Archaeological Open-Air Museum

Museum of Ontario Archaeology (CA)

Member of EXARC
No

Situated beside the museum on a flat plateau overlooking the Medway River and Snake Creek is the 500-year-old Neutral Iroquois Village site. The Lawson Archaeological Site may have housed upwards of 2000 people at the height of its occupancy. 

Ancestral communities selected this location for its defensible characteristics, access to water, and proximity to a wide variety of animals, fish and wild plants. The site is five acres in size. Three-quarters of the Lawson site remains covered by trees and is undisturbed by previous farming or archaeological digs.

Yoshinogari Historical Park (JP)

Member of EXARC
No

At the Yoshinogari Historical Park, visitors experience life in the ancient Yayoi period of Japan's history. Yayoi life and culture come alive through the carefully reconstructed village and unique exhibitions found here. 

The Yoshinogari hills were originally slated for one of Saga Prefecture's industrial areas, but the project was suspended upon discovery of ruins and relics, until further research into the area could be carried out. In 1986, the site was meticulously studied to understand whether it was a truly important cultural site. The concluding result was that this area was one of Japan's largest moat encircled villages dating from the Yayoi period (3c. B.C. - 3c. A.D.).

Sannai-Maruyama (JP)

Member of EXARC
No

The Sannai-Maruyama special historical site ((三内丸山遺跡)) features the remains of a large, long-term settlement that from the Early to the Middle Jomon period (from approximately 5,500 to 4,000 years ago).

Excavation that started in 1992, and pit-dwellings, large pit-dwellings, burial pits for adults, burial jars for children, mounds, the remains of large and regular-sized pillar-supported building, storage pits, clay mining pits, and remains of roads have been found. These findings have revealed how people lived in this settlement, as well as the natural environment at that time.

Plantage Bakkie (SR)

Member of EXARC
No

Plantage Reynsdorp (Bakkie) is a former coffee plantation (1744) with old locks and buildings. The plantation was divided around 1900 under old, mainly Javanese, contracts. Bakkie is the last inhabited plantation on the right bank of the Commewijne River.

The Bakkie Museum has one of the most unique collections in Suriname with many original books, prints and objects, like the original journals of J.G. Stedman 1799, the picture book of Benoit 1823, a Blaeu map of 1630, payments for abolition of slavery in 1863, a branding iron, crooked buoy, a West Indian Company (WIC) chocolate mold, a referral from Dr. Sophie Redmond and a coloured picture by Maria Sibylla Merian 1719. The garden at Bakkie is particularly special.

Rõuge Ancient Farm Project (EE)

Member of EXARC
No

The Rõuge ancient farm project (Rõuge Muinastalu) was initiated in 2010 by Viire Kobrusepp and managed by her until 2016. In her Master’s thesis, Viire concentrated her research on an archaeological Iron Age building experiment that saw the construction of a Viking era dwelling house using ancient building techniques.

This was followed by a living experiment. Other buildings followed the construction of the dwelling: a granary, a smithy, a summer kitchen and a barn. When building the reconstructions, archaeological examples were used for the building layouts and ethnographical sources for the different roof designs. The hillfort and settlement site of Rõuge, located only 100 m away from the site, serves as a major source of information as it has been thoroughly excavated.

Posyolok Predkov (RU)

Member of EXARC
No

The complex of historical reconstructions “Ancestors Village” (Посёлок предков) in the Khakassky State Nature Reserve is unique for Khakassia in its concept and forms of work with visitors. On its territory, right under the open sky, the dwellings of the ancient peoples who once inhabited the territory of modern Khakassia are located.

The copies of dwellings recreated with scientific accuracy belong to different archaeological cultures (Okunevskoj, taštykskoj, tagarskoj, kyrgyz) and, thanks to the realism of their exterior and interior, they literally reflect the traces of ancient civilizations.

Kroma Kolna Bruoliste (LV)

Member of EXARC
No

Kroma Kolna is an association of historical activists and reconstructors working with the popularization and imitation of the events and the cultural environment of Latgale’s ancient history, mainly the 9th-13th century AD, before the arrival of Christianity. Latgale is the easternmost region of Latvia, north of the Daugava River. Kroma Kolns’ members study Latgale's ancient history and culture, organise living history events and demonstrations. They also produce jewellery and gadgets, fighting equipment and tools for everyday life of the Latgalians of that time. There are about 30 members from different regions of Latgale operating in the batch of Kroma Kolna.

    Under the leadership of Aleksandra Lubāna, the Kroma Kolna bruoliste has begun work on the reconstruction of the Latgalian tribal wooden castle in Puši Zundas on the Prince Mountain in the Dagda district. It is the place where bruolsters meet at least once a month to share current information, both in terms of historical research and the activities that are being implemented and planned.

    From Gastonia to Gotha: My Thoughts and Impressions on doing Museum Work

    Author(s)
    Doug Meyer 1 ✉
    Publication Date
    EXARC Journal Issue 2018/4
    What I consider my first real museum work came from a message on my phone on January 9th from Ann Tippitt, the Director of the Schiele Museum in Gastonia, North Carolina. Ann asked if I was interested in outfitting a Catawba Indian mannequin for the exhibit. Ann wanted a complete set of clothes, weapons and gear...

    Zemeraj Nature Adventure Park (CZ)

    Member of EXARC
    Yes

    The Nature Adventure Park Zeměráj was founded in 2011 by a private company, funded from private sources without any public subsidies. The Park is situated between Central and Southern Bohemia, near Kovářov village at Orlík nad Vltavou castle.

    The Nature Adventure Park Zeměráj was founded in 2011 by a private company, funded from private sources without any public subsidies. The Park is situated between Central and Southern Bohemia, near Kovářov village at Orlík nad Vltavou castle. The Zeměráj Park covers an area of 9 hectares and surrounds a former farmhouse with a preserved timbered house dating back to 1640, standing at the site of a defunct water mill founded at the very latest at the beginning of the 16th century...

    Cyprus Perfumery Park (CY)

    Member of EXARC
    Yes

    Κυπριακό Θεματικό Πάρκο Αρωματοποιίας - The Cyprus Perfumery Theme Park is a very large scale project that aims to create a space, in which, aside from showcasing the various ancient methods of producing perfume the visitor will be able to experience them first-hand as well. The idea for the park came with the discovery of the most ancient perfume in Pyrgos by the Italian archaeologist Maria Rosaria Belgiorno and the park is based, in big part, on this.

    It is divided into four main sub-projects, the first one being a faithful reconstruction of the ancient site of Pyrgos as it was found by the archaeologists. The second is another reconstruction, this time of the ancient perfumery lab as it is believed to have looked and operated by the archaeologists. The third offers the visitor a glimpse into the past as well as the present by showcasing the various ways in which perfume has been produced throughout the ages.