Book Review: Experimentelle Archäologie in Europa - Bilanz 2011

Bilanz 2011 once again supplies an exciting, diverse and interesting view into the world of experimental archaeology. Published by EXAR in cooperation with the Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen, Isensee Verlag, Oldenburg 2011, 270 pp, ISBN 978-3-89995-794-5

Experimental Archaeology

The use of metal moulds to cast lead weights onto the wooden shaft of a plumbata

Plumbata - Plural plumbatae. a projectile weapon used during the latter part of the Roman period – a fletched dart. They usually consisted of a barbed iron head with a lead weight fitted to a fletched wooden shaft. Plumbatae have been found on several sites in Britain and abroad and written evidence for their existence has been reported in the fourth century by Vegitius...

Archaeological Open-Air Museum

History Matters at Ty Mawr Medieval Hall

Nestled in the hills of Montgomeryshire lies a gem of medieval history, the enigmatic Ty Mawr hall (Ball 2009a) rediscovered in the late 20th century, yet over 500 years old. Hidden within a tumbled down brick cow house this remarkable medieval house was the largest aisled hall ever recorded in Wales...

Interpretation

Crafting the Past: Theory and Practice of Museums

How do we know something is real? We say something exists when it is tangible and we can touch it; it is factual when we can compare it to other known variables, and historic when it fulfils our expectation of the past. There are objects and activities that blur these categories and cause people to accept alternative histories...

Mixed Matters

Review: European Textile Forum 2016

The annual European Textile Forum took place from 7-13 November 2016. This year the focus was ‘mistakes’, the unintended consequences in textile manufacture or preservation that reveal more about the artefact, the techniques used and its makers than a ‘perfect’ piece could do. The programme was rich in practical experiments..

Mixed Matters

Book Review: The Minoan Double Axe: An Experimental Study of Production and Use by Maria Lowe Fri

British Archaeological Reports has once again provided the world with an excellent publication on experimental archaeology. Maria Lowe Fri’s book is a revised version of her Ph.D. thesis at Stockholm University (2007). As the title indicates, it focuses on the Minoan double axe...

Experimental Archaeology

Getting hammered: The Use of Experimental Archaeology to Interpret Wear on Late Bronze Age Hammers and Modern replicas

Metalsmithing tools such as hammers are rarely recognised for their significance in understanding prehistoric metalworking technology. Their development and specialisation signal new metalworking techniques and a wider array of the types of metal objects being made. Our knowledge of ancient metalworking is...

Archaeological Open-Air Museum

Prehistoric Beekeeping in Central Europe - A themed guided tour at Zeiteninsel, Germany

Over the past few years, beekeeping has been a media focal point. Nevertheless There is a paucity of knowledge surrounding the prehistory of beekeeping outside of the information from the east and south Mediterranean regions...

Archaeological Open-Air Museum

The Potential for Open-Air Sites: A Diversified Approach in Emilia, Italy

The development of open-air cultural heritage and archaeological areas is based upon their optimal safeguarding and management, and through the public awareness they generate. In this paper, considering different management issues and end goals, we will demonstrate how, through cooperation among specialized professionals, local authorities and ...

Mixed Matters

Book Review: Performing heritage: Research, practice and innovation in museum theatre and live interpretation by Anthony Jackson and Jenny Kidd (eds)

This useful text brings together recent thinking about museum theatre and the performance of heritage, offering a range of international case studies to its readers as evidence of the discipline’s usefulness in interpreting the past for visitors...

Welcome

One of EXARCs most important assets is the EXARC JOURNAL, all open access. It has four peer-reviewed sections covering EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY, ARCHAEOLOGICAL OPEN-AIR MUSEUM, ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY and INTERPRETATION.
The fifth section of the EXARC Journal is called MIXED MATTERS. It contains book reviews, reports from conferences and events, interviews with personalities from the world of experimental archaeology and portraits of archaeological open-air museums. This section will be regularly updated to bring you topical news.

Last added articles

“Days of Living Archaeology” at the Prehistoric Archaeopark Všestary, Czech Republic

Radomír Tichý (CZ)

Issue 2017/2

Archaeological Open-Air Museum

Until recently, the presentation of archaeology in the Czech Republic was solely connected to classic museum exhibitions. Unfortunately, not all museums have archaeological exhibitions. For example, the National Museum in Prague currently does not have any, not even temporary, archaeological exhibition due to the reconstruction of the historical building...

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Conference Review: Fields of Dreams - An overview of the EAC10 conference, Leiden, 20th to 22nd April 2017

Rena Maguire (UK)

Issue 2017/2

Mixed Matters

In recent years, experimental archaeology has increased in popularity among academics and students alike due, in no small part, to pioneering universities such as Exeter, University College of London, Leiden and University College of Dublin...

Read more about Conference Review: Fields of Dreams - An overview of the EAC10 conference, Leiden, 20th to 22nd April 2017

Experimental production of high and late medieval pottery at the scientific research centre in Panská Lhota

K. Těsnohlídková,

K. Slavíček and

J. Mazáčková

Issue 2017/2

Mixed Matters

Experimental pottery production at the scientific research centre of the Institute of Archaeology and Museology at the Masaryk University Faculty of Arts (from here on ÚAM) in Panská Lhota began in the summer of 2012. The primary target of the experimental pottery production was an attempt to understand the manufacturing process...

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What to blame for the atmosphere change in re-enactment camps? Personal view

Rona Kreekel (NL)

Issue 2017/2

Mixed Matters

Lately, I have been seeing quite a few posts by friends announcing that they are quitting the Viking Re-enactment hobby. This is sad and worrisome. Apparently, the reasons for leaving are due to a lack of authenticity, show fight, and atmosphere.

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Book Review: Representation of the Past in Public Spheres. Experiencing the Past: the Reconstruction and Recreation of History at Colonial Williamsburg by Martine Teunissen

Evelyn Fidler (CA)

Issue 2017/2

Mixed Matters

When I read the title, I particularly looked forward to reading this book and I was not disappointed. I am glad I was allowed to review it. Colonial Williamsburg has been held up to me as an example to follow when interpreting in living history and open air museums and also criticised when they don’t get it right...

Read more about Book Review: Representation of the Past in Public Spheres. Experiencing the Past: the Reconstruction and Recreation of History at Colonial Williamsburg by Martine Teunissen

The Movement - Comments on the booklet How to organize a historical event involving reenactment groups

Ingrid Galadriel Aune Nilsen (NO)

Issue 2017/2

Mixed Matters

I have happily noticed that there is a movement within the re-enactment scene - a move towards discussing re-enactment and living history on a meta-level. In 2014 I published my festival guide How to organize a historical event involving reenactment groups (Aune Nilsen 2014). As a part of an EEA-grants project, we were asked to organize a re-enactment event in Transylvania...

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Experimental Archaeology in Latvia: some possibilities for future development

Artūrs Tomsons (LV)

Issue 2017/2

Mixed Matters

Experimental Archaeology in Latvia, during the past years has acquired a new direction. Although it has a long history of experimental reconstruction, best known for the excavation and rebuilding of the Late Iron Age Latgallian settlement in Āraiši by Dr. Jānis Apals, in last years, after the initiative of the current author...

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Painting Bronze Age plaster from Thebes Boeotia

Αntonis Vlavogilakis (GR)

Issue 2017/1

Experimental Archaeology

A series of experiments were conducted to study an unusual mortar mixture identified by Brysbaert (2008a) in plaster fragments found in Thebes, Boeotia. The mixture was very interesting in its composition, containing unusual aggregates such as crushed seashells and bone. The techniques used in the samples are...

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Book Review: The lifecycle of structures in experimental archaeology – An object Biography Approach by L. Hurcombe and P. Cunningham

Peter Bye-Jensen (UK)

Issue 2017/1

Mixed Matters

This book is made up of 16 papers that are a collection of results from a European Culture Project (OpenArch) that ran from 2010-2015. It was edited by Linda Hurcombe and Penny Cunningham. This work is dedicated to the late shipwright Brian Cumby, who was deeply involved with making replicas of several prehistoric boats...

Read more about Book Review: The lifecycle of structures in experimental archaeology – An object Biography Approach by L. Hurcombe and P. Cunningham

Museums as Good Places

David Anderson (UK)

Issue 2017/1

Archaeological Open-Air Museum

OpenArch Conference - 25 May 2015, Cardiff
In 1903 the American industrialist, Andrew Carnegie offered the then enormous sum of $2,500,000 to the trustees of a fund which he had created for the citizens of the city of Dunfermline, Scotland, the place of his birth. He instructed these trustees to use the money to enhance the lives of the people of the city...

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EXARC is the ICOM Affiliated Organisation

representing archaeological open-air museums, experimental archaeology, ancient technology and interpretation. EXARC raises the standard of scientific research and public presentation among our membership through collaborative projects, conferences and publications.

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Welcome

Last added articles

“Days of Living Archaeology” at the Prehistoric Archaeopark Všestary, Czech Republic

Conference Review: Fields of Dreams - An overview of the EAC10 conference, Leiden, 20th to 22nd April 2017

Experimental production of high and late medieval pottery at the scientific research centre in Panská Lhota

What to blame for the atmosphere change in re-enactment camps? Personal view

Book Review: Representation of the Past in Public Spheres. Experiencing the Past: the Reconstruction and Recreation of History at Colonial Williamsburg by Martine Teunissen

The Movement - Comments on the booklet How to organize a historical event involving reenactment groups

Experimental Archaeology in Latvia: some possibilities for future development

Painting Bronze Age plaster from Thebes Boeotia

Book Review: The lifecycle of structures in experimental archaeology – An object Biography Approach by L. Hurcombe and P. Cunningham

Museums as Good Places

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