Welcome to the Archaeology Quest, the academic competition endorsed by the Missouri Archaeological Society {MAS} and the State Historic Preservation Office of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The Archaeology Quest is a state-wide academic competition designed for students in grades 5-12. The purpose of the Quest is for the student to involve him/herself in archaeological research on a topic related to a selected yearly theme. It is not necessary for the student to collect artifacts, dig, or pursue other archaeological activities which might destroy an archaeological site. The student will present what they have learned in an exhibit, paper, and/or an oral format.

The quest for the student is to discover as much as possible about their chosen topic. The student may choose to study the topic in either the historic or prehistoric context. The student will then present his/her findings at a regional competition. If selected, the student may then advance to the state level of competition. If there are several students involved in the Archaeology Quest from the same school district, the district may hold a local competition. Each school district may enter up to 5 entries per division, by category and presentation format.

The Archaeology Quest is a unique competition in that archaeology involves the detailed scientific study of material evidence (artifacts) remaining from past human life and culture. Archaeology is a combination of many of the social sciences in that it involves the study of historical, anthropological, geographical, and material evidence of past cultures. The Archaeology Quest broadens a student’s knowledge of human existence by combining these social sciences.

It should also be noted that the Archaeology Quest meets a total of 22 Show-Me Performance Standards and 19 Show-Me Knowledge Standards.

The Archaeology Quest is open to all students and teachers regardless of race, creed, sex, religion, physical abilities, economic status or sexual orientation.

Each region will hold a regional competition during the month of March. The state competition will be held during the month of April.

The following information is designed to help the student successfully prepare for the Archaeology Quest. The participant should carefully read over all of the sections. If there are any questions, or if clarifications are needed, please contact the Archaeology Quest at: