A set of information and links on Mali and on archaeology appropriate for middle school and high school students . Mali Interactive is the archive of an interactive project that linked two archeologists and their children in the Inland Niger Delta of Mali with middle school students in the Conroe Independent School District in Texas.
To find out what archaeologists do and how they do it, here are some frequently asked questions. Click on the links to find out the answers from some great web resources:
Archaeology? What's that?
- What do archaeologists do?
- What IS archaeology?
- What is NOT archaeology?
- Personal Snapshot: One View of a Career in Archaeology
Where do you start?
What do archaeologists do at a site?
- Archaeological Excavation Steps
- What do archaeologists do at a site?
- What do they do with artifacts?
- What other exports else work at a site?
How do you preserve what you find?
Examples of excavations
- Mysteries of Çatalhöyük: interactive page
- See archaeology sites from around the world
- Sites in Egypt
- Crow Creek Massacre site
- Interactive Digs
How to get involved in Archaeology
Mali
Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa. You can locate it on a political map of Africa.
Information on Mali's geography, population, government, and economy. Also see location, geography, and climate.
River of Sand: documentary of music, culture and people of Mali.
Learn about the Mali Empire.
A brief introduction to the Niger River and the Middle Niger Region, including the port towns, Jenné and Timbuktu, and the Dogon of the Bandiagara cliffs to the east of the Niger.
Timbuktu
Take a look at Jenné's sister city 500 km down the Niger: Timbuktu
Tuareg Nomads
Is it possible that there are people who prefer living in the Sahara and being constantly in search of water to settled life in a city or town? Amazingly, yes. They are nomads by choice.
Meet the Tuareg.
The Dogon
The following links may be helpful to teachers:
Resources on Africa
- African studies from the University of Pennsylvania
- A guide to Africa from Stanford University
- Encarta Online on Africa
Learning Resources
- The Stone Ages
- History Chanel Timbuktu
- PBS: The Road to Timbuktu
- Ancient Manuscripts: From the Desert of Timbuktu
- Radio Expeditions: Timbuktu (links to other African expeditions)
- Shabeni's Description of Timbuktu
Plus Pictures and Leo Africanus' Description
Curriculum for Teachers and Students
- Mysteries of Çatalhöyük Interactive Site
- EDSITEment: Trekking to Timbuktu - Student Version
- EDSITEment: Trekking to Timbuktu - Teacher Version
- Oxfam Timbuktu School Activities
- MayaQuest: teachers' curriculum for students
- Kids Dig Reed: Reed Farmstead Archaeological Site
- To Timbuktu--A Journey with Ibn Battuta
Archaeology Facts and References
- FAQ on U.S. careers in archaeology
- Southwestern Archaeology
- Council for Texas Archaeology and links
- Council for British Archaeology fact sheets
- Archaeology Magazine
- Dig Magazine
- Overview of the field of archaeology covering Culture vs. Material Culture, Types of Archaeology, Looting and Destruction, etc