About the PAST Foundation

The PAST Foundation is a U. S. nonprofit organization that promotes and facilitates historical and cultural education, protection, and advancement. Through highly interactive work in K-12 schools, the rich archaeological heritage of communities is explored with Foundation assistance. Public exhibits, lectures, and new research are supported, as well.

Anthropological work, primarily archaeology, is the basis for the Foundation’s projects. To promote the understanding of local histoiy and culture, professional Anthropologists and Archaeologists are teamed with K-12 students to explore potential cultural sites in their area. After extensive supervised classroom training, students have the opportunity to go into the field to learn the techniques of modem archaeology and to discover firsthand what wonders lie beneath the soil and water of all nations. The story of the past is told through direct experience with its artifacts. In addition to classroom and field exposure, students are connected with leading Archaeologists and Anthropologists around the world through the Internet, to learn of projects and techniques being conducted in distant and different places.

Ongoing research in archaeology is also key to the Foundation’s interests. The Foundation supports new research and methodologies and makes use of the Internet and other technologies to link field projects and researchers with others in their field and with students in classrooms. The direct access of students to the people and artifacts in the field is strongly encouraged. Through historical and underwater archaeology, prehistoric archaeology, ethnography and life studies, students learn about their cultural heritage and that of other groups wound the globe.