Activity Idea: Crocodile Effigy Vessel (Quick Tip)

Explore the Object in the Classroom:

1. Compare and contrast alligators, caimans, crocodiles and gharials using the encyclopedia or Internet. Divide the class into groups to each research one creature and create a crossword puzzle that includes information and vocabulary related to the animal’s features and habitats.
2. Hypothesize how this work of art might have looked had it been exposed to sunlight, rain, or heat over time. How would each of these elements have impacted its condition?
3. Create an effigy in a human or animal form.

Investigate the processes archaeologists use to excavate vessels like this one. What tools do they use? What kinds of skills and resources do they depend on to help them date the object, preserve it and catalogue it?