Experimental Archaeology – the Exhibition

Long time EXARC member MAMUZ Schloss Asparn/Zaya has done something special: with help of EXARC, they put together an international touring exhibition on experimental archaeology.

The exhibition presents exciting and unusual experiments conducted by respected archaeologists from across the globe that have provided revealing insights into the living environments of the ancient world. But can a modern experiment reflect the reality of the past? How is an experiment set up and why is meticulous documentation so important? The exhibition first introduces experimental archaeology as a research method and then presents a broad spectrum of experiments and areas of application.

Archaeology is largely concerned with periods from which neither written nor pictorial sources have survived. Traditional archaeological methods are often inadequate for understanding the way in which archaeological finds, such as tools and structures, were made and used. Only scientific experiments can answer specific questions about the technical possibilities, work processes and craftsmanship of our ancestors. But in order to carry out an experiment it is vital to have a mastery of the tools and materials. Experimental archaeologists therefore require not just historical knowledge, but also practical know-how and excellent manual skills.

The exhibition shows experiments in areas such as ceramic production, wood technology, bronze casting, glass bead making, textile handicrafts, bone working and metallurgy. Experiments also help understand the processes involved with various activities, such as preparing roast pork 8,000 years ago and are used to show how people lived using a reconstructed Viking house.

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MAMUZ Schloss Asparn/Zaya is Lower Austria’s competence centre for Prehistory, Historical Archaeology and Experimental Archaeology. The permanent exhibition offers an overview of the cultural history of Eastern Austria from the Palaeolithic to the beginning of the modern era using original exhibits and, in addition, fully functional models of prehistoric residential buildings and workshops from the Stone Age to the Iron Age at the adjacent open-air site.

More information about MAMUZ: https://exarc.net/members/venues/mamuz-at

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The exhibition is on display at MAMUZ Schloss Asparn/Zaya until 28 November 2021 following upon which it will be travelling, first stop: the UK. If you are interested in hosting this exhibition, please contact renate.heger@mamuz.at.

SIZE
Exhibition space required:
150–300 m²

AVAILABLE
from December 2021 on
25 EXPERIMENTS BY 46 ARCHAEOLOGISTS FROM 11 NATIONS

The exhibition presents 25 exciting and innovative experiments conducted by 46 archaeologists from across the globe that have provided revealing insights into the living environments of the ancient world. 
The exhibition first introduces experimental archaeology as a research method and then presents a broad spectrum of experiments and areas of application. 
Archaeology is largely concerned with periods from which neither written nor pictorial sources have survived. Traditional archaeological methods are often insufficent for understanding the way in which archaeological finds, such as tools and structures, were made and used. Only scientific experiments can answer specific questions about the technical possibilities, work processes and craftsmanship of our ancestors. 
But in order to successfully carry out an experiment it is vital to have a mastery of the tools and materials. Experimental archaeologists therefore require not just historical knowledge, but also practical know-how and excellent manual skills.
The exhibition shows experiments in areas such as ceramic production, wood technology, bronze casting, glass bead making, textile handicrafts, bone working and metallurgy. Experiments help understand the processes connected to various activities, such as preparing roast pork 8,000 years ago or create comparative data, like on how people might have lived in a Viking house. 
The exhibition was organised by MAMUZ in cooperation with EXARC, a global network of archaeological open-air museums and experimental archaeologists.

OVERVIEW OF THE CONTENTS ON DISPLAY:

Introduction / Franz Pieler
EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY

Introduction / Matilda Siebrecht / Roeland Paardekooper
THE MANY FACES OF EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY

1 Sue Heaser
EARLY MEDIEVAL GLASS BEADMAKING

2 Danica Staššíková-Štukovská
GLASS MELTING EXPERIMENTS IN THE ARCHEOPARK IN HANUŠOVCE NAD TOPĽOU

3 Jannie Marie Christensen
MAN AND HOUSE

4 Frances Houston
LET’S GET WEAVING!

5 Katrin Kania / Heather Hopkins Pepper
MEDDLING METALS?

6 Katrin Kania
WHAT MAKES THE YARN?

7 Thomas Rose / Yarden Pagelson / Yuval Goren
RECONSTRUCTING THE METALLURGY OF THE CHALCOLITHIC SOUTHERN LEVANT (4200–3800 BCE)

8 Lukas J. Kerbler
BLOOMERY FURNACE

9 Michael Konrad
A MATTER OF FORM?

10 Johannes Auenmüller / Georges Verly / Frederik W. Rademakers / Florian Téreygeolv
CASTING CAT HEADS

11 Nicholas Groat / Lenore Thompson
CERAMICS AND SMELTING

12 Anna Kaiser / Boris Dreyer
DANUVINA ALACRIS

13 Beate Maria Pomberger
HOW WERE GUT STRINGS PRODUCED IN PREHISTORY?

14 Wolfgang F. A. Lobisser
WOOD TECHNOLOGY OF THE EARLY NEOLITHIC PERIOD

15 Duncan Keenan-Jones
HERO’S AUTOMATA AND DIGITAL EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY

16 Anja Mansrud
HOOKED!

17 Magyar Történelmi Íjász Társaság, Gábor Szabó, Zengő Nyíl
BRONZE-HEADED ARROWS AGAINST THE IRON GATE

18 Grzegorz Osipowicz
BIRCH TAR PRODUCTION IN PALAEOLITHIC AND MESOLITHIC

19 Barbara Horejs / Michael Brandl / Irene Petschko / David Blattner
THE PATH TO MAKE A PIG ROAST 8000 YEARS AGO

20 Hans Reschreiter / Wulf Hein / Fiona Poppenwimmer / Rolf Palm / Frank Findeiß / Heather Leach / Christine van der Stege
BENDING AND BREAKING

21 Hans Reschreiter / Fiona Poppenwimmer / Daniel Brandner / Max Grabner / Frank Trommer
HOW MUCH COPPER AND TIN FOR SALT?

22 Franz Pieler / Karina Grömer / Michael Konrad / Michaela Fritzl
LONG TERM EXPERIMENT: MIDDLE BRONZE AGE TUMULUS

23 Michaela Fritzl
RITUAL MATTERS

24 Kirsten Mandl / Martin Grassberger
AS RED AS BLOOD

25 Fritz Ugrinovits
RED AND BLACK


The bilingual (EN/DE) exhibition catalogue counts 176 pages and can be bought ordered directly from MAMUZ Schloss Asparn/Zaya for 24,95 EUR (excl. P&P) via buchung@mamuz.at. It is also for sale at the museums which host the exhibition.

More information: https://www.mamuz.at/en/exhibitions/schloss-asparn-zaya/6-experimentelle-archaeologie