What is your house like in a Sumerian village?
✓ What evidence do we have for what life was like in the past?
✓ What does archaeology tell us about daily life in the past?
Turn your pupils into junior archaeologists!
The selected house is located in the modern village of Tell Madhhur (southern Iraq) and was excavated in the late seventies; it was destroyed by fire so that it is exceptionnally well-preserved and many artefacts were found in situ. There are several interpretations as for its reconstruction.
Pupils will be learning how to use a wide range of archaeological sources to reconstruct the past.
A step-by-step approach help the children to understand by themselves the organisation of a typical Sumerian house
Years 3-4: focus on the sherds - how to reconstruct a whole vessel from a single pottery fragment?
Years 5-6: focus on the problems raised by the interpretation of primary sources – how and why is it possible to suggest several interpretations?
A great range of pottery sherds dating from the Sumerian period are displayed during this session
Pottery sherds are the most common artefacts archaeologists find on excavation.
They help children to understand a lot about ancient daily life.
(sherds are lent by the Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge - when available i.e. not used for research).
Pupils are making their own an authentic Sumerian house!
They better appraise the differences between the "Sumerian way of life" and theirs.
"Marie illuminates the sources in a way that is fun, imaginative and fun"
(Selena, Lecturer in Assyriology - University of Cambridge)