There are 3 different tools to use - brush, spade, dynamite. Each cost different amount of historical event currency - depending on event. You use them to collect certain number of artifacts. Once you have gathered first X number, you can open your very small museum. If you keep adding your artifacts - the museum keeps expanding - like Yiggrassil (or whatever the name) tree in Viking settlements.
Now, one of the black, rectangular windows has to be a map of the area where you dig. It is just a plain ground so you cannot tell where the artifacts are. You purchase a tool (as described above) and you hit the ground in random place. Maybe you have found an artifact or maybe you just have wasted the tool... Like playing 'battleships'.
Now, the other black, rectangular window has to be some sort of progress map towards next level of the museum. Perhaps it will ask for a number of AYN artifacts, or perhaps will demand particular type. The second one will make the process longer, of course. The progress map would look different too - more of jigsaw puzzle type, as not every artifact piece will do.
But since you will be building the thing over the course of multiple events - there is always the chance to get the missing pieces during the next event.
Now, the left bottom 5 windows are the inventory of what the artifacts collected so far. That makes me think, you need particular type to expand your museum.
Or perhaps it is the inventory of the artifacts still hidden on the map, an ones found already...
I made it all up here of course.
Just an excercise for my imagination...