History Discovery Lab
Solving History's Mysteries:
The History Discovery Lab
The interactive exhibition Solving History’s Mysteries: The History Discovery Lab offers hands-on activities and focuses on the process of discovery, how we learn, and the important role historic architecture and archaeology play in defining our communities and culture. The only exhibition of its kind in Virginia, Solving History’s Mysteries raises awareness about historic preservation and makes the case for historic preservation stewardship. It offers rich potential for learning activities, both in the classroom and on-site, tied to math, science, history, and social studies SOLs. The permanent exhibition serves as the center of the department’s educational and outreach programs. To read and download the complementary classroom Teacher Guide and Activity Book, click here.
Solving History’s Mysteries is the result of the public-private partnership between the department and the Virginia Historical Society and is made possible through generous donations from the private sector. The exhibition is housed at the Virginia Historical Society, and is a compelling complement to The Story of Virginia.
The exhibition is divided into five areas of exploration, each representing a facet of discovery:
In "History in Our House," visitors examine a recreated historic site and learn how to "read" a house. They determine how it was made, when it was built, who lived there, and how it and its surroundings changed through the years.
In the interactive computer program, "History All Around Us," visitors locate significant historic resources in counties and cities around the state—from houses, commercial buildings, and churches to train stations, bridges, battlefields, and archaeological sites. Taken together, the resources help define communities and regions and cover a wide range of types, time periods, and social, economic, industrial, and cultural themes.
"History Under Water" helps visitors discover the wealth of information found in the exploration of underwater historic sites and become acquainted with scientific equipment and techniques, such as side-scan sonar and sub-bottom profile readings.
"History Under Ground" demonstrates what can be learned from an archaeological site, peeling back the layers of soil to reveal who lived there, how they lived, and in what time period.
"History in the Lab" takes visitors through the process of examination and methods of testing in the behind-the-scenes work of analyzing and conserving recovered artifacts. A lively video shows how modern scientific techniques now available to archaeologists have revealed new information about Virginia and its people.
History in Our House History All Around Us
A recreated historic site gives visitors the opportunity to examine architectural features of a house, like this fireplace, that were hidden by modernization.
Visitors can view historic artifacts excavated from the Chesapeake Bay.
By examining layers of soil in an archaeological site, visitors can learn about the people who once lived there.
New scientific technologies that aid in historic artifact conservation are explained in a video in the lab area of the exhibition.