Field Trip! Visiting the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology

Our theme for the months of October and November is Ancient Civilizations, and we recently had the opportunity to come face-to-face with some actual artifacts from some of the societies that we've been studying. On Wednesday, October 24, we took a field trip to the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan.

The Kelsey specializes in civilizations that bordered the Mediterranean Sea, so we were able to see a number of artifacts from ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome.

The sarcophagus of Djehutymose, an Egyptian priest. (It may be worth noting that Djehutymose apparently maintains a Facebook page.)

A mummified cat (on the left) and hawk (on the right).

At each stop on our tour, students sketched items of interest, took notes, and asked questions. 

Lee and Augustus: Separated by millennia, united in profile.

We were extremely fortunate to have three parent volunteers on our trip. Extra special thanks to Russ, Amy, and Jenny for accompanying us!

We took a break in a recreation of a room from the Villa of Mysteries in Pompeii and tried to decipher the meaning of the scenes on the walls. Learn more about the room (including a video) here!

At the end of our tour, we were able to handle a few recreations of different artifacts, including ancient toys, pottery, and tools.

Henry takes a refreshing drink.

Matthew with an intimidating hair-removal implement.

Of course, we were so close to the Cube that we had to stop to give it a spin on our way back to the bus:

It apparently weighs 2400 pounds, but the students of Summers-Knoll held it up with ease.

It was a lovely and educational afternoon. The Kelsey is an excellent resource in our community, and it earned rave reviews from our class. It's well worth a visit when you're near campus!

Again, a huge THANK YOU to Amy and Jenny, our parent chaperones, and an extra thanks to Russ, who helped make our trip possible! Thank you!