Archaeology in the Afternoon

Think back to your childhood and I'd bet most readers were a fan of the Magic Tree House book series. You know, the books about Jack and Annie, the world's coolest kids who traveled through time and space to visit exotic lands and eras. Probably the first historical fiction any of us read, the books took us on an adventure and taught us a lot along the way about history and cultures.

With a range of topics from battles to animals to empires, the Magic Tree House series served to fascinate kids with the past of all kinds. For kids, the ability to capture attention spans with something as simple as a fantasy trip to the pyramids is huge. It sets the stage for interest in history, archaeology and nature that allows them to imagine the scenes for themselves.

I can't really remember how accurate the series was, but I do remember being in love with the books as a kid. After talking to friends, I can affirm that I was not the only one. Truly, that kind of enthusiasm for learning and reading is what is most important in preserving knowledge of the ancient world. I know that many people don't care about reading today, much less reading about old and foreign civilizations, but I'd bet for most people, there was a time in their past when they were all about the Magic Tree House, or some similar series.

Even if books like this don't give the most unbiased or factual information, kids see learning as a cool adventure! Maybe that leads into the archaeologist-as-an-adventurer stereotype, but so what? As long as people are interested and learning, it doesn't really matter.