JFArchaeology for schools in 2020

Visiting schools to speak about my work as an archaeologist has been a big part of my work since my days at Heureka the Finnish Science Centre in the 1990´s. Today in 2019 and almost 30 years later I feel that communicating scientific archaeology to schoolchildren is as important as it was back then.

Pedagogic archaeology in 1990-1994 with Heureka The Finnish Science Centre. Photo Heureka.

I started doing excavations with schoolchildren first in Raseborg in the early 1990´s and later after 2000 in other towns in Southern Finland as well. There is no better place to teach students about their origins and history than an archaeological excavation. Make no mistake, the young participants know how to dig too!

Archaeology with schools in SW Finland 1992-2020. Photo Västra Nyland.

In 2019 me and my colleague Janne Soisalo, together with Sagalundsgillet rf. organized the biggest excavation with schoolchildren ages 10-12 so far and with some 100 kids participating! The excavation was carried out on the exiting late neolithic dwelling site of Ölmosviken on the island of Kimitoön in SW Finland. The excavation at Ölmosviken will continue in May 2020 once again with funding from The Finnish Cultural Foundation. In 2020 the excavation will reach out to schoolchildren ages 13 and up.

Pedagogic archaeology at Ölmosviken 2018-2020. Photo Jan Fast.

In May we will make another school project, this one in Tampere were the students will investigate the history of the Annisto homestead. This project combines photographic art (Juha Suonpää), history and pedagogy (Marja-Leena Korte-Suonpää), archaeology and responsible metal detecting (Lasse Nyman) to touch all senses and create a unique learning by doing (and feeling) experience.

Archaelogy and history for all senses at Annisto. Photo Marja-Leena Korte-Suonpää.

In the spring of 2020 I will once again tour schools in the larger Helsinki area to speak about archaeology and my work on prehistoric and Second World War sites. Looking forward to it!