VENTURA : Piecing Together Ways of Archeology

A group of junior archeologists sifts through ceramic shards on the lawn of the Albinger Archaeological Museum, trying to piece together old dishes.

The 8- to 12-year-olds were working on thrift store dishware broken for the occasion by the staff of the Ventura museum, but they were learning how experts piece together the past.

The museum holds four-hour programs periodically to teach junior archeologists about the American Indians and Spaniards in Ventura and about the work that archeologists do.

The museum also holds shorter programs weekly for local elementary school groups, said Shirley Sager, assistant manager of the museum.

Each of the eight children was given a shard, with no two children receiving pieces from the same dish. Then Sager dumped out a bag full of broken dishes.

None of the children completely pieced together a dish.

“This is reality,” Sager said, likening the exercise to an archeologist’s job. “This is the way things work.”

The children glued the pieces together, then taped over the glue and left them to dry.

They were excited that they could take the dishes home. “I’m going to eat off mine,” said Sage Wallower, 8, of Ojai.

The next junior archeologists program will be held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. May 25. The cost is $10, and children should bring a lunch.