Abu Dhabi, April 19: The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) concluded last week the “Young Archaeologist” program.
The initiative is an educational awareness program for primary school pupils in Al Ain, aimed at educating them about the principles of archaeology and teaching the students practical applications of archaeological exploration in an artificial field, made similar to actual archaeological sites in Abu Dhabi.
The program has been implemented in the courtyard of Sheikh Sultan Fort near Al Ain National Museum.
Mohammed Al Neyadi, Director of the Historical Environment Department at ADACH, said that “this innovative idea comes within the framework of Abu Dhabi’s strategy to activate the role of museums in educational and cultural initiatives, in order to educate the various segments of UAE society of their rooted history and civilization and to contribute to cultural awareness.”
Pupils are taught how to make practical excavation and the program explains to the pupils the meaning of archaeology, how to carry out excavation in archaeological sites, and methods of surveying in order to know if certain areas have such sites.
Pupils are also taught to learn how to deal with archaeological pieces and how to clean and register them, including the process of taking photographs prior to and after moving the objects from their original place.
The program informs the pupils of all the stages involved in archaeology until the objects finally reach exhibition halls in the museum.
355 pupils from fourth and fifth grade from eighteen public and private schools in Al Ain participated in the program.
The program that lasted for two months will be repeated in the beginning of the next academic years as high demand meant that many schools and students wishing to participate could not do so, but had remained eager to take part when given the next chance.
—Agencies