The Dialogue with Skills in the OpenArch Project
The Dialogue with Skills in Archaeological Open-Air Museums was an important Theme in the OpenArch-Project, coordinated by the Museum of Modena (Italy) and the Archaeological-Ecological Centre Albersdorf (Germany).
This workpackage focuses on the people that do demonstrations of traditional skills such as metalworking, textile working, pottery making, woodworking etc. The Museum in Italy and in Germany organised four specialist workshops for this target group, which were combined with the joint seminars of the OpenArch-project. The workshops were realized at the partner institutions in Modena (2012), Archeon (2013), Albersdorf (2013) and Kierikki (2014); they all focused on the archaeological and natural environment, the techniques, the craftspersons themselves, the interaction between crafts and also on intangible aspects of the crafts (f. e. stories). Due to the scientific background and because of their public interest and effects on presenting (pre-)history, this work package had close relations with both The Dialogue with Science/Experimental Archaeology and with The Dialogue with the visitor.
Besides the genuine Crafts workshops there were also other activities and experiments about traditional skills at the different partner museums.
A compilation of some of the handicraft and skills activities with their experiences and results has been made with this “Guideline Manual”. Because of its “digital character” there will be additions and more reports in the manual in the future.
We like to thank all partners for their friendly and giving cooperation and for contributing to this report.
We hope that a lot of colleagues at other institutions will have some use for this work and will be inspired to try out their own traditional skills in a practical way and rejuvenate.
Dr. Rüdiger Kelm, info@aoeza.de, Albersdorf and
Alessia Pelillo, apelillo@comune.modena.it, Modena
Spring 2015
Featured
Experience with Building Mesolithic Huts in the Stone Age Park Dithmarschen in 2014
***Two new huts in the Stone Age Park Dithmarschen in Albersdorf (Germany) were built in spring 2014 by the Experimental Archaeologist and Educator Werner Pfeifer with the support of some friends and with financial support from the Stone Age Park Dihmarschen and the EU co-financed project OpenArch.
Experiencing Visible and Invisible Metal Casting Techniques in Bronze Age Italy
***What we know about Bronze Age metalworking in Italy basically relies on finished artefacts and on stone, clay or bronze implements involved in the process of manufacturing (tuyères, crucibles, moulds, hammers, chisels, et cetera; Bianchi, 2010; Bianchi, in press).
Knapping Skill Assessment
***This article is derived from a presentation made by the senior author at the OpenArch Conference "Working with stones in European Pre- and Proto-history in theory and in practice" organised by the Archaeological-Ecological Centre Albersdorf (DE), 23-27 September, 2013.
Field Trials in Neolithic Woodworking – (Re)Learning to Use Early Neolithic Stone Adzes
***Excavations of several Early Neolithic wells with excellent preservation of the wooden lining in the past years have made clear that Stone Age woodworking already attained a very high level of perfection. This poses the question how it was possible to execute this type of work with the means available at that time...
Making Wine like Iberians: a Learning Experience with the International Workcamp at La Ciutadella Ibèrica of Calafell
***The Youth Department of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia organises international summer workcamps in the region. Basically these workcamps consist of different projects where young people participate doing voluntary work as services to the local community, helping people, nature protection or practical work on historical heritage among others...
Event Review: “Living in the Neolithic” – Impressions from the Experimental Archaeology Days of the University of Hamburg in Albersdorf in Summer 2014
***During the summer of 2014 more than 30 students from the Archaeological Institute of the University of Hamburg and four children participated in the practical archaeology week at the Stone Age Village in the Stone Age Park in Albersdorf...
Event Review: Food Workshop in Archeon at the OpenArch conference 2013
***Food and drink are basic needs for every human being. From the perspective of our modern culinary practices, with all its specialities and customs, the traditional cuisines, and especially the pre- and protohistoric dishes, seem not only very far away, but also very primitive and have a negative connotation...
Reconstructing a Prehistoric Fish Trap
***Fish traps, still in use all over the world today for catching fish and crustaceans, have been used by mankind at least since the Mesolithic period. Their shape at that time is quite well-established, suggesting that they may have originated even earlier (Bulten et al, 2002: 108). This type of fish trap is made up of two elements: the funnel and the main trap body (or pot)...
120 Years of Strategies and Experiences in Educational and Handicraft Skills
***One aim of the five year EU-funded Culture Project OpenArch is to encourage cooperation between archaeological open-air museums in Europe and ethnological open-air museums who have a long history of presenting and handicraft to the public in practical ways...