Treasure Hunting 101 in America's Classrooms

Abstract

Introducing primary and secondary students to archaeology can build critical thinking skills and provide entertaining activities at the same time. In doing so, however, teachers should take care that they expose their students to archaeology in a manner that accurately represents the methodological and ethical concerns of the discipline. Educators should be vigilant when selecting educational activities, since there are groups of antiquities dealers who sponsor programs to promote political agendas and insensitive attitudes in collecting, which drive looting and the illicit trade in antiquities. One such program is Ancient Coins for Education (ACE), which purports to teach ancient history and archaeology to children by bringing coin dealers and collectors into classrooms to speak about collecting and show children coins. ACE is especially fond of presenting bulk lots of uncleaned coins to their students. Much of the material that ACE purchases or solicits in donations originates in Balkan countries where unlicensed excavation and export is illegal. The Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG), a lobby of ancient coin dealers, sponsors the ACE program, with clear aims to recruit future collectors, dealers, and sympathizers. It is up to the archaeological community to bolster partnerships with grade-level educators and increase awareness about looting and the subversive tactics that profiteers are now employing.