Experimental Archaeology

American University in Cairo (EG)

Member of EXARC
No

Salima Ikram is a Distinguished University Professor of Egyptology at The American University in Cairo and has worked as an archaeologist in Turkey, Sudan, Greece and the United States. 

She holds a MPhil in Museology and Egyptian archaeology and a PhD in Egyptian archaeology from Cambridge University. She has participated in several archaeological missions and has directed the Animal Mummy Project, the North Kharga Darb Ain Amur Survey, as well as the Amenmesse Mission of KV10 and KV63 in the Valley of the Kings. Her research interests are vast, spanning from archaeozoology and funerary archaeology to rock art, ethnoarchaeology and museology.

Western Carolina University (US)

Member of EXARC
No

Western Carolina University has a combined Anthropology and Sociology department, with 10 full-time anthropologists on faculty. The program offers undergraduate concentrations in Sociocultural Anthropology and Linguistics, Archaeology, and Forensic and Biological Anthropology.

Experimental Archaeology is offered every 4th semester (odd-numbered years) and has historically focused on questions arising from archaeological research in the southern Appalachians and often focuses on aspects of Cherokee prehistory. Projects have focused on a wide range of technologies, including bone, chipped stone, ground stone, rivercane, ceramics and local clay processing, and cooking.

Università di Bologna (IT)

Member of EXARC
No

The Laboratory of Experimental Archaeology at the University of Bologna  is based at the Bronze Age site of Solarolo (Ravenna), where excavations have been carried out since 2006. The laboratory was settled in 2011 to train students in the analysis and interpretation of stratigraphic processes and in the understanding of prehistoric technologies.  Activities include the participation of different expertise, from archaeologists to archeotechnicians, from ethnoarchaeologists to experts in archaeometry, which share their skills and knowledge with students...

Concerning the methodology, research questions are formulated starting from the analysis of  finds from different chronological contexts, from prehistory to Middle Ages. Recently most of the attention has been devoted to the archaeological site of Solarolo in the wider context of the Bronze Age Northern Italy, where  excavations have yielded a remarkable quantity of ceramic, metal, bone artifacts, as well as archaeobotanical and archaeozoological finds, which raised important questions about Bronze Age manufactures, land use, agricultural practices and animal farming.  

Ancient Distillation and Experimental Archaeology about the Prehistoric Apparatuses of Tepe Gawra

Author(s)
Maria Rosaria Belgiorno 1 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2020/2
11th EAC Trento 2019
***The Perfume Theme Park Museum of Cyprus’ research protocol of Experimental Archaeology (https://www.perfumecypark.org), aims at verifying hypotheses of ancient perfume manufacturing processes, to formulate a possible comparison with modern realities derived from the island’s ancient cultural heritage. What has recently emerged...

Universität Zürich (CH)

Member of EXARC
No

The Department of Archeology at the University of Zurich has an affiliated experimental archaeology group named ExperimentA (https://www.experimentarch.ch). The group runs experimental-archaeological projects, engages in public transfer (cf. images of the 2017 "Scientifica" science fair in Zurich), and is present in basic teaching modules of the study programs with experimental and empirical themes. 

From autumn 2020, specific experimental teaching modules such as exercises with material techniques and chaînes opératoires (metal, flint, textiles, wood etc.) will be part of the study programs. Moreover, BA and MA students have the possibility to choose experimental-archaeological topics for their qualification thesis, and PhD students are invited to participate in interdisciplinary research projects, or launch their own initiatives.

Smelting Conditions and Smelting Products: Experimental Insights into the Development of Iron Bloomery Furnaces

Author(s)
Yvette A. Marks 1 ✉,
N. Groat 1,
L. O. Lortie 1,
M. Hughes 1,
H. F. Thompson 1,
C. J. Woodland 1,
T. MS Adams 1,
T. Thorpe 1,
Bangcheng Tang 1,
R. Kenyon 1,
B. Langhorne 1,
J. Fraser-Darling 1
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2020/2
The material record for bloomery furnaces in Iron Age and Roman Britain is fragmentary and, because of this paucity of evidence, the reconstruction of the ceramic structures used in iron production is difficult. Experiments have nevertheless been carried out to ...

Roar Ege: The Lifecycle of a Reconstructed Viking Ship

Author(s)
Tríona Sørensen 1 ✉,
Martin Rodevad Dael 1
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2020/2

Roar Ege was launched in 1984, and after more than 30 years on the water, has many sea miles under its keel. The years have, however, taken their toll on the ship. Roar Ege has undergone several major phases of repair – most recently in 2014. It was hoped this repair would keep Roar Ege afloat for several more years but by spring 2016, the ship had deteriorated to such an extent that it was clear that Roar Ege’s sailing days were over.

University of California, EASL (US)

Member of EXARC
No

EASL is a research lab for the study of past cultures and materials through experimentation, scientific analysis and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education. All students and affiliates of the Cotsen Institute are welcome to use this space and its facilities.

The Experimental and Archaeological Sciences Laboratory (EASL) is a collaborative research space dedicated to the study of ancient materials and technology through replication experiments and scientific analysis. The lab assists students, faculty and Cotsen affiliates with their archaeological research projects, as well as offers resources for laboratory-based courses. 

University of Queensland (AU)

Member of EXARC
No

The University of Queensland runs a biannual course ‘Ancient Technologies: Experimental and Analytical Approaches to Understanding (ARCS2010)’. This course was developed by Prof Chris Clarkson and is coordinated by Dr Ben Schoville until 2021 while Clarkson is on a research fellowship. 

ARCS2010 will build understanding of the principles, evolution and sophistication of ancient technologies. Experimental archaeology is an important arm of archaeological research used to develop and test hypotheses about the practicalities, operational conditions and limitations of prehistoric technologies. The course will cover the anthropological theory of technology, the principles and objectives of experimental archaeological science, the origins and evolution of complex technology, and how technology can inform us about past human societies and cultural change.