Leatherwork & tanning

Paläotechnik offers ancient technology expertise since 1996. The main focus is on indigenous and prehistoric skin processing technology, including related fields like bone, antler and ivory technology.

Daily life in the paleolithic in South-Germany/North-Switzerland, cooking in rawhide, brain tanning, flintknapping. Working with museums in Switzerland and Germany at open days events. Present project is tanning with pigments. 

I'm a PhD student from Ukraine and a member of the living history club "Zastava (Stronghold)". I working on my dissertation about medieval log-boats from the southwestern lands of Kievan Rus' in the 10th-13th centuries.

My interest in experimental archaeology started at the age of seventeen when I entered the re-enactment world. It was at the meeting point of both my passions for archaeology and craft.

I am a non traditional student reentering academia after a 30 yr Hiatus. I was a volunteer with the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology for several years in my earlier years. I have now decided to return to gain a degree in Anthropology and Geology.

I am currently doing my PhD research on flint artefacts from the transitional period of Mesolithic to Neolithic in Belgium by use-wear analysis. For this research, I perform a lot of experiments using flint tools for 'Mesolithic activities', like plant or hide processing.

I started working in the experimental field while still studying at the university. Mostly I do reconstructions of iron objects and medieval shoes. These days I run the forge of the archaeological open-air museum "Bajuwarenhof Kirchheim", where I also present other crafts to the public.

Graduated archaeological studies with specialization of archaeological monuments' conservation at NCU in Toruń, Poland. I specialize in archaeological objects' conservation made of organic material: wood, leather, textiles, and antlers.

Education:

MA Archaeology from the University of Aberdeen (2014)

My dissertation looked at the possible uses of seaweed in Viking Age Metallurgy. This research used experimental methods working with seaweed in an iron-age style forge (provided by EXARC member Dave Budd).

Since 1980 I have taught the conservation of objects (stone, glass, metal, fibers, leather, ceramics etc.) at the Department of Art Conservation at Buffalo State College (State University of New York). I have been a craftsman essentially all my life.