Archaeological Open-Air Museum

In 2019 a substantial building, based on archaeological evidence of early British Neolithic dwelllings, was constructed by site staff, volunteers, and staff of Wessex Archaeology at the Experimental Archaeology site, Butser Ancient Farm in Hampshire, England. The archaeological feature on which our building was based was excavated in 2012 by Wessex Archaeology as part of a pre-extraction programme...

Introduction

In 2012, Den Gamle By opened the ‘House of Memory’, accomodation specially furnished for sessions with people affected by dementia. It is a three-room apartment with accessibility for wheelchair users, a functional toilet and kitchen, two living rooms, a hallway and a bedroom. As collaborating partners, memory researchers from Aarhus University and the Department of Health and Care at Aarhus Municipality assisted with their knowledge.

Introduction

The archaeological material for this period is scarce locally and does not give enough data for reconstruction. Thus, the decision was made to experiment on building techniques of the various types of habitats encountered in archaeological excavations throughout the south-eastern quarter of France in the regions near Ardèche such as Gard and Herault. The building material was chosen to fit the local climate and resources, and to provide reconstructions that would be compatible with the archaeological context of southern Ardèche.

The Scottish Crannog Centre is currently in the process of moving to a new larger site, just across the waters of Loch Tay to the northern shores. On our journey to our new home of Dalerb we took the decision to embrace sustainability in all its forms and consider how we can highlight certain sustainable practices that can be seen in the archaeological record...

As our societies become more diverse and the demographics of heritage visitors change, many open-air museums are concerned about how to remain relevant. Making a shift to an activist approach is one way museums can evolve to better serve their visitors and community. Many traditional museums have adopted this approach, but relatively few open-air museums have done so...

Twah Longwar is an abandoned settlement located in the State of Meghalaya in North-East India. It is located enroute to one of the world's rainiest places on earth – Mawsynram. Twah Longwar is an abandoned settlement with remnants of over twenty old houses, an ancient market, and a burial site. In a place where rainfall is a concern but also a major tourist attraction, and where lost architectural styles are only...

Since the year 2006 the Archaeological-Ecological Centre Albersdorf (AÖZA), Germany, has worked as an officially recognised partner for sustainable development on an institutional base for the Sustainable Development Goals of the UNO on a regional level. In this article the thematic background of the educational work in archaeology and ethnography will be ...

As part of the RETOLD project, which runs from 2020 until 2024 and is funded by the Creative Europe Programme, Nüwa Digital Media Production Studios (Ireland) in collaboration with the Archaeological-Ecological Centre Albersdorf (AÖZA, Germany) have carried out a year-long user research project for a future digital tool, that will enable open-air museums to collect and manage data...

Introduction

The RETOLD Project (2020-2024), launched by EXARC and funded by Creative Europe, aims to develop a standardised workflow to freely document, digitise and share the heritage of Open-air museums. One of its key features will be the release of a unified digital platform which will improve research capacity and the preservation of digitised heritage data. In addition, it will offer tools that will enable future museum professionals to achieve an active digital presence and enhance participation with communities, thus ensuring the long-term sustainability of these spaces.

Introduction

Almost 60 years ago, new museology’s call for a re-examination of the very identity of the museum, of its functions and purposes, brought forward its social role and signaled a major turn by initiating new areas of museum practice and research (Vergo, 1989). Since then, the relation of museums to their social, economic, and political environment has been the subject of many studies. Terms such as social and cultural inclusion, democratization and social responsibility are central in the current museological discourse.