100. Archaeotype

Sixth grade students learn Ancient History using the computerized archaeological simulation Archaeotype. Developed by a Dalton team of history teachers, archaeologists, and New Lab software designers, students collaborate to analyze the site and construct maps of their finds, as shown here.

Generations of sixth grade students have fond memories of learning Ancient History using the computerized archaeological simulation Archaeotype. The program was developed in 1991 as a network-based multimedia alternative that uses both texts and artifacts as evidence to construct history. A team of history teachers, archaeologists, and software designers from the New Lab developed the collaborative and interdisciplinary program for Teaching and Learning at Dalton. Small groups of students use a set of online tools to manipulate, measure, weigh, and record each artifact, using a series of online libraries to enhance their analysis. Each student has a chance to excavate, share their findings with their teammates and the class to develop hypotheses and to construct a picture of the site.

As Jennifer Neff Davidson, ’02 described it, “Archaeotype demonstrates the interactive and innovative ways Dalton teaches it students. We not only learned Ancient History through the program, but also how to integrate different types of sources and how to work together as a team.”

Considered a model for innovative teaching and learning, the program received national attention and was used at Columbia University, New York University, and by the Juarez Lincoln School in Chula Vista, California. The Archaeotype software has been refined and given new focus over the two decades. While the first site focused on Greece, two iterations focused on the Assyrian site of Til Barsip. A new Greek site is being redesigned.
—Neil Goldberg, Archaeologist
—Stephanie Fins, Curator of the Centennial Project,  Anthropologist, Dalton Museum Program