Archaeological Open-Air Museum

Fort Ross Conservancy (US)

Member of EXARC
No

Fort Ross was the hub of the southernmost Russian settlements in North America from 1812 to 1842. In those days, Spanish colonialists came from the South into California, The Russians from the north.

Fort Ross is nowadays a California State Historic Park showcasing a historic Russian-era fort compound that has been designated National Historic Landmark status. The 3,400 acre park offers pristine natural landscapes as well as historic structures and exhibits that bring to life the former Imperial Russian settlement, early California Ranch era, and Kashaya territory.

Moorforge (UK)

Member of EXARC
No

Traditional Blacksmithing and Skills from the Viking Age. Have you ever wondered what it would have been like living in the Viking age? Well now is your chance with a new Viking settlement that has been created at Moorforge near Wigton. Moorforge Viking settlement is a project undertaken by David Watson and is a not for profit community interest company. After building a Viking era Icelandic style forge and wood workshop, plans are to finish off the site with an animal barn, a smokehouse and a Viking longhouse.

Gosforth, Seascale, Beckermet, St Bees,Workington, Dacre, Penrith, Cumwhitton.
What do they all have in common? The Vikings, and it’s not just limited to these places.
Throughout Cumbria we see the Norse language forming the names of our Towns and Villages. Kirk (from Old Norse Kirkja) means church, Ulverston from Ulfrs tun ('Ulfr's farmstead'), Kendal from Kent dalr ('valley of the River Kent') and Elterwater from eltr vatn (‘Swan Lake').

Campus Galli - Karolingische Klosterstadt e.V. (DE)

Member of EXARC
Yes

In this project the nonprofit association ‘karolingische klosterstadt e.V.’ (Carolingian Monastic Town) makes the most famous architectural drawing of the middle ages become reality: the Plan of Saint Gall. Inspired by the construction of a medieval castle in Guédelon, France, carpenters and volunteers build a medieval monastery, solely with tools and methods as close as possible to those of the early middle ages.

It is our goal to build a 9th century monastery with contemporary Carolingian tools and materials only. To this end the “Plan of St. Gall”, the earliest European architectural document, is put to reality in a wooded area near Lake Constance in Southern Germany, only 40 kilometres from the place of its origin...

Build It and They Will Come: Managing Archaeological Open-Air Museums in Britain for Stability

Author(s)
Lydia Woolway 1 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2017/2
Museums are among the most visited attractions in the UK (ALVA 2015), and with interactive displays and active engagement becoming more commonplace, this success can be capitalised on by archaeological open-air museums. Some European archaeological open-air museums entertain many visitors per year, although most are smaller institutions (Paardekooper 2012)...

Prehistoric Beekeeping in Central Europe - a Themed Guided Tour at Zeiteninsel, Germany

Author(s)
Sonja Guber 1 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2017/2
Over the past few years, beekeeping has been a media focal point. Nevertheless There is a paucity of knowledge surrounding the prehistory of beekeeping outside of the information from the east and south Mediterranean regions...

“Days of Living Archaeology” at the Prehistoric Archaeopark Vsestary, Czech Republic

Author(s)
Radomír Tichý 1 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2017/2
Until recently, the presentation of archaeology in the Czech Republic was solely connected to classic museum exhibitions. Unfortunately, not all museums have archaeological exhibitions. For example, the National Museum in Prague currently does not have any, not even temporary, archaeological exhibition due to the reconstruction of the historical building...

Freilichtkomplex Stary Lud (DE)

Member of EXARC
No

In the small settlement, which belongs to the local museum Dissen, one dives in the life of the Slavic Middle Ages. This goes back centuries, when Slavs inhabited the present region of Brandenburg and in the Lausitz the tribes of the Lusitzer and Milzener were home. This section of the settlement was reconstructed according to the interpretations of archaeological finds from the region and beyond.

A small settlement with five pit houses, which gives the impression that their inhabitants are on their way to the field. The weaver has set up the loom, dyed wool and clothes hang dry on the leash, and the potter has a half-finished pot on the potter’s table, in the sacred grove small sacrifices are laid down, and at the smithy the fire place still smokes. Times are peaceful, the weapons and the chain shirt are cleared away in the warrior's house. In all the pit houses one can see what was important for family life about 1000 years ago.

Ancient Ceramic Centre Pavlikeni (BG)

Member of EXARC
No

This Roman Era archaeological site is an open-air museum with part for experimental archaeology. It is a villa, which was one of the largest ceramic production centres in the province of Lower Moesia on the Balkans.

It is called the Ancient Ceramic Centre near Pavlikeni - a town in Northern Bulgaria. The site was made an open-air museum in the 70-es of 20th century by its first excavator - Bogdan Sultov. There you can see in situ exposed Roman kilns and buildings. An archaeological campus made of shards of Roman bricks, tiles, slag, is the only one of this kind. There is also a part for experimental archaeology with a reconstruction of potter's workshop and kilns. A museum building at the same site shows artefacts, found during the excavations.

Bacrie & Krivolik (CZ)

Member of EXARC
No

The association Bacrie was formed in 2007 from fans of history and archaeology. Its aim is to present and popularize prehistoric history on the territory of the Czech Republic.
The association deals with the life and technology of hunters, first farmers, bronze metal smelters and first ethnic groups – Celts, Germans or Slavs. Bacrie is engaged in research activities and its main project is the building of the Prehistoric settlement Krivolik – archaeological open-air museum and an experimental archaeological center.

Krivolik shows the development of human history, from the advent of modern man (Homo sapiens sapiens) (36,000 BC) up to the Early Middle Ages (900 AD). It goes about the main parts of our history – the culture of mammoth hunters, the transition to agriculture (Neolithic Revolution) and the beginning of metal processing. At the end of prehistory we have the first written report on our territory; we know the first names of the tribes and the rulers of some events.

Raversyde Anno 1465 (BE)

Member of EXARC
No

The first mention of a medieval village at this location dates to 1357. It was called ‘Walravens Hide’, landing site of Walraf. The village submerged during the Vincentius storm in 1394. Following the construction of a new dike in 1399 a new fisher’s village was built by the name Walraversijde.

The village prospered and counted at a certain time one hundred brick-built houses, a mill, a brewery and a gothic church. The village best days were around 1465, also the Golden Age of Flanders. In 1489, nearby Ostend was plundered: the start of the downfall of the region. By 1628 all what remained was the church tower.