Ancient Technology

Roman Gold Washing as Described by Pliny the Elder

Author(s)
Brigitte Cech
Heimo Urban
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2021/3
#EAC12 World Tour 2021
***As part of a four-year interdisciplinary research project of a Roman gold mine in the landscape known as the "Karth" to the south of Vienna, Austria, a reconstruction of gold washing took place as described by Pliny the Elder in book 33 of his Natural History. So far, the "Karth" is the only proven Roman gold mine known in the Eastern Alps...

Recreating Historic European Spindle Spinning

Author(s)
Mary Ann Megan Cleaton 1 ✉,
Alice Rose Evans 1,
Jane Hunt 1,
Cathelina di Alessandri 1
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2021/2
Spinning is a vital step in the production of textiles, whereby fibres are drawn out (drafted) and twisted together to make thread. In the present day, several culturally unique types of spinning are recognised, such as the thigh-rolling technique of traditional Navajo spinners who use unusually large spindles in a supported style (Wolf Creek, 2009)...

Fresco Mixtures with Dried Lime Plaster: Cameron’s Experiments Revisited

Author(s)
Αntonis Vlavogilakis 1 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2021/2

Introduction

During the Bronze Age, the craftspeople of the eastern Mediterranean practiced a form of reuse or recycling: fragments of mortar were used as aggregates in lime mixtures intended for walls or floors (Shaw, 1973, p.222; Brysbaert, 2003, pp.168-173, pp.175-176; Jones, 2005, p.220; Brysbaert, 2008, p.118). Such a mixture was found in a house in the Akrotiri settlement of Santorini, in a part of the wall that was intended to be painted (Jones, 2005, p.220).

The Career of an Orange Stone

Author(s)
Irena Podolska 1,
Wojciech Rutkowski 1,2 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2021/2
The analysis of archaeological works of art involves their formal, thematic and interpretative description. The importance of these stages rests in their potential to reveal the biography of an artefact. Research methods investigating the production technology behind an object are a valuable factor extending the field of interpretation of a given object. Each finished work is the result of a creative process...

A Discussion on the Position of Weaving in the Society of Prehistoric Britain

Author(s)
Helen Poulter 1,2 ✉,
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2021/2
There have been several recent experiments on using warp-weighted looms in Demark, Italy and Greece, some in Roman houses (Andersson Strand, 2015; Dimova, 2016). The experiments, in particular those in Denmark and Netherlands, took place in the typical rectangular longhouses used in their respective prehistories, unlike 'Britain's predominant roundhouses...

The Ancient Magic of Malt: Making Malt Sugars and Ale from Grain Using Traditional Techniques

Author(s)
Merryn Dineley 1 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2021/2
The transformation of grain into malt, malt sugars and ale is a three step process. First, the controlled germination (malting), then ‘mashing in’ and collecting a sweet liquid known as wort and finally, the fermentation by pitching the yeast which converts the sugary wort into an alcoholic beverage. Each step requires different conditions for the process to work. They cannot be combined...

Priae (FR)

The Research Center for Interpretation and Experimental Archeology (Pôle de recherche, interprétation et archéologie expérimentale, PRIAE) is a international initiative.

Research, interpretation and experimental archeology center - its main objective is to increase the knowledge about the musical practice of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, as we ll as the inventory, study and valuation of artefacts adjoining.

Just how practical is it to Move a Warp-weighted Loom from between the Interior and Exterior of a Roundhouse?

Author(s)
Helen Poulter 1,2 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2021/1
An experimental programme at Butser Ancient Farm run between 2015 and 2017 was to investigate weaving within a roundhouse on a warp-weighted loom. Part of these investigations was an examination into the feasibility of moving the loom in and out of the house, to take advantage of the longer daylight available in summer...

Weaving Production in Butser Ancient Farm Roundhouses in the South of England

Author(s)
Helen Poulter 1,2 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2021/1
From 2015 to 2017 a series of weaving experiments using warp-weighted looms were conducted in the roundhouses at Butser Ancient Farm. The aim was to focus on the working environment within the roundhouse and to assess any potential issues that may occur whilst weaving, including benefits. The results of the research would also assist in evaluating any seasonal patterns which cause productivity to...