The Archaeology of Cactus Ruin: A Paper Excavation – Crow Canyon Archaeological Center

The Archaeology of Cactus Ruin: A Paper Excavation is a lesson designed to teach students how archaeologists use sampling strategies to learn about past cultures.

Cactus Ruin is modeled after the Ancestral Pueblo site known as Roy’s Ruin. The site was excavated in 1988 by Crow Canyon Archaeological Center as part of the Sand Canyon Archaeological Project Site Testing Program. The artifact data is derived from Roy’s Ruin and other tested sites. This lesson was designed for middle school through adult learners.