Public Engagement Programs

Ask An Archaeologist (Cal Week 2020)

Our 2020 Cal Week Program featured the first 10 episodes of Ask an Archaeologist, a series of interviews with Cal archaeologists in collaboration with the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology.

To view any of the interviews, access the website for the livestream on the ARF YouTube channel: bit.ly/askarf.

Calweek 2020 speakers:

  • Monday 4/20 @ 11 AM: "What is zooarchaeology and what can a skull teach us about animal senses?" with Jun Sunseri (Watch)
  • Monday 4/20 @ 2 PM: "Poopy Archaeology" with AJ White (Watch)
  • Tuesday 4/21 @ 11 AM: "How do archaeologists use ground-penetrating radar to map buried artifacts and ruins before they begin an excavation?" with Scott Byram (Watch)
  • Tuesday 4/21 @ 2 PM: "Digging up the Heroes of Ancient Greece" with Kim Shelton (Watch)
  • Wednesday 4/22 @ 11 AM: "Community Archaeology in Sudan" with Elizabeth Minor (Watch)
  • Wednesday 4/22 @ 2 PM: "Chang'an, counterpart to Rome and Alexandria" with Michael Nylan (Watch)
  • Thursday 4/23 @ 11 AM: "Examining Etruscan Eggs: Life, Afterlife and Funerary Meals" with Lisa Pieraccini (Watch)
  • Thursday 4/23 @ 2 PM: "Working with Museum Collections" with Chris Lowman (Watch)
  • Friday 4/24 @ 11 AM: "Archaeology and the Proposed Interpretive Trail at Fort Ross State Historic Park" with Kent Lightfoot (Watch)
  • Friday 4/24 @ 2 PM: "Network analysis and museums-based research in Eastern Europe and the Arab World" with Sara Ann Knutson (Watch)

To see the complete list of Ask an Archaeologist interviews see our Youtube channel.

Typical In Person Cal Day Activities

Cal Day is an annual open house at UC Berkeley that welcomes prospective students, current students, kids and families and the community to explore the campus and enjoy hundreds of free events. On Cal Day, the Archaeological Research Facility is open to the public with a full day of lectures, activities, and lab tours.

Our annual Cal Day Program includes the following types of hands-on activities for all ages as well as several lectures and panel discussions: 

  • Bones and their Stories 
  • Cave and Rock Art Painting 
  • Dig like an Archaeologist! 
  • Paleoethnobotany: Ancient Plants and the People Who Used Them 
  • Play with Clay 
  • Putting the Pieces Back Together: Ceramic Reconstruction 
  • Archaeology and Museums: Working Together for an Accessible and Inclusive Past
  • Jomon Food Diversity, Climate Change and Sustainability from Prehistoric Japan
  • What Does it Take to Get a Job as an Archaeologist?
  • Indigenous Voices and Petroglyph Rock Art at Lava Beds National Monument 
Lab Tours of the Archaeological Research Facility

We welcome school groups to visit and learn about archaeology at U.C. Berkeley by touring ARF's facilities. Please contact us if you are interested in arranging a tour.

Please contact the ARF for more information about our Public Engagement Program at 510-642-2212 or email arf-programs@berkeley.edu.

 

Additional Resources for Teachers

Resources for Educators can be found online. We host links to several high quality sources below

 The Archaeology Education Clearinghouse links to educational material for grades K-6 and grades 6-12.