Newest Era

This paper explores the ‘Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience’ (CURE) model as an effective approach to teaching experimental archaeology. While the CURE model has been successfully used in STEM fields to enhance student engagement and produce positive long-term impacts on academic and career success, it has yet to be widely implemented into experimental archaeology curriculum - despite the inherently experiential, hands-on nature of the discipline...

The fourteenth edition of the experimental archaeology conference (EAC14) was held from May 12-16th 2025 in the city of Curitiba, Brazil, co-hosted by the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). This was EXARC’s first EAC event to be held outside of Europe, and one of the first dedicated conferences on experimental archaeology to be held in Brazil. Consequently, the lead-up to the event was filled with as much trepidation as excitement, but thanks to the organisers at EXARC and the UFPR, and an excellent team of volunteers both online and on the ground, the final event ran without a hitch...

The purpose of this essay is to assess the situation of public archaeology in Nigeria. Public archaeology is the practice of sharing archaeological knowledge with the public. It is a branch of archaeology that focuses on engaging the public and making archaeological practices and findings accessible to non-professionals. Its approach involves community outreach, education, and collaborative projects, aimed at fostering awareness creation for the preservation of cultural heritage...

This paper outlines the background to, and design of, a workflow tool intended to help plan and record archaeological experiments. The tool consists of a user-friendly interface for annotations and drawing flowcharts, and is being developed to work on smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. It is being written as part of a larger project aimed at creating a digital infrastructure that should make it easier for everyone involved in archaeology to share digital resources...

In this interview for EXARC, Rickard Åkesson converses with fellow Viking enthusiast Vicky Mikalsen. They share how Viking history became a passion, and how they have been involved with events, conferences and living history. Many of you know Rickard Åkesson as a re-enactor for the last 20+ years...

From the 8th to the 10th of November 2024, the Viking fortress Trelleborg welcomed researchers, students, and craftspeople for three days of celebrating experimental archaeology. This was the fourth annual meeting of “Eksperimentel Arkæologi i Danmark”(EAD) [Experimental Archaeology in Denmark], following the success of meetings at Ribe Vikingecenter...

Disability and the presence of disabled individuals in prehistory and history is well established, attested through the archaeological record as well as in available contemporary written accounts. What seems less self-evident is how the presence of disabled individuals in a particular setting should be interpreted; practically, socially and in terms of the social agency where disabled individuals are concerned...

The annual Vounous Symposium was once again held at the site of the Bronze Age cemetery in Çatalköy, Northern Cyprus, from 1-16 September. Over 60 artists and researchers from Europe and America participated in the event, recreating Bronze Age Vounous ceramics. As in past years, artists, craftworkers, and researchers gathered from around the world to participate and experiment with...

This year between September 1-3, EXARC held a conference specifically focused on the topic of Digitalisation in Open-Air Museums and the cultural sector. Co-organised by the Batavialand Museum in Lelystad (the Netherlands), the event brought together the RETOLD partners and several professionals from around the world...

We live in a time when advances in science and technology can quickly outpace our ability to understand its impact on our past, present, and future. Interpreting Science at Museums and Historic Sites provides insights into how museums and historic sites can bridge this gap so that we can better understand the past and perhaps influence future social directions for the better...