Digging
through time
Your adventure begins here. Click "START" whenever you're ready.
Start
Film reflections:
In Secrets of Great Salt Lake, we learned that the Great Salt Lake region is the heart of Indigenous territory and that humans lived in the area for thousands of years prior to colonization. We also learned that the richness of wildlife is connected to the health of Great Salt Lake and that the web of life has thrived and evolved here long before humans arrived...
Present Day Utah (Click on the eye to the right to learn more)
As you explore the pages here, keep an eye out (pun intended) for interactive elements that provide more context, background, and learning opportunities. Some pages are locked and you will need to find hidden clues or pass a short quiz to get to the next section. It may be helpful to take notes as you move through each of the sections.
Prehistoric Utah (Click on the eye to the right to learn more)
digging through Time
You will work your way through a series of sections, learn important key terms, and explore the history of the Great Salt Lake region captured by archaeologists and paleontologists through the discovery of artifacts and fossils.
Newspaper Rock, Southern Utah. Native Americans have been engraving and drawing on Newspaper Rock for more than 2000 years.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Terminology
Challenge 2
Challenge 3
Final Challenge
Challenge 4
Challenge 5
Key terms
Click on each blue term to learn more about it
Geology
Archaeology
Stratigraphy
Paleontology
The Law of Superposition
The Fossil Record
Question 1: drag and drop the word boxes to complete the sentences.
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. Last Chance: After this quiz you will not be able to go back!
Question 2: drag and drop the word boxes to complete the sentences
You rock!
Don't take these geology puns for granite... When you're ready, click the arrow in the bottom right corner to move on to the next challenge.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Layers of the Earth
Terminology
Challenge 3
Challenge 5
Final Challenge
Challenge 4
Layers of the Earth
Geologists study the Earth's history, its structures, processes, and composition. Both archaeologists and paleontologists need to have a basic understanding of geology.
Click the eye to learn more about the Earth's layers:
Do archaeologists and palentologists excavate through every layer of the Earth?
Question 1: drag the boxes and arrange them in the correct order
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. NOTE: After this quiz you will not be able to go back!
Question 2:
awesome!
Why did the geologist quit his job? When you're ready, click the arrow in the bottom right corner to move on to the next challenge.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Terminology
Layers of the Earth
Layers of Soil
Challenge 4
Challenge 5
Final Challenge
Layers Of Soil
Click on the eyes to learn about the different layers of soil! When you're ready, click the arrow to navigate to the next page.
test your knowledge
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. Last Chance: After this quiz you will not be able to go back!
test your knowledge
test your knowledge
Great work!
You didn't even need to get your hands dirty... When you're ready, click the arrow in the bottom right corner to move on to the next challenge.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Terminology
Layers of the Earth
Layers of Soil
Excavation Tools
Challenge 5
Final Challenge
Tools for excavating
Enter Code
Explore the different tools archaeologists and paleontologists use to dig through layers of soil and sedimentary rock, and inspect their discoveries! Click on the plus sign (+) to learn more. Unscramble the hidden code to move onto the next activity...
Tweezers
Trowel
Chisel & Mallet
Calipers
Brush
Microscope
Sieve
Crack the code
< Click here for a hint
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. Last Chance: After this page, you will not be able to go back!
excavation tools
You did it!
What was the fossil's dream? When you're ready, click the arrow in the bottom right corner to move on to the next challenge.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Terminology
Layers of the Earth
Layers of Soil
Excavation Tools
Let's Dig!
Final Challenge
lET'S DIG!
Click on the yellow orbs to make discoveries
Question 1
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. Last Chance: After this quiz you will not be able to go back!
Question 2
Question 3
Great work!
You'll graduate from field school in no time... When you're ready, click the arrow in the bottom right corner to move on to the final challenge.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Terminology
Layers of the Earth
Layers of Soil
Making Connections
Let's Dig!
Excavation Tools
Making connections
You've come so far!
You've learned so much about the many different ways of uncovering and preserving important aspects of the past. Why is it important to understand the past? Take a moment to reflect on this question, and then click on the plus sign below when you are ready:
Artist's rendering of megafauna during the Pleistocene epoch
Click on the arrow to the right when you're ready to turn the page and test your knowledge in this final section.
Match the Meaning
What does each subject study?
Paleontology
Archaeology
Geology
Stratigraphy
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. Last Chance: After this quiz you will not be able to go back!
Answer the question on the right to the best of your ability
Answer the question on the right to the best of your ability
Congratulations!!
You completed all six challenges! You may exit out of the Genially at any time, or click below to start over:
Start Over
The Law of Superposition
What is it?
In an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top.
Zion National Park, Utah
Geology
What is it?
Geology is the scientific study of rocks, minerals, Earth's history, and the Earth's surface (how it's formed, how it changes, and what's inside of it). Geological events are occurrences that alter the surface of the Earth.
Strata, Zion National Park, Utah
A trowel is used to scrape away soil in controlled layers
Because he wanted to start over on a clean slate
You found an artifact!
Clovis Point, 11,500 BCE Clovis point arrowheads like these have been found across North and Central America and come from a very short period of cultural history. This technology is one of the first well-documented pieces of evidence tied to the presence of human activity in North America.
- Clovis points are large, skillfully crafted spearpoints with a central groove on both faces.
- These points were likely used for hunting big game such as mammoths and mastadons.
Clovis Point, Sevier County, Utah 11,500 BCE
You found a fossil!
Fossilized Mammoth Skeleton, 68,000 years ago Mammoths lived alongside humans for a short period of time in the late Pleistocene period. From around 2.6 million years to just 12,000 years ago, megafauna thrived around the world. Scientists and historians theorize what led to the late Pleistoce extinction event:
- Some theories argue that humans over-hunted megafauna.
- Some theories believe climate change at the end of the ice age led to their extinction.
- Some theories suggest that disease may have played a role.
Parent Rock Layer
Also known as the C Horizon
- This layer is made up of weathered bedrock and other parent material from which soil is formed, including compact sand, clay, and silt.
- Little to no organic material found here.
- Fossils are generally preserved here in layers of sedimentary rocks like sandstone, shale, and limestone that have compacted over time.
A brush is used for cleaning away loose dirt from fragile discoveries
The Fossil Record
What is it?
The Fossil Record is a collection of all known fossilized remains of organisms and the traces they left behind. It is organized chronologically to provide a historical timeline of life on Earth.
Mammoth tusk, Pleistocene epoch, Utah
- The Fossil Record only accounts for organisms that have been discovered. It is an incomplete record as not all organisms become fossilized and some fossils are more easy to find than others.
- The Fossil Record can show when certain groups of organisms disappeared from Earth
- These are known as extinction events
- The Fossil Record can show how different species evolved, changes in their environments, and how some are related to one another.
You found a fossil!
Petrified Wood, 145 Million Years Ago Utah was covered in forests during the Late Jurassic period 145 million years ago, and petrified wood can be found in abundance, particularly in the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. Wood becomes petrified through a process called permineralization where the wood's organic material is gradually replaced by minerals like silica, opal, and quartz.
Prehistoric Life Discovered at Great Salt Lake
According to archaeological and paleontological records, for a very brief period, humans and megafauna existed around the Great Salt Lake region at the same time.Giant creatures like mammoths, mastadons, and sabertooth cats dominated the land until the end of the Pleistocene around 12,000 years ago. Megafauna were not the first creatures to live in the area either, in fact some of the earliest fossils found in the region date back 510 million years ago - before dinosaurs!
Tweezers and picks are used to handle small fragments or delicate discoveries that crumble easily (like charred ash)
You found a fossil!
Plant Fossil, 50 Million Years Ago Utah was covered by forests and a large freshwater lake 50 million years ago. Plant fossils like these are commonly found preserved in sedimentary rocks.
Sub Soil
Also known as the B Horizon
- This layer is found below the topsoil and consists of mostly clay, sand, and silt.
- Some organic matter can be found in this layer, but much less than in the topsoil layer.
- Artifacts may be found here. Fossils may emerge during geological events.
Calipers and scales are tools used to measure discoveries - calipers are used for precise measurements of dimensions, while scales are used to measure weight.
A chisel and mallet can be used to break up harder materials like rocks or compact soil
To become a timeless classic
Paleontology
What is it?
The study of the history of life on Earth based on fossils found within the rock strata.
Fossilized mammoth tooth, Pleistocene epoch, USA
Top Soil
Also known as the A Horizon
- Top soil is a mixture of organic matter and mineral components such as sand, silt, and clay. Plant roots grow here.
- This layer is usually darker than the others due to the presence of humus, a stable form of organic matter.
- Artifacts may be found here. Fossils may emerge here during geological events.
Organic Matter
Also known as the "O Horizon"
- This layer is made up of organic material at varying stages of decomposition.
- Leaf litter and partially decomposed matter are found here.
- This layer provides nutrients for plants and habitats for soil organisms.
- Artifacts may be found here. Fossils may emerge here during geological events.
Present Day
Wildlife depends on the ecosystem that the lake creates, from the birds who migrate here to the brine shrimp that thrive in the salt water. Humans depend on the native animals for food and the plants for their medicinal properties. They rely on the salt from the lake for curing meat and for a variety of other benefits. The health of the Great Salt Lake directly impacts the health of humans and wildlife that depend on it.
Hint: fossils are found in layers of S__________Y rock.
You found a fossil!
Trilobite, 510 Million Years Ago 510 million years ago, Utah was covered by seas in the midst of the Cambrian period, and arthropods like these trilobites thrived across the region. While trilobites have since gone extinct, their modern day relatives include spiders, crabs, and insects.
Bedrock Layer
Also known as the R Horizon
- This is the unweathered, consolidated bedrock layer at the bottom.
- The layer of bedrock is barely visible in this picture, but you can see a hint of it in the bottom left corner
- Fossils are generally preserved here in layers of sedimentary rocks like sandstone, shale, and limestone that have compacted over time.
You found a fossil!
Isocrinus, 170 Million Years Ago 170 million years ago in the mid-Jurassic period, part of Utah was covered by a shallow sea, allowing this unique, five-sided saltwater organism to thrive in the region.
How Big ARE the Layers?
The Earth's Crust is 5 - 20 miles thick, around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and is made of mostly granite and basalt.
The Earth's Mantle is 1,800 miles thick, between 2500 to 5400 degrees Fahrenheit, and is made of iron, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, and aluminum There are two parts - the Upper and Lower Mantle. The Upper Mantle is a mostly liquid layer The Lower Mantle is mostly solid.
The Earth's Core is made up of two parts - the Inner and the Outer Core. The Outer Core is around 1,400 miles thick, 7000 to 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and made of iron, nickel, sulphur, and oxygen. The Inner Core (the very center of our Earth) has a radius of 760 miles, is 9,000 to 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and made of iron and nickel.
Petroglyphs
Petroglyphs are images and designs engraved into rock surfaces by ancient indigenous cultures. Petroglyphs often give us a closer look at some of the beliefs, rituals, stories, and daily lives of past civilizations.
- Not to be confused with pictographs or cave paintings, which are images and designs painted onto rock with natural pigments.
Above: A closeup of a petroglyph etching at Newspaper Rock in Southern Utah.
Stratigraphy
What is it?
Stratigraphy is a branch of geology concerned with the order and relative position of rock layers, or strata, and their relationship to the geological time scale. Archaeologists and paleontologists use stratigraphy to date their discoveries.
You found a fossil!
Ammonite Fossil, 90 Million Years Ago Dinosaurs were the dominant species on Earth 90 million years ago during the Cretaceous period, and Utah was covered by swamps and river plains. Ammonites are an extinct group of cephalopods, and fossils like these are often found in shales in eastern Utah.
Learning about the past...
- Helps us understand the physical world we live in today and how it evolved over time.
- Helps us understand how civilizations and groups of organisms lived, survived, and adapted to changes in their environment.
- Provides us with insight into where we currently stand in the context of time.
- What other ideas can you think of?
You found an artifact!
Northern Shoshone Steatite Cup This cup, made from steatite (also known as soapstone), could be placed directly in hot coals and stay hot long after removing it from the fire. The cup itself was likely carved out of a larger stone using harder stone tools. Containers were prized posessions and difficult to come by, so it is likely this steatite cup was passed down from generation to generation.
Northern Shoshone Steatite Cup, exact age unknown
No!
Archaeologists and paleontologists only excavate in the upper layers of the Earth's crust.
Archaeologists will explore areas that are mere inches below the surface to several feet, sometimes more. They generally dig until they reach a layer of dirt with no evidence of human activity. Paleontologists don't often dig very far for their discoveries either. If fossils aren't easily found at the surface, paleontologists may dig to layers of sedimentary rock to find them. Instances of digging for fossils miles below the surface are rare, but have happened in relation to specific geological events.
Microscopes can be used for detailed examination and identification of discoveries.
A mesh sieve is used to sift through soil and isolate small fragments (like small bones or artifacts)
You found a fossil!
Dinosaur Footprint, 200 Million Years Ago Trace fossils are impressions or markings left by past life, not the actual remains of an organism's body. Dinosaurs were present in Utah during the Jurassic period 200 million years ago, and this footprint was likely left in the soft sediments that covered the region at that time.
Archaeology
What is it?
Archaeology is the study of historic or prehistoric culture and communities of people through the discovery of artifacts, human-made structures, contextual evidence, and physical remains.
Clovis Point (11,500-9000BCE) Sevier County, Utah
Digging Through Time
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Transcript
Digging
through time
Your adventure begins here. Click "START" whenever you're ready.
Start
Film reflections:
In Secrets of Great Salt Lake, we learned that the Great Salt Lake region is the heart of Indigenous territory and that humans lived in the area for thousands of years prior to colonization. We also learned that the richness of wildlife is connected to the health of Great Salt Lake and that the web of life has thrived and evolved here long before humans arrived...
Present Day Utah (Click on the eye to the right to learn more)
As you explore the pages here, keep an eye out (pun intended) for interactive elements that provide more context, background, and learning opportunities. Some pages are locked and you will need to find hidden clues or pass a short quiz to get to the next section. It may be helpful to take notes as you move through each of the sections.
Prehistoric Utah (Click on the eye to the right to learn more)
digging through Time
You will work your way through a series of sections, learn important key terms, and explore the history of the Great Salt Lake region captured by archaeologists and paleontologists through the discovery of artifacts and fossils.
Newspaper Rock, Southern Utah. Native Americans have been engraving and drawing on Newspaper Rock for more than 2000 years.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Terminology
Challenge 2
Challenge 3
Final Challenge
Challenge 4
Challenge 5
Key terms
Click on each blue term to learn more about it
Geology
Archaeology
Stratigraphy
Paleontology
The Law of Superposition
The Fossil Record
Question 1: drag and drop the word boxes to complete the sentences.
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. Last Chance: After this quiz you will not be able to go back!
Question 2: drag and drop the word boxes to complete the sentences
You rock!
Don't take these geology puns for granite... When you're ready, click the arrow in the bottom right corner to move on to the next challenge.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Layers of the Earth
Terminology
Challenge 3
Challenge 5
Final Challenge
Challenge 4
Layers of the Earth
Geologists study the Earth's history, its structures, processes, and composition. Both archaeologists and paleontologists need to have a basic understanding of geology.
Click the eye to learn more about the Earth's layers:
Do archaeologists and palentologists excavate through every layer of the Earth?
Question 1: drag the boxes and arrange them in the correct order
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. NOTE: After this quiz you will not be able to go back!
Question 2:
awesome!
Why did the geologist quit his job? When you're ready, click the arrow in the bottom right corner to move on to the next challenge.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Terminology
Layers of the Earth
Layers of Soil
Challenge 4
Challenge 5
Final Challenge
Layers Of Soil
Click on the eyes to learn about the different layers of soil! When you're ready, click the arrow to navigate to the next page.
test your knowledge
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. Last Chance: After this quiz you will not be able to go back!
test your knowledge
test your knowledge
Great work!
You didn't even need to get your hands dirty... When you're ready, click the arrow in the bottom right corner to move on to the next challenge.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Terminology
Layers of the Earth
Layers of Soil
Excavation Tools
Challenge 5
Final Challenge
Tools for excavating
Enter Code
Explore the different tools archaeologists and paleontologists use to dig through layers of soil and sedimentary rock, and inspect their discoveries! Click on the plus sign (+) to learn more. Unscramble the hidden code to move onto the next activity...
Tweezers
Trowel
Chisel & Mallet
Calipers
Brush
Microscope
Sieve
Crack the code
< Click here for a hint
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. Last Chance: After this page, you will not be able to go back!
excavation tools
You did it!
What was the fossil's dream? When you're ready, click the arrow in the bottom right corner to move on to the next challenge.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Terminology
Layers of the Earth
Layers of Soil
Excavation Tools
Let's Dig!
Final Challenge
lET'S DIG!
Click on the yellow orbs to make discoveries
Question 1
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. Last Chance: After this quiz you will not be able to go back!
Question 2
Question 3
Great work!
You'll graduate from field school in no time... When you're ready, click the arrow in the bottom right corner to move on to the final challenge.
Digging Through Time
Complete each challenge to unlock the next section: there is no other way out!
Terminology
Layers of the Earth
Layers of Soil
Making Connections
Let's Dig!
Excavation Tools
Making connections
You've come so far!
You've learned so much about the many different ways of uncovering and preserving important aspects of the past. Why is it important to understand the past? Take a moment to reflect on this question, and then click on the plus sign below when you are ready:
Artist's rendering of megafauna during the Pleistocene epoch
Click on the arrow to the right when you're ready to turn the page and test your knowledge in this final section.
Match the Meaning
What does each subject study?
Paleontology
Archaeology
Geology
Stratigraphy
Need to go back and double check the text? Click the arrow to get to the previous page. Last Chance: After this quiz you will not be able to go back!
Answer the question on the right to the best of your ability
Answer the question on the right to the best of your ability
Congratulations!!
You completed all six challenges! You may exit out of the Genially at any time, or click below to start over:
Start Over
The Law of Superposition
What is it?
In an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top.
Zion National Park, Utah
Geology
What is it?
Geology is the scientific study of rocks, minerals, Earth's history, and the Earth's surface (how it's formed, how it changes, and what's inside of it). Geological events are occurrences that alter the surface of the Earth.
Strata, Zion National Park, Utah
A trowel is used to scrape away soil in controlled layers
Because he wanted to start over on a clean slate
You found an artifact!
Clovis Point, 11,500 BCE Clovis point arrowheads like these have been found across North and Central America and come from a very short period of cultural history. This technology is one of the first well-documented pieces of evidence tied to the presence of human activity in North America.
Clovis Point, Sevier County, Utah 11,500 BCE
You found a fossil!
Fossilized Mammoth Skeleton, 68,000 years ago Mammoths lived alongside humans for a short period of time in the late Pleistocene period. From around 2.6 million years to just 12,000 years ago, megafauna thrived around the world. Scientists and historians theorize what led to the late Pleistoce extinction event:
Parent Rock Layer
Also known as the C Horizon
A brush is used for cleaning away loose dirt from fragile discoveries
The Fossil Record
What is it?
The Fossil Record is a collection of all known fossilized remains of organisms and the traces they left behind. It is organized chronologically to provide a historical timeline of life on Earth.
Mammoth tusk, Pleistocene epoch, Utah
You found a fossil!
Petrified Wood, 145 Million Years Ago Utah was covered in forests during the Late Jurassic period 145 million years ago, and petrified wood can be found in abundance, particularly in the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. Wood becomes petrified through a process called permineralization where the wood's organic material is gradually replaced by minerals like silica, opal, and quartz.
Prehistoric Life Discovered at Great Salt Lake
According to archaeological and paleontological records, for a very brief period, humans and megafauna existed around the Great Salt Lake region at the same time.Giant creatures like mammoths, mastadons, and sabertooth cats dominated the land until the end of the Pleistocene around 12,000 years ago. Megafauna were not the first creatures to live in the area either, in fact some of the earliest fossils found in the region date back 510 million years ago - before dinosaurs!
Tweezers and picks are used to handle small fragments or delicate discoveries that crumble easily (like charred ash)
You found a fossil!
Plant Fossil, 50 Million Years Ago Utah was covered by forests and a large freshwater lake 50 million years ago. Plant fossils like these are commonly found preserved in sedimentary rocks.
Sub Soil
Also known as the B Horizon
Calipers and scales are tools used to measure discoveries - calipers are used for precise measurements of dimensions, while scales are used to measure weight.
A chisel and mallet can be used to break up harder materials like rocks or compact soil
To become a timeless classic
Paleontology
What is it?
The study of the history of life on Earth based on fossils found within the rock strata.
Fossilized mammoth tooth, Pleistocene epoch, USA
Top Soil
Also known as the A Horizon
Organic Matter
Also known as the "O Horizon"
Present Day
Wildlife depends on the ecosystem that the lake creates, from the birds who migrate here to the brine shrimp that thrive in the salt water. Humans depend on the native animals for food and the plants for their medicinal properties. They rely on the salt from the lake for curing meat and for a variety of other benefits. The health of the Great Salt Lake directly impacts the health of humans and wildlife that depend on it.
Hint: fossils are found in layers of S__________Y rock.
You found a fossil!
Trilobite, 510 Million Years Ago 510 million years ago, Utah was covered by seas in the midst of the Cambrian period, and arthropods like these trilobites thrived across the region. While trilobites have since gone extinct, their modern day relatives include spiders, crabs, and insects.
Bedrock Layer
Also known as the R Horizon
You found a fossil!
Isocrinus, 170 Million Years Ago 170 million years ago in the mid-Jurassic period, part of Utah was covered by a shallow sea, allowing this unique, five-sided saltwater organism to thrive in the region.
How Big ARE the Layers?
The Earth's Crust is 5 - 20 miles thick, around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and is made of mostly granite and basalt.
The Earth's Mantle is 1,800 miles thick, between 2500 to 5400 degrees Fahrenheit, and is made of iron, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, and aluminum There are two parts - the Upper and Lower Mantle. The Upper Mantle is a mostly liquid layer The Lower Mantle is mostly solid.
The Earth's Core is made up of two parts - the Inner and the Outer Core. The Outer Core is around 1,400 miles thick, 7000 to 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and made of iron, nickel, sulphur, and oxygen. The Inner Core (the very center of our Earth) has a radius of 760 miles, is 9,000 to 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and made of iron and nickel.
Petroglyphs
Petroglyphs are images and designs engraved into rock surfaces by ancient indigenous cultures. Petroglyphs often give us a closer look at some of the beliefs, rituals, stories, and daily lives of past civilizations.
Above: A closeup of a petroglyph etching at Newspaper Rock in Southern Utah.
Stratigraphy
What is it?
Stratigraphy is a branch of geology concerned with the order and relative position of rock layers, or strata, and their relationship to the geological time scale. Archaeologists and paleontologists use stratigraphy to date their discoveries.
You found a fossil!
Ammonite Fossil, 90 Million Years Ago Dinosaurs were the dominant species on Earth 90 million years ago during the Cretaceous period, and Utah was covered by swamps and river plains. Ammonites are an extinct group of cephalopods, and fossils like these are often found in shales in eastern Utah.
Learning about the past...
You found an artifact!
Northern Shoshone Steatite Cup This cup, made from steatite (also known as soapstone), could be placed directly in hot coals and stay hot long after removing it from the fire. The cup itself was likely carved out of a larger stone using harder stone tools. Containers were prized posessions and difficult to come by, so it is likely this steatite cup was passed down from generation to generation.
Northern Shoshone Steatite Cup, exact age unknown
No!
Archaeologists and paleontologists only excavate in the upper layers of the Earth's crust.
Archaeologists will explore areas that are mere inches below the surface to several feet, sometimes more. They generally dig until they reach a layer of dirt with no evidence of human activity. Paleontologists don't often dig very far for their discoveries either. If fossils aren't easily found at the surface, paleontologists may dig to layers of sedimentary rock to find them. Instances of digging for fossils miles below the surface are rare, but have happened in relation to specific geological events.
Microscopes can be used for detailed examination and identification of discoveries.
A mesh sieve is used to sift through soil and isolate small fragments (like small bones or artifacts)
You found a fossil!
Dinosaur Footprint, 200 Million Years Ago Trace fossils are impressions or markings left by past life, not the actual remains of an organism's body. Dinosaurs were present in Utah during the Jurassic period 200 million years ago, and this footprint was likely left in the soft sediments that covered the region at that time.
Archaeology
What is it?
Archaeology is the study of historic or prehistoric culture and communities of people through the discovery of artifacts, human-made structures, contextual evidence, and physical remains.
Clovis Point (11,500-9000BCE) Sevier County, Utah