experiment

Experimental Approach to Flint Shaft Mining: Understanding the Extraction Process and the Technical Gesture at Casa Montero (Madrid, Spain)

Author(s)
Marie-Élise Porqueddu 1 ✉,
Nuria Castañeda Clemente 2,
Javier Baena Preysler 3
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2024/2
Since prehistory, human populations have developed specific knowledge related to the excavating and exploitation of underground resources. These abilities are reflected in the tools used to extract and process raw materials and the use of specific architectural expressions such as rock-cut tombs...

Scraping Seal Skins with Mineral Additives

Author(s)
Lasse van den Dikkenberg 1 ✉,
Diederik Pomstra 1,
Annelou van Gijn 1
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2024/1
Neolithic scrapers from the Vlaardingen Culture (3400-2500 BC) display a variety of hide-working traces, amongst which traces interpreted as being the result of contact with dry hide. It has been suggested that, potentially, some of these implements were used to scrape fatty hides with mineral additives. Therefore, a series of experiments...

Garum Sardiniae in Tabula: Rediscovering the Ancient Taste of Roman Cuisine

Author(s)
Riccardo Grasso 1 ✉,
Tania Piga 2,
Alessio Gorga 3,
Manuel Mainetti 4
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2023/3
The historiography concerning the Garum, as well as the archaeological evidence of the same, are very wide and cover the entire topic both from the historical and archaeological points of view. Can a team of archaeologists faithfully recreate Garum today, starting only with the historical knowledge available to us, and at the same time ...

Launching an Experimental Archaeology Course at the Undergraduate Level

Author(s)
Jake Morton 1 ✉,
Austin Mason 2
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2022/4
This article describes the process of designing and running a new course on Experimental Archaeology and Experiential History at a small liberal arts college in central Minnesota. We discuss the general methodological and pedagogical goals for the course, a representative three-week sequence of readings and labs based on the lives of shepherds, and the pedagogical and digital infrastructure...

Pilot fires: Preliminary Report from Interdisciplinary Actualistic Fire Experiments

Author(s)
Silje Evjenth Bentsen 1,2,3 ✉,
Magnus Haaland 3,4,
Jovana Milic 3,,
Turid Hillestad Nel 3,,
Ole F. Unhammer 3,,
Elizabeth Velliky 3,
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2022/1
Hearth formation processes are complex. They involve multiple actions, reactions, and activities before, during, and after an active fire and can also impact a wide range of materials and sediments at an archaeological site. Archaeologists approach combustion features and formation processes from multiple analytical perspectives...

Book Review: Technology and Experimentation in Archaeology by Sara Cura et al.

Author(s)
Silje Evjenth Bentsen 1,2 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2021/4

Are chaîne opératoire, technology, and experimental protocols and methodology keywords to your research interests? Technology and Experimentation in Archaeology provides international perspectives and excellent case studies on those very subjects...

Book Review: Vorgeschichtliche Techniken im Archäologischen Experiment im Steinzeitpark Dithmarschen by Rüdiger Kelm and Birte Meller (ed.)

Author(s)
Wulf Hein 1 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2021/4
The Archaeological Institute of Hamburg University has been offering courses to students in the field of “Experimental Archaeology and Museum Pedagogy”, for over 15 years. These courses take place annually at the Archaeological/Oekological Center Albersdorf (AÖZA)...

Experimental Research on the Setting up and Exploitation of the Human Prehistoric Habitat in the Middle Dniester Region

Author(s)
I. Niculiţă 1,
S. Matveev 1,
A. Nicic 1,2 ✉,
A. Corobcean 1
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2020/1

Project incipience

The link established between EXARC and the Scientific Research Laboratory "Thracology" (Moldova State University) inspired the initiation of the first major project in the field of experimental archeology for the Republic of Moldova. The purpose of this project was to organize an experimental archeological open-air park in Saharna-Ţiglău (Nicic, 2009). 

Have you got the tine? Prehistoric Methods in Antler Working

Author(s)
Andy Langley 1 ✉,
Izzy Wisher 1
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2019/2
Antler working was prevalent throughout prehistory, with a breadth of intricately detailed and technologically complex antler artefacts observed within the archaeological record. In particular, during the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic, antler working with flint tools would have been a time-consuming process. While the chaîne opératoire of producing certain antler artefacts has previously been explored...

The Mother of All Bead Furnaces: Testing a Hypothesis about a Natural Draft Bead Furnace

Author(s)
Neil Peterson 1 ✉
Publication Date
EXARC Journal Issue 2019/2
As a part of the ongoing exploration of Viking Era glass bead production, the Dark Ages Re-creation Company (DARC) team perform new pilot experiments on a regular basis. These experiments provide a preliminary understanding of a specific construct or research question, allowing us to judge the validity of further experiments, as well as what equipment or additional questions may be necessary as a part of...