A taste of adventure in new museum programme
Tamariki can get a taste of what being an archaeologist is really like with a new programme and display at Museum at Te Ahu, being launched to coincide with New Zealand Archaeology Week.
Archaeology has been inspiring Hollywood blockbusters for decades, creating adventures that fuel the dreams of children across the globe. Now tamariki in the Far North can get a taste of what being an archaeologist is really like with a new programme and display at Museum at Te Ahu in Kaitāia starting next Monday (1 May).
‘What Lies Beneath’ is a programme of workshops and displays where children can experience what an archaeological dig is really like, how to perform an excavation, how to record the findings and how to analyse artefacts to unlock the stories of the past. Other workshops will explore the flax industry and how to make rope, how archaeology teaches us about the whenua, and how the rich cultures of Māori and early European settlers intertwined to make history.
‘What Lies Beneath’ promotes the importance of archaeology in shining a light on past cultures through the artefacts left behind. Historical items previously excavated from farms, gardens and beaches in the Far North will be on display. Moa bones discovered at Te Oneroa a Tohe (90 Mile Beach) and kurī bones dug up at Kaimaumau are part of the exhibition.
Museum staff say archaeology is important for encouraging curiosity in children, fostering appreciation for the past, promoting critical thinking and helping us to better understand the present.
The programme launch is timed to coincide with the start of New Zealand Archaeology Week and will continue for the school term until Friday 30 June.
Bookings are essential for class visits. Contact museum staff by either emailing kiaora@teahumuseum.nz or phoning 09 408 9457.