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Current page navigation: The Indus Valley | Writing on the wall | Digging for treasure | Artifacts from the North and South | Old money | Viking longships | Scale of the pyramids | Tutankhamun’s Tomb

The Indus Valley

The Indus Valley is located in Pakistan and was home to a thriving civilisation from around 3000–1700 BC.

• go on an expedition
• discover the Lost City
• dig for artifacts
• explore the museum
• write a newspaper article

Send a screen shot of your newspaper story to ed@tki.org.nz.

Writing on the wall

Do you know the name of the special paper the Egyptians used? Do you know what the Vikings used to write on? Find out the answers to these questions by completing the activities below.

1. Read about writing in Egypt. Click on the word ‘explore’ to find out more about where writing was used.
2. Make your own paper, then make a scroll and send a letter to a friend.
3. Write your name in runes like the Vikings did over a thousand years ago. Click on the pictures of each rune to find out what your name means.
4. Carve your own message like the Vikings. Scroll down to the heading ‘Activity 2: Plaster Activities’ and follow the instructions.

Send a digital photo of your scroll and carved message to ed@tki.org.nz.

Digging for treasure

An archaeologist is the name given to someone who looks closely at ancient objects that have been left by ancient peoples. Archaeologists often have to dig very carefully to find clues to how people lived in the past.

1. Read about a famous archaeologist: Kathleen Kenyon
2. Read more about stratigraphy.
3. Play the game stratigraphy to test your archaeology skills.
4. Play the word search called ‘Fieldwork’.
5. Open a Word document and list six facts about archaeology.

Email your facts to ed@tki.org.nz.

Artifacts from the North and South

Artifacts are the objects archaeologists find when they dig. Often artifacts have been broken or parts have rotted away because they are so old. Archaeologists identify what the artifacts are made out of, what they looked like, and how they were used.

1. Play this Arctic Artifacts game.
2. Look at the Mana Pasifika objects.
3. Open ‘Artifacts from the North and South’ (Word 35KB) and complete the task.

Send your completed Word document to ed@tki.org.nz.

Old money

In the 21st century it is possible to buy things electronically using a bankcard, this means we don’t always need to carry coins. What did the ancient coins look like?

1. Look at these coins:
   • Greek
   • Indian
   • British
   • Central Asian
   • Japanese
   • Roman
2. Open the Word document ‘Old Money’ (Word 160KB). Using the web links above follow the instructions to complete the activity.
3. Look at these notes:
   • North American
   • South American
   • Chinese
   • Pacific
4. Using the Word document ‘Old Money’ (Word 160KB) write your answer to these questions:
   • Which country was one of the first to use money?
   • Why do Chinese burn money?
   • Which ancient civilisation believed shells were more precious than gold?
   • Who brought the first coins to North America?
   • Name four materials used by Pacific nations for money.
   • What are three advantages and three disadvantages of using paper money compared to using coins?
5. Extra for experts
   • Complete this chart to find the values of ancient Greek coins.

Send your completed Word document to ed@tki.org.nz .

Viking longships

Vikings dominated European trade and politics from about AD 800–1100. One reason for the Vikings’ success was their fast and strong longships that allowed them explore parts of Europe and even North America.

1. Read about how the Vikings travelled and traded. Take the Thorkel challenge on page 3.
2. Trade like a Viking by clicking on the link ‘Thorkel and the trading ship’.
3. Learn more about the Secrets of Norse ships.
4. Try these experiments to learn more about the science of sailing
   • Floating in water
   • What floats?
   • Sink or swim?

Send your results to ed@tki.org.nz.

Scale of the pyramids

If you have only seen pictures of the ancient pyramids it can be difficult to really understand just how big they really are. Being able to compare the actual size of the pyramids to other well-known buildings gives you an idea of the relative size. This is called ‘scale’.

1. Explore this picture of the Great Pyramids.
2. Follow these instructions to build your own pyramids to scale.
3. Take a digital photo of your pyramid.
4. Read more about how the pyramids were actually built.
5. Extra for experts
   Try these math problems:
   • Archaeologist's Egypt Challenge
   • Nation of Irrigation

Send in your digital photo of your pyramid to ed@tki.org.nz .

Tutankhamun’s Tomb

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to make an amazing discovery like Shelton did in the 1920s when he uncovered the tomb of Tutankhamen?

1. Read about Shelton.
2. Learn about the most famous mummy Tutankhamun to discover the facts.
3. Look at this puzzling mummy case.
4. Use the facts you have learnt about Tutankhamun to write a 100-word diary entry for Shelton on his way back to America.

Email your diary entry to ed@tki.org.nz.

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