 +0000

U of T working to establish a research centre and archeological park in Turkey’s Amuq Valley

noreen.rasbach Fri, 10/26/2018 - 09:20

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At Tell Tayinat in Turkey, from left: Ambassador Chris Cooter, his wife Karen Blumenschein, David Cameron, Timothy Harrison and Mark Engstrom (photo by Majed Dagher)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Humanities

Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations

Research & Innovation

Archeologists at the University of Toronto are in advanced negotiations with Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism to establish an archeological park at Tell Tayinat, a site in southeastern Turkey, to deepen awareness and understanding of the Iron Age kingdom that ruled the region several millennia ago.

A primary component would be an interpretation centre to showcase the site’s unique cultural heritage, said U of T archeologist Professor Timothy Harrison at a special reception this week hosted by Canada’s Ambassador to Turkey, attended by high-level Turkish officials, a U of T delegation, and members of the media.

The park will also feature a state-of-the-art research and training facility that aims to preserve, protect and celebrate the area’s cultural heritage. Artifacts unearthed by U of T's Tayinat Archaeological Project date from more than 3,000 years ago. They include a magnificently carved stone lion, a sculpture of 9^th-century BCE king Suppiluliuma, and the remains of a temple thought to be constructed during the time of King Solomon in the 10^th/9^thcenturies BCE.

“Our goal is to establish a research centre and open air park to highlight Tayinat’s role as a strategic crossroads between the cultures and peoples of the Middle East,” said Harrison, director of the Tayinat Archaeological Project launched in 1999.

The site is located at the northern bend of the Orontes River at the intersection between the Anatolian highlands to the north, the Levantine coast to the south, and the lowland steppes of Syria to the east, two kilometres away. Refugee camps are located nearby and security walls along the Turkish-Syrian border are a reminder of the devastation of Syria’s 7½-years-long civil war.

Harrison said such a facility offers the prospect of building cultural understanding while creating opportunities for economic development in a region devastated by conflict. Beyond cultivating local awareness and interest in this important heritage, the site will encourage tourism, and create employment opportunities for local craftspersons and cultural heritage and tourism professionals.

“The threat of damage and destruction to the cultural heritage of the North Orontes Valley region is high, and has gained increased urgency with the encroachment and intensification of the ongoing Syrian civil war in the neighbouring Idlib and Afrin districts,” said Harrison, who is also chair of the department of Near & Middle Eastern civilizations in the Faculty of Arts & Science at U of T.

“The aim is to implement a training program that will create an enhanced ability within local communities to conserve and better-protect this cultural legacy – one that belongs to them and gives shape to their identities as communities today.”

The development will also secure a permanent international research and training facility for current and future faculty and students at U of T and other institutions worldwide.

Since 1999, Harrison and his colleagues on the Tayinat Archaeological Project (TAP) have been helping to advance understanding of early social complexity and the rise of state-ordered societies in the ancient world.

The transition from the Bronze to the Iron Ages saw the collapse of the great imperial powers of Egypt and Mesopotamia, and in Anatolia, the Hittite Empire and its capital situated at Hattusha. It has been said that the Hittite Empire, at its height, rivalled and challenged the regional influence of pharaonic Egypt.

“The cause of this disruption, and what happened during the Dark Age from 1200-900 BC – before Tayinat emerged as Kunulua, royal city of the Kingdom of Palastin or Patina, in the 9^th century BC – has been a mystery that has captured the imagination of scholars for decades,” said Harrison. “By establishing an archaeological park on this site, we hope to be able to further tell the story about the Hittites that has slowly been revealed to us with each discovery we have made there.

“We are excited for the opportunity to enable the public to visit and learn more about the civilization it represents.”

The announcement comes amidst the 75^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Turkey.

“As Ambassador of Canada to Turkey, I welcome the ongoing collaboration between Canadian scholars and Turkey’s Ministry of Culture to protect and promote the cultural heritage of a region just a few kilometres from the conflict in Syria – a country both Turkey and Canada are committed to assist,” said Chris Cooter, a U of T alumnus who has led Canada’s diplomatic operations in Ankara since 2016.

Discussions are also underway between the two parties to expand their co-operation in another aspect of the cultural field, including through co-operation between museums in the respective countries. To that end, the delegation included Mark Engstrom, deputy director, collections and research at the Royal Ontario Museum, with the intention to stage a major exhibition in Toronto showcasing Anatolian civilization.

A possible outcome is a major exhibition of heritage artifacts uncovered at Tayinat and elsewhere in Turkey, to be staged first in Turkey before travelling to Canada and elsewhere.

“We’re so pleased to support this opportunity to bring these ancient societies to life so that people can make sense of how great civilizations of the ancient world contributed to life today,” said Professor David Cameron, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science at U of T.

“I hope that both endeavours will document multiculturalism in a way that will resonate with people and reflect parallel experiences of today.”

High school students dig into the past during Archaeology Centre summer program

noreen.rasbach — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 19:33:00 +0000

High school students dig into the past during Archaeology Centre summer program

noreen.rasbach Mon, 08/13/2018 - 15:33

Cutline

High school students had the opportunity to take part in a real excavation outside the archeology building on the downtown Toronto campus (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Graduate Students

Humanities

“Archeology is the same as history; it tells a story,” says Grade 11 student Scarlet Lowrie.

This summer, she joined four other high school students from across Ontario with a mutual love of history and curiosity about the past for a two-week intensive program offered by the department of anthropology’s Archaeology Centre in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

Now in its fourth year, the program was led by PhD students Danielle Desmarais, Elliott Fuller and Emma Yasui.

“The program is a combination of ideas and activities, making it a great way for students to see how archeology is done in university classrooms, at museums, in labs, and in the field,” says Yasui. “They also get to meet active archeologists with a wide range of interests and experiences.”

Instructor Emma Yasui shows Grade 11 student Patrick Green some features that are typical of stone artifacts during the flint-knapping workshop (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Several of the students said they were drawn to the program as a way to explore future careers or topics they could pursue in post-secondary studies. All of them agreed that history classes contributed to their interest in archeology.

“Archeology is the literal unearthing of the past, but this is pointless without learning from the past,” says Grade 11 student Patrick Green. “The failures and successes of past civilizations reveal lessons and principles which can be applied to our own society.”

The program provided an overview of fundamental archeological concepts, including lessons on zooarcheology (the study of animal remains), palaeoethnobotany (the study of plant remains), stratigraphy (a branch of geology that studies rock layering) and site interpretation. Activities included animal bone classification, artifact processing, and a flint-knapping workshop that introduced students to the ancient art of making stone tools.

“Some of the material and concepts are things that we teach at the undergraduate level,” says Yasui.

For a field trip, students got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Royal Ontario Museum’s backroom vaults, where they learned about ancient Greek and Roman coins from Assistant Curator Paul Denis.

The class also participated in a mock excavation outside the archeology building on U of T’s campus.

Students Giovanna Batti and Scarlet Lowrie try their hand at some traditional crafting techniques during a sewing activity (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Feedback on the program was unanimously positive, with all participants saying that they would recommend it to other students. Over several days, they learned excavation techniques and unearthed ceramics, glass and evidence of a fire at the site. Guest instructor Meg Morden from the Archaeological Institute of America, Toronto Society led mini-excavations that taught the class how to interpret human burials.

“If you are interested in archeology, the program is a good test to see if you are serious about it,” says one of the student participants.

For the instructors, the program provided a rewarding opportunity to get involved with the community and gain experience teaching archeology to a broader audience.

“It’s exciting to share something you love and to show people what archeology really is,” says Yasui. “But the main reason I became involved was to provide this rare experience for high school students, since I wish I had something similar when I was their age.”