Archaeology fair for kids

The Marquette Regional History Center encouraged kids over the weekend to use artifacts to learn about the past.

Saturday was International Archaeology Day, an event intended to boost interest in history.

The History Center took part with an archaeology kids’ fair. The hands-on activities included pointers on making stone arrowheads.

“Archaeology is a record of human history, learning about the human stories left behind, so we have archaeologists here,” History Center educator Betsy Rutz said. “We have collectors; we’ve got all kinds of games.”

Over the years, museum volunteers have found items on the landscape left behind by French fur traders and things like a piece of an 1890s camp stove from a quarry at Mount Marquette.

“This is the first time we’re celebrating National Archaeology Day, which then became International Archaeology Day,” Rutz said. We’re really excited to be recognizing this research branch of science that needs to be brought to attention.”

The fair even explored some myths and legends that have some basis in research.

Bigfoot was one of those legends, and some Bigfoot research taking place this fall has involved the U.P.

The Animal Planet TV series ‘Finding Bigfoot’ visited Alger County in September to investigate reports of local Sasquatch sightings.