Roman Era

Roman dodecahedra are hollow bronze objects dating to the 2nd–4th centuries AD, predominantly found in the north-western provinces of the Roman Empire (Guggenberger, 2013). Despite extensive debate, their function remains undocumented in contemporary sources and unresolved archaeologically. This study applies experimental archaeology to reassess whether the form of the Roman dodecahedron is consistent with use as a practical tool in administrative contexts. This study tests the hypothesis that dodecahedra functioned as forming aids for the production of standardised wax elements - such as bullae or related wax objects - used to secure cords, mark documents, or support identification. Using 3D-printed replicas and historically plausible wax mixtures, a series of forming trials was conducted to evaluate how the object’s geometry interacts with material behaviour...

This project experimentally reconstructs textile cleaning in the ancient Roman fullonicae. White wool fabric was stained with olive oil, soil, wine, and tomato-based sauce to approximate the everyday soiling of Roman garments. After allowing the stains to set for seventy-two hours, the cloth underwent a washing, rinsing, and drying procedure modelled on descriptions and archaeological evidence of fulling workshops. A 1:1 mixture of stale urine and water was tested against a modern castile soap solution and a no-treatment control. The stale urine performed comparably to, and in some cases slightly better than, the castile soap at removing dirt and oil, while both treatments left the wool soft in texture. Notably, the urine-treated cloth retained no detectable odor after drying. These findings support the evidence for urine-based cleaning techniques in the ancient Roman fullonicae.

The transport of the c. 800-tonne trilithon blocks at Baalbek remains an unresolved challenge within Near Eastern archaeology. Existing hypotheses - including sledges, rollers, earth ramps, and large-scale manpower organisation - struggle to reconcile the extreme mass of the stones with practical mechanical limits (Adam, 1984; Oleson, 2008). This article introduces the Rolling Flange Hypothesis, a new model grounded in the material properties of Baalbek’s Cretaceous limestone, traditional quarrying practices, and engineering analysis...

The site of Apollonia-Arsuf (Byzantine Sozousa) is located on the Mediterranean coast, some 17 km north of Jaffa (Joppa) and 34 km south of Caesarea Maritima, Israel. The site has been excavated continuously over the last 40 years by the Apollonia-Arsuf Excavation Project. Once a modest coastal settlement, it became the main urban centre of the southern Sharon plain in Byzantine times (4th-7th centuries AD). It was during that period that the site became a major centre of primary (and secondary) glass production (Freestone, 2020), with several excavated primary glass furnaces and additionally documented ones on its terrain (Tal, Jackson-Tal and Freestone, 2004; Freestone, Jackson-Tal and Tal, 2008; Tal, 2020, pp.60-80 passim).

This handbook provides a gateway into Roman Experimental Archaeology. Echoing the foreword, Experimental Archaeology is often viewed by those outside the field as the realm of prehistory, where experimentation can be conducted to, and theorise about what is not known. At the same time, due to their historical sources and physical remains, Rome and later periods are perceived as not requiring experimentation. This handbook quells this idea, instead collating the work of skilled and inventive individuals and providing both a framework and inspiration for future work.

Roman armour was frequently richly decorated, with embossed designs being among the most striking examples. A more subtle technique, sometimes used alongside embossing, was partial tinning on copper alloys: the selective application of a tin layer to create a visual contrast with the base metal. Recent analysis reveals this method was more technically complex than previously assumed. This article presents experimental insights into how partial tinning could have been achieved using Roman-era technology...

Roman construction is a recurring theme in archaeology, having been studied through many lenses: architecture, materials, urbanism, ornamentation, economics, religion, and so forth. Nevertheless, many aspects of the building process have seldom been the focus of these analyses, especially the specific actions and craftsmen involved in the chaîne opératoire. It is the aim of the Fabri Tignuarii – the roman college of building craftsmen – to delve into the specifics of roman construction...

The literature on the production of Migration Period (c.400-550 AD) gold bracteates has suggested wood as a possible material to be used for the matrix on which bracteates are made, but only in the production of a single or very few bracteates. This study experiments with how such a matrix could have been made and what part of the wood could have been used. Additionally, it examines the quality changes in serial production...

Soap is a substance now taken for granted, but there is uncertainty, myth and misinformation about its development, and little scholarly attention has been paid to the likely circumstances surrounding its discovery. As part of a MSc in Experimental Archaeology, a project collated the earliest mentions of proto-soaps...

During the Roman period, small metal screw threads were used both as fastenings and to impart motion. This paper, which is an extended version of my previous article, will show that it is possible to produce metal screw threads using very simple technology. The tools and expertise to carry out this work is...