To understand how previous generations of people lived, worked, and played, what is the best research method-digging for facts on the Internet? Boring! the answer lies right beneath our feet: in the dirt. Across the United States and Canada, historical archaeologists dig far below cities and towns for clues about what happened after Europeans arrived. American Archaeology uncovers the stories of Dutch, English, African, Spanisheven Vikingsettlers in North America. Some settlers left behind documents such as diaries, letters, maps, and land deeds. Many other, less tidy settlers left their garbagefood bones, tools, broken dishes, buttons, bottles, toys, and gun parts. Archaeologists carefully scrape away soil, layer by layer, to uncover objects used by people long ago. By learning about these excavations and examining a variety of artifacts, young readers learn about U.S.

and Canadian history in a fresh and unique way.