Upcoming Themes for DIG ^TM

2007 - 2008 School Year

July / August	Pets Here's an issue you sure don't want to miss, especially if you have a pet - be it a cat, dog, gerbil, snake, or horse. You'll find out why the Egyptians favored animals - enough to use a specific animal head, not human, to represent particular gods and goddesses. Find out why the ancient people of India especially treasured dogs. Like cats? - then Egypt's your place and we'll visit a cemetery with mummified cats. Have a guinea pig? How about your classroom teacher? Whether your answer is "yes" or "no," you won't want to miss the articles on a rodent find in Venezuela - is it guinea's ancestor? Can't say - it will spoil the suspense. Well, see you in July - with this issue that sure to be a highlight on your summer fun list in 2007.
September	Cave Men, Life as a Neandertal Neandertals have been in the news lately. New finds keep being made - and the clues they offer are fascinating, but often controversial. So, DIG went right to those onsite to get the facts - and pass them on to you! You'll get the scoop on the first Neandertal remains ever found. And you'll learn a surprising fact - Neandertal artists worked with pigments. Yes, they did, and there're finds to prove it! You'll have a chance to decide for yourself if the evidence really does point to "singing Neandertals." We'll stay in Europe much of the time, but take a quick trip to Israel to meet "Moshe" and analyze traces of hunting and fire remains. What do they prove? Well, you'll have to read the issue to find out - that and lots, lots more!!
October	A Day in the Life of an Archaeologist Ever written to Dr. DIG? Well, every day, e-mails arrive asking what she does? How she does it? And what kind of training is necessary? So, here's an issue to answer all these questions and more. We'll don a dive suit and spend a day underwater looking for the state of Georgia's failed colony. Then, it's off by plane to South America to meet and accompany archaeologists testing their theories about the ancients using reed boats on Lake Titiaca. DIG's also planned a great trip to a lab where we'll work alongside those who treat artifacts after they leave their "homes" and begin to tell their tales. And, we can't forget Dr. DIG. She's just waiting to answer your question: just what do I need to do to become an archaeologist.
November / December	America's First Cities You'll need a good week of sleep before you start this journey! We'll be traveling from South America, through Mexico, to the United States, through Canada, and then as far north as the Arctic Circle. But, first back to the first stop: Caral, a city where no weapons or pottery have been found. Intrigued? So, too, are the archaeologists. Then, it's to America's first planned city. Know which it is? No answers here - you'll have to get the DIG issue, and you won't be disappointed. In the U.S., we'll go onsite at Chaco and in the Mid-west, but the latter will be a virtual reality visit that is sure to impress and surprise you. Quebec, with its 400th birthday in 2008, can't wait to tell you of its new finds. And, last but not least, will be a fascinating stop at Ikaluctuuq - a key meeting place in the Arctic. So, get your hiking shoes ready!
January	The Sphinx of Egypt Say the word "sphinx" and immediately the desert sands of Egypt come to mind and rock-carved creature regally. So, too, do many questions. Egypt's sphinx certainly has not yielded all its secrets - yet! Does the creature's face represent a specific person? Is there anything inside? Who or what smashed the face? What's being done to save it? Not every question has been answered, but there still is much to tell. So, kick off your sandals, get some sturdy hiking boots and DIG will introduce you to a few people trying to answer the questions. See you then!
February	Rome's Twin City - Leptis Magna in Africa Ready for an adventure? Then this is the issue for you. DIG traveled this month to northern Africa, to the present-day country of Libya, and you will be astounded at the well-preserved remains we saw at Leptis Magna. Why did the Romans take such a great interest in the city? Yes, location played a role, but there was one Roman emperor who had a special interest in Leptis Magna. Who and why? The issue will tell all - even about the "Hunting Baths." Why did it fall? That's in the issue, too - including the facts about a river that decided it did not want its course diverted away from the city. DIG's sure you'll never forget this site - one of the best preserved anywhere.
March	Alexander the Great Heard of the Gordion knot? Know who "untied" it? If you answered, "Alexander the Great." You're right - as the legend goes. But, what's the real story? This issue of DIG has the answer - and many more, all related to the conqueror of the then known world. We'll travel across Asia, trying, with the archaeologists, to locate just which route he took. In Egypt, we have a great time looking for remains of his tomb. And, in Macedonia, we will meet those onsite at the recently discovered tombs at Vergina, "reading" the finds that have some amazing - and controversial - tales to tell. Wonder how Alexander really looked? Well, a newly discovered coin might have the answer - but we'll wait for the issue to tell you.
April	China's Buddhist Caves (Mogao Grottoes) Imagine hundreds of caves, all cut into living rock and all in one place! That's exactly what you find in Dunhuang. And, what an incredible feast for the eyes once you step inside and, of course, give yourself time to be accustomed to the darkness. But, wait a minute - where is DIG taking you? - to China and the so-called Cave Temples of Mogao. Today, sand, blowing in as it has for centuries from the great deserts that surround the area, covers much of the area, but once there, what a treat for the archaeologist. Countless rooms filled with magnificent paintings are just waiting to "spill" their secrets. Who are the figures walking about on the walls and ceilings? What's that monster on one wall? How about those eerie, flying creatures? And, what happened to all the scrolls that these temples also guarded? Join us for a trip to a secret place few ever visit. And, while we are there, we "dig deep" to find out what's being done to preserve what remains - so that we do not become some of the last to ever see these wonders.
May / June	What's the Truth about Indy? Who's the best-known archaeologist in the world? You'd be right if you said "Indiana Jones." In fact, there are quite a number of people who think there was a real Indiana Jones. Well, now that you know he was not an actual character, your next question is probably, "Are any of his feats real?" or "Is there any truth to his tales?" For the answers, don't miss DIG's May 2008 issue. We'll be revisiting each of the first three movies and finding out just where the Ark of the Covenant might be and where hearts were gouged out of living humans. We'll even have a personal tour of that grand site where Indy looks for the Holy Grail. And, there's more. The new Indiana Jones movie, on the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, will open the same month as the issue, and a DIG author will bring you the truth about a crystal skull found right here in the Americas- and the person who found it. Now, if you are wondering if Indy ever did any "good" archaeology, then wonder no more. Dig's rounded up some of the dos and don'ts about Indy. So, rest up! Traveling with Indy always is sure to be an exhausting - and exhilarating - experience.
July / August	Pirates Ahoy, matey! Never you fear - I'm not about to rob or kill you! No, I really want to show you what we pirates were all about. We left many traces of our whereabouts and our doings, but few have ever cared to learn too much about us. Most of those interested in pirates really just want to find out what treasures we hid and dig them up! But, DIG's different - they are coming to Port Royal to see how we lived in this so-called "safe haven." And, they'll tell you straight what makes us pirates and others privateers - is there a difference? Well, enough said for now! We pirates are always people (we're not just men - there were some daring women among us as well) who believe few words, or even no words, are better than saying too much! So, for the real scoop, you'll have to open DIG - the real treasure is waiting within its covers.

2008 - 2009 School Year

September	Valley of the Kings To be sure, one of the best-known ancient sites in the world is Egypt's Valley of the Kings. You're sure to have heard of King Tut and know that his tomb was uncovered there in 1922 - one of the greatest archaeological finds ever! But, what about all the other royalty buried in the same site? Well, we have a real treat for you - a tour inside some very special tombs. Along the way, you'll meet the "men of the gang," a few tomb robbers, and the special crew - the artisans whose work we all admire today. Just how did they do it? You're sure to have asked yourself that question""-and DIG has the answer, so join us!
October	CSI: Forensic Archaeology Here's an issue of DIG that is sure to intrigue you - and that you won't put down until you read it from cover to cover. Wonder how you can "read" bones? - use pollen to pinpoint where a long-dead person or animal has been? - find out what really happened to gladiators and if any survived horrific wounds? Then, there's the question of what really left marks on a body after death? DIG has gone right to the labs and sites of those working in the field to bring you the answers to these questions and many more. So, you don't want to miss this issue!
Nov / Dec	Ice-Age Animals Here's the issue for all of you who have sent Dr. Dig questions about mammoths, cave bears, the La Brea Tar Pits! And, even if you have never sent in a question, you're sure to have wondered about the many animals that lived during what we know as the Ice Age - and there were quite a few. DIG has enlisted the help of those right in the field to bring you eye-witness reports that are sure to have you hungering to read more. And, we've included a piece on the survivors - yes, there are some - and probably not too far from where you live! So, make sure your heavy socks are clean and your hiking boots have good treads, because the terrain we have to cover is, by no means, smooth or welcoming. A flashlight might be a third essential requirement - with long-lasting batteries, too. There are no stores, so what you bring is all you'll have for this experience of a lifetime!
January	Rome - Through Time Hold on tight! This month DIG has joined with archaeologists and scientists to bring you Rome as you have never before seen it! The ruins are great, but there's much more! With Virtual Reality, the stones pop into their proper place and, with the addition of color, bring you right onto the streets of the ancient city. But, that's not all: You'll meet modern-day Roman legionnaires, an archaeologist whose team has used a neat system to figure out a missing inscription, and workers digging in a villa of Rome's elite (amazing what they have found). And - ever wonder about what happened to the Colosseum after Rome "fell"? Well, we have the answers for you! So, see you in January for a trip you won't soon forget!
February	To Catch a Thief (theft and forgery in the archaeological world) How many archaeological sites have been damaged and looted? Countless! How many unscrupulous people have sold cultural treasures - when they were really fakes! Too many! Why? There are many reasons, none, however, are really valid. In this issue, you'll read about some fakes that did fool many people. Who knows, when you become an archaeologist or work in a museum, perhaps something you read in the issue will help you stop someone trying to fool the archaeological world. Robbing is not a new profession - in this issue you meet an ancient Egyptian who was about to get away with a cartload of goods, until a baboon got him by the leg. And, there's more - sites worldwide are doing quite a bit to prevent looting. Find out more here, as well as about international cultural heritage law codes that look to bring criminals to their knees! This issue is sure to start you thinking - and acting - on behalf of artifacts that no one anywhere has a right to take or harm!
March	Ireland Ireland - what archaeological remains does it have? Well, DIG has the answer for you, and we're sure you will be surprised at just how many archaeological sites there are! Bring your walking shoes as we'll be traveling north to south and east to west - through bogs and across windswept plains. We'll be checking out the remains of wooden baskets that date back as much as 9,000 years and a possible "sweat" house that's only 2,500 years old. We'll go onsite to check out a Viking grave and see what's being done to preserve the remains. There's detective work to be done, too - with the main clues found at a ringfort in Baronstown. These are just a few of the exciting stops we'll be making, so keep watch for the DIG Ireland "trip"!
April	Shi-Huangdi's Soldiers and Tomb
May / Jun	Earth Paintings (Nasca Lines, England's Chalk Figures, and others)
Jul / Aug	Tattoos

Home

Back

Print

Updated: 5/18/08 09:31 am
Log In