Anna Semon is an archaeologist. That’s a person who finds and studies artifacts. An artifact is an object made by people in the past. Ready to dig in? Join TIME for Kids on an artifact adventure!
1. Semon and her team look for a good place to dig. They dig for pieces of pottery, stone, and bone. These objects help an archaeologist learn how people lived in the past.
2. The archaeologists
archaeologist
KENI1—GETTY IMAGES
someone who digs up and studies very old things
(noun)
The archaeologist is digging for fossils.
dig. They use shovels and other tools. They must be careful. The artifacts are old and can break easily. After the dig, the artifacts are sent to a lab
lab
WESTEND61—GETTY IMAGES
laboratory; a room used for scientific research
(noun)
The scientist used a microscope in the lab.
.
3. Semon’s lab is at a museum in New York City. There, people sort the small artifacts. Semon brushes dirt from the bigger pieces.
4. Semon uses a microscope
microscope
JSOLIE—GETTY IMAGES
a device used to view very small objects
(noun)
She looked at the sand through a microscope.
. She looks at pieces of pottery. She searches for clues. She asks questions. When was it made? Who made it?
5. Artifacts are added to the museum’s collection. The objects tell us about the people who used them. “Each little piece gives us a new idea,” she told TFK. “Every artifact has a story to tell.”
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