FIRST Lego Archaeology

FIRST LEGO League Challenge: Archaeology

Archaeology

FIRST LEGO League Challenge: Archaeology

Resources for FIRST Robotics Competition on Archaeology: Unearthed

This year’s FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge is UNEARTHED. Teams will “explore a dig site, carefully excavating artifacts hidden beneath layers of rock and soil and uncovering clues that reveal stories of past civilizations.” To prepare you for the challenge and help you learn about archaeology, we’ve put together some resources for you about Michigan Archaeology!

What is Archaeology?

Archaeology is not paleontology, and archaeologists do not study dinosaurs.
Archaeology is the study of how people lived in the past.
Archaeologists study the things people leave behind, artifacts, ecofacts and features, to reconstruct the past.
Artifacts are things people make, such as tools, art, and clothing.
Ecofacts are natural objects that people use and leave behind, like seeds and bones from meals.
Features are places people build, like homes, factories, churches, and even cemeteries.

Facts about Michigan Archaeology

Michigan archaeology spans 14,000 years of history.
Michigan has over 25,000 archaeological sites.
Surrounded by the Great Lakes, Michigan has more than 1,500 recorded shipwrecks and other submerged sites.
Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City is home to one of the longest continuously operating archaeological dig sites in the United States!
Archaeological sites are nonrenewable. Once gone, they are gone forever. Treat every site with care and respect, and with their preservation for the good of future generations in mind.

Michigan archaeology spans 14,000 years of history!

Learn more about a few of Michigan's archaeological sites

Fort St. Joseph, Niles

Nestled along the St. Joseph River, Fort St. Joseph was once a vital hub of colonial life, where French settlers, soldiers, fur traders, and Native Americans groups coexisted, before the United States was even founded! Once lost to time, learn how college students are leading the effort to learn new information about the people who lived and traded here.

Fayette Townsite

In the mid 1800s, the boomtown of Fayette roared to life in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, smelting iron ore and shipping it around the Great Lakes. But after just 24 years, the furnaces fell silent, and it became a true ghost town. This video explores its history - and what happened when everyone left.

Archaeology Tuskegee Aircraft 230x230.jpg

The Recovery of a Tuskegee Aircraft

Shipwrecks aren't the only thing on the bottom of the Great Lakes. In 1944, young Lt. Frank Moody experienced a technical malfunction in his P39 military aircraft and crashed in Lake Huron. Seventy years later, the wreckage was discovered. Explore what was learned from this aircraft recovery.

Watch the Webinar: UNEARTHED: How Archaeologists Solve Problems

Join Michigan SHPO Archaeologists for “UNEARTHED: How Archaeologists Solve Problems,” a webinar to prepare families for FIRST® LEGO® League Season Challenges!

In this webinar, geared for kids ages 5-15 and their families, learn about what archaeologists do and how they study past societies. Explore Michigan’s past through archaeology and ask SHPO Archaeologists questions. Click the link below to watch the webinar recording!

UNEARTHED Webinar Recording and Q&A

Celebrate Michigan Archaeology Day with us!

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be an archaeologist? Attend Michigan Archaeology Day on Saturday, October 18, 2025, for your chance to talk with archaeologists about investigations and artifacts that tell the story of 14,000 years of Michigan history! Archaeologists and experts in related fields will be stationed throughout the first and second floors of the Michigan History Museum where they will tell you about their research, show you some artifacts they have found and answer your question. Michigan Archaeology Day is FREE! Join us Saturday, October 18th, 2025 from 10am-4pm at the Michigan History Center, 702 W. Kalamazoo St., Lansing, MI 48915.

Learn More about Michigan Archaeology Day!

Archaeology Programs in Michigan

Interested in a career in archaeology? Explore these College and University programs to learn more about the work they do!

FIRST LEGO League Challenge: Archaeology

What is Archaeology?

Facts about Michigan Archaeology

Activities you can download to learn more:

Michigan Statewide Organizations & Contacts:

Other UNEARTHED Resources