Attention: News, Education, Calendar Editors
Images: The Sunday with a Scientist logo and three photographs associated with the "Digging into Anthropology" program are
available for download at the University Communications website. Details are at the end of the release.
When: Sunday, Sept. 19, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Where: NU State Museum, Morrill Hall, south of 14th and Vine Streets (map at www1.unl.edu/tour/MORR)
Contact: Kathy French, Education Coordinator, NU State Museum, (402) 472-6647, kfrench2@unl.edu
UNL news Web site: http://newsroom.unl.edu
'Sunday Scientist' program digs into anthropology Sept. 19
Lincoln, Neb., Sept. 9, 2010 -- The University of Nebraska State Museum will present a Sunday
with a Scientist program for children and families about anthropology and archaeology 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Morrill Hall.
Archaeologists study the material remains left by humans to understand ancient cultures.
Archaeology is a branch of anthropology, the wider study of past human civilizations.
The program, "Digging into Anthropology," will be led by faculty from the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Anthropology. The presenters will help visitors of all ages better
understand human origins, cultures and the various methods anthropologists use to unlock the mysteries of
our past. There will be an archaeological test dig outside the museum. Morrill Hall is south of 14th and
Vine Streets on the UNL City Campus (map at www1.unl.edu/tour/MORR). Museum Sunday hours are
1:30-4:30 p.m.
Presenters will include Peter Bleed, professor of anthropology; Martha McCollough, associate
professor of anthropology; and Shimelis Beyene, anthropology lecturer.
Visitors will discover how soil is interpreted by archeologists. Digging is the major technique
archaeologists use to recover information about ancient people. An important part of archeological
excavation is knowing how to observe and interpret the soils that contain ancient artifacts. Archaeologists
call this "reading the dirt." With the help of UNL Landscape Services, Bleed will excavate a small trench
outside Morrill Hall. Visitors can watch as he cleans the walls, documents the layers and surfaces, and
demonstrates how archeologists use this information to describe events in the past.
Cultural and physical anthropology will also be explored. McCollough will have replicas of human
skulls on hand to demonstrate the evolution of humans, from when humans first became bipedal to
modern day. Early tools, such as pebble tools and hand axes, will be on display to show the transformation
in technology over the millennia.
(more)
321 Canfield Administration Bldg. / P.O. Box 880424 / Lincoln, NE 68588-0424
(402) 472-2211 FAX (402) 472-7825 / http://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/
'Sunday Scientist' program digs into anthropology Sept. 19, Page 2
Beyene will discuss the study of primates, and how their movements and social behavior provide
clues about human origins. A variety of primate skeletons will be available for viewing, along with slide
show images.
For more information about the Department of Anthropology, visit
www.unl.edu/anthro/index.shtml.
Sunday with a Scientist is a series of presentations that highlight the work of museum and other
UNL scientists, and those from other institutions, while educating children and families on a variety of
topics related to science and natural history. Presenters share scientific information in a fun and informal
way through talks, demonstrations, activities or by conducting their science on site. Sunday with a
Scientist programs are 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Morrill Hall on the third Sunday of each month.
Upcoming Sunday with a Scientist Topics: Oct. 17 -- Native Americans; Nov. 21 -- ancient people;
Dec. 19 -- Nebraska amphibians. For updates on the Sunday with a Scientist schedule through the year,
visit www.museum.unl.edu.
The University of Nebraska State Museum in Morrill Hall is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MondayWednesday and Friday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays, and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is
$5 for adults (19 and over), $3 for children (5-18 years, 4 and under are free), and $10 for families (up to
two adults and children). UNL staff, faculty and students are admitted free with valid NU ID. There is an
additional charge for planetarium shows. Parking is free. For further information, telephone the museum at
(402) 472-3779, visit its Web site or Mueller Planetarium's Web site, www.spacelaser.com, or contact
Kathy French, Education Coordinator, at (402) 472-6647 or kfrench2@unl.edu.
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Writer: Dana Ludvik, Public Relations Coordinator, NU State Museum, (402) 472-3779, dludvik2@unl.edu
Download information:
1. "Sunday with a Scientist" logo.
http://ucommxsrv1.unl.edu/downloadables/photo/20100211swslogo.jpg
2. Gorilla skeleton in the UNL Department of Anthropology lab.
http://ucommxsrv1.unl.edu/downloadables/photo/20100909gorilla.jpg
3. Peter Bleed, professor of archaeology, discusses a test dig with Nathan Sell, a junior anthropology major from Beaver City.
A first-season search for two historic buildings near Lincoln's Haymarket district uncovered a number of artifacts, including a
glass button that matches a piece in the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. (Troy Fedderson, University
Communications)
http://ucommxsrv1.unl.edu/downloadables/photo/20100909bleed1.jpg
4. Peter Bleed, professor of anthropology (center), and summer field school students Jennifer Kirwan (left) and Sherri Sklenar
examine a soil probe taken from a test dig in a lumber storage unit. (Troy Fedderson, University Communications)
http://ucommxsrv1.unl.edu/downloadables/photo/20100909bleed2.jpg