Pre- and Post-Program Activities
The Excavations of Qumran Grade Level: 4-8 Time: 60 minutes
Program objectives: • Students will learn basic components and procedures of an archaeological excavation and its lab work. • Students will explore the possible lifestyles of the inhabitants of Qumran from approximately the year 200 B.C.E to C.E. 68. • Students will identify and classify findings, form a hypothesis from the site evidence and then present their findings to their peers.
Program description: Qumran sat at as place long forgotten when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a Sheppard in nearby caves in the late 1940s. Archaeological digs have uncovered many clues to help us understand more about the daily life in the city of Qumran although many questions still remain unanswered. Students will work in teams and participate in a mock excavation and examine replicas of artifacts that were found within the town. Each team will form a hypothesis about Qumran before presenting their findings to their fellow archaeologists.
Major vocabulary and concepts: Agriculture Aqueducts Archaeology Artifacts Classify Excavate Hypothesis Natural resources Ostraca Preservation Reservoirs Scrolls Symbol Technology Textiles Tools Qumran
Suggested pre-visit activities: • Pretend that you are an archeologist making an exciting new discovery of an artifact that was believed to be lost to history. Write a journal entry describing the artifact and its discovery. Make sure to record a clear description of the artifact itself for your research notes. • Many cultures throughout history would “barter” or trade items for goods they wanted or needed. Write a description of how your life would be different if you had to barter for things that you use in your daily life such as video games, clothes, food, and other supplies. What would you use to barter with to make purchases? • Write a newspaper article about the history of Qumran. Describe the excavation site, artifacts unearthed and the methods used to determine their time period. Include how the artifacts will provide clues to understanding the daily life of the people who once inhabited this settlement.
Suggested post-visit activities: • Archaeologists have differing opinions as to how Qumran was used. Was it a fortress? A villa? A pottery manufacturing center? A trading center? Or was it the home of a religious group known as the Essenes? Compare and contrast the evidence that you uncover and take a stand as to how you believe the settlement was used in the past. Hold a class debate and see if everyone views the evidence in the same way. • The tools and ancient technology of Qumran were surprisingly advanced. Pulleys, aqueducts, clay collection vats for pottery production and cisterns made life just a little bit easier in an otherwise inhospitable habitat. Research some of these inventions and see if you can find out more about when they were invented and how you think it may have changed the lives of the inhabitants of Qumran. • People have been making rope for thousands of years. Rope is something that is very versatile and was used for a multitude of purposes around Qumran. Learn about how to make rope and try making your own modern day version using the plastic shopping bags. They are many different videos online that show various methods. Simply search for “how to make rope out of plastic bags” and find out what method would work best for your students or visit PBS.org and search for “Plastic Bag Jump Rope” for printed directions of a braided rope.
Academic standards: Ohio Revised Academic Standards: - History – grades 6 and 7 - Geography – grades 6 and 7 - Government – grades 6 and 7 - Economics – grades 6 and 7
Related exhibits and features: • Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times
Resources: • Israeli Antiquities Authority - http://www.antiquities.org.il/home_eng.asp • The Dead Sea Scrolls and Why they Matter: The Enigma of Qumran http://www.bib-arch.org/online-exclusives/dead-sea-scrolls-11.asp • Smithsonian.com Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls - http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history- archaeology/Who-Wrote-the-Dead-Sea-Scrolls.html?c=y&page=1 • Scrolls from the Dead Sea: The Ancient Library of Qumran and Modern Scholarship - http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/scrolls/art2.html • The Dead Sea Scrolls: The ancient Library at Qumran and Modern Scholarship - http://www.ultimatebiblereferencelibrary.com/Dead_Sea_Scrolls_Exibit.pdf • Virtual Qumran: The Qumran Visualization Project - www.virtualqumran.com • The Israel Museum of Jerusalem online collections - http://www.imj.org.il/imagine/collections/departments/15