Talk at The Free Library of Philadelphia

Thanks to everyone who came out to the talk at The Free Library of Philadelphia last night!  It was pleasure to talk to everyone about the Alley and how archaeology is helping to explore the rich history of the small street.  The presentation was part of a larger series hosted by the Library called History Alive! History and Genealogy Programs.  Check out their other upcoming talks here. 

Digging for History at Elfreth's Alley

Science Carnival Recap

We had a blast at the Philadelphia Science Carnival this past weekend!  We spent the day talking to kids about what it takes to be an archaeologist and how to analyze artifacts.  Budding archaeologists had the opportunity to examine artifacts and record the characteristics of the objects including sketching the artifact.  Based on their observations, participants were then asked to determine what they knew about the people who made and used the artifact.  The kids were really perceptive and creative in their deductions!  We were kept busy all say long as kids of all ages visited out tent.

A big thanks to Michele, Matt, Katie, and Jesse for helping make the event a success! Check out picture of the carnival below.

The Franklin Institute decked out in Science Festival swag.

Deirdre talking to kids about being an archaeologist.

Michele and Deirdre analyzing artifacts with the kids.

Matt, Jesse, and Katie overseeing the budding archaeologists

For more pictures of Elfreth's Alley Archaeology at the Science Carnival, check out the Museum of Elfreth's Alley blog post.

The Science Carnival was just one event in the larger Philadelphia Science Festival.  The Festival continues all week and has events for all age ranges.  The Science Festival website lists the coming events.

Spring Events

Spring is blooming with lots of exciting events for Elfreth’s Alley Archaeology! Check out the happenings below.

Philadelphia Science Festival
We will be taking part in two Philadelphia Science Festival events this year. At both events, we will be doing an artifact analysis activity with the kids.  Here are the details for the two events:
Science Carnival on the Ben Franklin Parkway from 11-4pm on Saturday, April 20th.
Neighborhood Science Program at Wyoming Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia at 3:30pm on Wednesday, April 24th.

Talk at The Free Library of Philadelphia
I will be giving a talk, Digging for History at Elfreth's Alley, at the Free Library of Philadelphia at 7pm on Wednesday, April 24.  Click here for details and to register for the event.

Exhibit Opening at Elfreth’s Alley 
The Museum of Elfreth’s Alley is opening a new exhibit focused on the lives of the working class inhabitants of the Alley.  The exhibit, entitled Making Ends Meet: 300 Years of Life on Elfreth's Alley, opens on May 18th.   Artifacts recovered from the recent archaeological excavations will be incorporated into the exhibit.  There will be a reception for the exhibit opening that evening.  Click the link above for event details and to buy tickets.

Come learn about Archaeology on the Alley.  Hope to see you there!

Artifact Processing Recommences!

We started artifact processing again today! We finished washing and will be starting labeling soon.  It was great to see everyone and work with the artifacts again! 

Volunteers hard at work washing artifacts, Anthropology Laboratory, Temple University