Imagine you are an archaeologist at the Archaeology Dig! Sift and sort to find replicas of ancient artifacts buried beneath the sand, weigh and examine your findings, and analyze clues to discover what we have in common with people who lived three thousand years ago.

The Archaeology Dig is open until 4:15 pm. If you reserve 3:00–4:00 pm tickets to Noah’s Ark at the Skirball, please plan to visit the Dig beforehand.

Archaeologists, Indigenous teaching artists, and historians lead special projects and hands-on activities every third Sunday at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm.

• January 19—Chachaanke': A Traditional Tongva Game
  Join teaching artist Virginia Carmelo* in celebrating the culture and language of the Gabrielino/Tongva people. Decorate game pieces and learn how to play the traditional game of Chachaanke', while listening to a song in the Tongva language.

*While you’re here, see Virginia’s portrait and Tongva language representation in the current exhibition On the National Language: The Poetry of America’s Endangered Tongues. This exhibition features poetic, visual, and linguistic selections of speakers and students of endangered languages who are living in the US today.

• February 16—Cyanotypes
  Experiment with solar exposures in a cyanotype activity led by Meztli Projects, an Indigenous based arts and culture collaborative. 

• Track down the Hands on History touch cart to get a real feel for the ancient world and learn about the many things that connect us to the past. You can also explore more about people of the past and how they lived in our Discovery Center. Note: The Hands on History cart is wheeled out every Thursday.