Shipwrecks. Buried treasure. King Tut’s tomb. Author Stefan Milosavljevich explores these topics and more in Tales of Ancient Worlds: Adventures in Archaeology. TFK Kid Reporter David Murtagh digs in.
What is archaeology?
Archaeology is the study of all the stuff we leave behind. If we’re trying to reconstruct history, we have two sources of information. One is the stuff that people wrote down. The other is all the stuff we make, or drop, or the waste we get rid of.
What inspired this book?
I wanted to share the biggest passion in my life. When I was your age, I was surrounded by history. You know King John from Robin Hood? He was buried in my hometown.
Has science changed how archaeologists work?
Technology has changed archaeology so much. When we test a tooth for human DNA, the tooth gets destroyed. That was our one shot at trying to understand the past. Now, archaeologists can get a sample of dirt and test it for human DNA. And there’s loads of dirt. We could destroy it all day!
What advice do you have for kids interested in archaeology?
Stay curious and keep your eyes open for opportunities in your area.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
More from World
Share a Link
- Click the icon above to copy the url link to your clipboard.
- Paste the link into the location in which you share assignments with students. Examples might include, but are not limited to Canvas, Schoology and Edmodo.
Google Classroom
- Click on the icon above to share the article with a class in your Google Classroom.
- Choose an action. Options might include creating an assignment or asking a question.
