Field Museum

History Colorado

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

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. 

How do we know about the past?

As you observe the pottery items in this slideshow, explore the evolving role of pottery in Chinese culture and global trade networks throughout the history of China. Use disciplinary lenses and refer to object information and sources in the Additional Materials to conduct research about the significance of each of these pottery items. 

Pottery in China

Explore the types of pottery in the slideshow below. What can the shape and certain features tell us about how they were used or why they were created? 

Ancestral Puebloan Pottery

Dozens of languages emerged throughout Chinese history. Evaluate the use of language on objects from across Chinese history and examine the role writing can play across time and context.

Changing Language in China

Pueblo people have been making pottery in the Southwest United States for hundreds of years. We can learn a lot from the traditions and knowledge that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Ways of Knowing Part 2 - Ancestors

In this activity, learn about five disciplinary lenses and how they can be applied to explore objects from the past. 

A tool: Using Disciplinary Lenses

Ways of Knowing Part 1 - Tree Rings

Use this annotation activity to collect answer to questions from one of the five disciplinary lenses introduced in the last activity. You will choose just one object from the pottery slideshows to apply disciplinary lenses, and compare your findings with classmates who have selected an alternative lens. 

Applying Disciplinary Lenses

Resource Kit Overview

Explore some of the ways we can know about the past. Practice and compare the many disciplinary lenses we can use to learn about the past while exploring the form, function, continuity and change of objects from across history.


Additional Resource for Using Disciplinary Lenses: 

Additional Information about Colorado's Pueblo People:

Rocky Mountain PBS Colorado Experience: Living West, Water

Colorado Encyclopedia Article on Mesa Verde National Park 

 Ancestral Puebloans of the Four Corners Region

Resource Kits

Object Library

Museums

Exploring Ways of Knowing

How do we know about the past?

Background Knowledge