PORTLAND – The Maine Humanities Council is again offering History Camp, a free week-long day camp for 7th- through 12th-grade students who like history. The first, at the Bangor Museum and History Center in Bangor, from June 25-29, will focus on Penobscot County in the 19th century. The second, from July 16-20 at the Fort Richmond archaeological dig in Richmond, Old Fort Western in Augusta and the Maine State Museum in Augusta, will focus on archaeology and the history of colonial forts in Maine.

“Life on the Homefront: Penobscot County During and After the Civil War” is the first program. In 1911, a devastating fire destroyed downtown Bangor and changed the face of the city forever. What was life in the region like before the fire? Take a glimpse back in time at the Penobscot County of the nineteenth century, when the Civil War divided the nation and Bangor was the rough-and-tumble “lumber capital of the world.” Learn about local Civil War history, including Brewer native Joshua Chamberlain’s military career; study Civil War-era medical practices, funerary customs, cooking and clothing — the routines of everyday life; understand how and why urban environments change; and explore the logging industry and the role of Irish immigrants in the region.

“Digging Up the Past: Archaeology and History at Colonial Fort Richmond” will be the theme of the second program. The Maine frontier was a dangerous place for European settlers, who dotted the landscape with forts to protect themselves against rival European factions and Native Americans. In Richmond, along the Kennebec River, there were likely two forts, one built in 1721 and the second built in the same location in 1740. Neither survived the 18th century. Get your hands dirty and help unearth the forts before a new bridge is built across the Kennebec. Learn why archaeology is important and how it fits into the larger historical picture; study the architecture and functioning of Colonial-era forts in Maine; understand the basics of how to survey and dig at an archaeological site; and practice artifact conservation — cleaning, photographing, storing, cataloging.

Both day camps are free of charge. For more information or to register, contact 773-5051 or 1-866-637-3233 or visit mainehumanities.org.