Dr. Charles Speer
Hunting Mammoths and Mastodons
Mammoths and Mastodons were massive, elephant-like creatures that once roamed much of North America during the last Ice Age. This lecture debates how one of the earliest cultures in the New World, the Clovis people, were able to successfully hunt some of the largest mammals to ever roam the Earth. The types of stone tools, weaponry, and hunting techniques the Clovis people used will be presented. The many useful items that could be produced from mammoths will also be offered as an example to why the Clovis people would risk hunting such dangerous animals. The differences between mammoths and mastodons is also discussed.
Making a Mummy
Did you know that there are many ways that mummies are made? Some are created by nature and some are created by people. This lecture discusses the many different types of mummies that have been discovered by archaeologists around the world. The various environmental conditions that are needed to create natural mummies are discussed as well as the factors that contribute to their preservation. The steps used by the Ancient Egyptians to create manmade mummies is also discussed.
Who Were the Neanderthals?
Mammoths and Mastodons were massive, elephant-like creatures that once roamed much of North America during the last Ice Age. This lecture debates how one of the earliest cultures in the New World, the Clovis people, were able to successfully hunt some of the largest mammals to ever roam the Earth. The types of stone tools, weaponry, and hunting techniques the Clovis people used will be presented. The many useful items that could be produced from mammoths will also be offered as an example to why the Clovis people would risk hunting such dangerous animals. The differences between mammoths and mastodons is also discussed.
State Standards
These presentations meet the following state education standards for high school students:
Social Studies
World History and Civilization
6-9.WHC.1.6.1 Describe types of evidence used by anthropologists, archaeologists, and other scholars to reconstruct early human and cultural development.
6-9.WHC.1.6.2 Describe the characteristics of early hunter-gatherer communities.
6-9.WHC.1.6.3 Analyze the characteristics of early civilizations.
U.S. History I
6-12.USH1.1.1.1 Compare and contrast early cultures and settlements that existed in North America prior to European contact.
6-12.USH1.1.1.2 Compare and contrast the different cultural, religious, and social influences that emerged in the North American colonies.
6-12.USH1.1.1.3 Describe the experiences of culturally, ethnically, and racially different groups existing as part of American society prior to the Civil War.
6-12.USH1.1.4.1 Explain the effects of scientific and technological inventions and changes on the social and economic lives of the people in the development of the United States.
6-12.USH1.1.5.1 Examine the development of diverse cultures in what is now the United States.