A tapestry created by Emperor Qianlong to express his concern for people suffering famine and homelessness from floods in China.

Watch the video below to learn from a real archaeologist about what methods we can use to discover clues about the past. Field Museum Anthropology curator Gary Feinman shares information about his field work and research, and why he is interested in studying the past through survey and excavation archaeology.

As you watch, consider the following questions:

If you are not able to watch the video in the viewer below, navigate to Vimeo to watch, then come back to continue working through this resource kit. 

Curator of Anthropology Gary Feinman talks about his work in Mexico and China and the different types of evidence Anthropologists and Archaeologists use to learn about the past.

China Educator Toolkit: Evidence in the Un-Written

Field Museum

Evidence in the Unwritten

Survey and excavation archaeology are powerful tools to discover about the past, or Ways of Knowing.

In the next two activities, explore two ways Way of Knowing: A technique scientists have devised to determine construction dates of structures built in the past, and knowing about the past through oral histories and ancestral knowledge. 

Standards for How do we know about the past?

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework