Hands-On Activity
Big Idea
Archaeologists do not just dig randomly. They work carefully, recording exactly where every object is found and which layer it came from. The position of an artifact is often just as important as the artifact itself.

Materials

• One chocolate chip cookie per learner (a chunky, bakery-style cookie works best)
• 2 toothpicks per learner
• Paper and pencil for recording

What to Do

Step 1: Map Your Site
Before you touch the cookie, draw an outline of it on your paper. Mark where you can see chocolate chips on the surface. This is your site map.

Step 2: Excavate
Using only your toothpicks, carefully extract as many chocolate chips as you can without breaking them. You may not pick up the cookie, flip it over, or use your fingers. Work slowly and deliberately.

Step 3: Record Your Finds
Each time you remove a chip, mark its location on your map. Note whether it was on the surface or buried underneath.

Step 4: Reflect
How many chips did you find that were not visible from the surface? What does that tell you about what might be hidden at a real archaeological site? What happened to any chips you accidentally broke? What do archaeologists lose when they damage an artifact during excavation?

What's Really Happening (Caregiver Explanation)
This activity mirrors the real constraints of archaeological work. Archaeologists can only excavate a site once because digging destroys the layers. Every broken artifact, every missed find, and every unrecorded position is lost permanently. The toothpick rule is the point: the tools archaeologists use are slow and deliberate on purpose.

Digging Deeper
Research what a site report is. Archaeologists write detailed records of every find, every layer, and every measurement. Why does this matter? What would be lost if an archaeologist only kept the interesting objects and threw away the rest?