Children of the Past: Archaeology and the Lives of Kids

"Children of the present have more in common than they may think with those who lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Archaeologist Huey pieces together clues from sites in North America and Western Europe to reveal how children's lives were different and similar in five different eras. She examines finds from Western Europe in 18,000 B.C.E.; hunter-gatherers in Europe in 6,000 B.C.E.; Iroquois in North America in 1,000 C.E.; the Jamestown, Virginia, colony of the early 1600s; and free African-Americans in Fort Mose, Florida, of the mid-1700s. The artifacts Huey presents to readers include handprints and footprints, carvings, clothes, tools, and toys. They offer insight into what life was like for children in these different times and what children of all times have shared, such as family chores, playing with friends and siblings, and the drives to create and to explore the world around them. The text and accompanying color photographs also offer good insight into the work of archaeologists, such as excavating and preserving artifacts, radiocarbon dating, and methods of piecing together clues to reconstruct the past. Though limited in its Western-world perspective, this is an engaging, possibly revelatory look at childhoods of the past and the work of archaeologists."--Kirkus Reviews

"In this original take on archaeology, Huey visits five sites, from prehistory to Colonial America, that show extensive evidence about the children who lived there. Huey explains that kids have always played and learned to become members of their societies, just as they do today. The sites reveal how children painted caves in prehistoric Europe, sat in toolmaking 'classes' in Stone Age Europe, made and decorated pottery in pre-Columbian North America, and played and worked in Colonial Jamestown and Fort Mose, FL, which was a unique community of formerly enslaved people who escaped from the British colonies. Each chapter opens with a child in a hypothetical situation based upon the site history and then discusses the featured society and its history, describing what recent archaeological scholarship has illuminated about the society and its children. Huey also examines current archaeological tools and techniques. Attractive color photos of the locations and artifacts enhance the text. With the exception of the frequently overlooked Fort Mose, most of the sites have been covered in general surveys, such as Richard Panchyk's widely held Archaeology for Kids: Uncovering the Mysteries of Our Past, 25 Activities, or in history texts. However, this book is certain to capture and hold readers' attention and help them understand that kids' history is human history. VERDICT: A fine purchase for history and archaeology collections."--School Library Journal