Twinning

For more than a year, a team of researchers from Russia and Greece has been working on a project for the reconstruction of the compound bow of the Sintashta culture of the Bronze Age - the Sintashta Bow Project.

The authors of the project are the director of the Koryvantes Association for Historical Research - Spyros Bakas (Greece) and the head of the laboratory of experimental archaeology of the Scientific and Educational Center for Eurasian Studies of the South Ural State University (Russia), the director of the Archaeos Association - Ivan Semyan. The work is carried out with the grant support of the World Association for Experimental Archaeology EXARC...

Claus Kropp, manager of the Lauresham Open-Air Laboratory for Experimental Archaeology at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Lorsch Abbey (DE), is happy to announce, that with Vanessa Töngi, an undergraduate student at the University of Witzenhausen, the ongoing EXARC Twinninig Project dedicated to "Early Medieval Ploughing Implements" is able to enter yet another stage of the project.

As part of her Bachelor-Thesis, Vanessa Töngi has dedicated her research on designing another possible version of the ard. In this case a modified oak design is to be constructed and planned to be directly attachable to a yoked team of cattle...

On January 31 2020, our Twinning Members had the pleasure to have another meeting for the #Sintashta Bow Project, between the skilled bowyer Joannis Boukogiannis and archaeologist Spyros Bakas. The meeting took place in the Joannis's Bow-Workplace in the mountainous village of Megaron, near #Grevena city, in Northwestern #Greece, where along with archaeologist Ivan Semyan from Russia, who joined the conversation through Skype, they had the opportunity to discuss the final details of the first type of the bow...

As one of 2019 EXARC Twinning projects, we - Claus Kropp (DE) and Brendan O’Neill (IE) - have been forging ahead with our investigation of “Early Medieval ploughing implements and their detailed experimental archaeological (re)construction, use, testing and recording”. To date, we have completed a number of phases, including a review of the extant published material, reconstruction of an ard share, analysis of experimental collections and initial testing of plough construction models.
 
In order to reconstruct the iron components of this plough it was essential to get the correct raw materials. The first of these was iron, which in early medieval Ireland was predominantly iron ore from wetland bog sites; known generally as ‘bog ore’. Our samples were hand collected...

Ivan Semyan (RU) and Spyros Bakas (GR), both EXARC Individual Members, are reconstructing the Sintashta Bronze Age bow and arrow and do shooting trials with these. This is a twinning project, cofounded by EXARC. A tour through Russia took place in October to present the project

On October 5, the presentation took place in Moscow at the State Historical Museum on the Red Square. Ivan and Spyros spoke about the implementation of the project to fellow archaeologists, masters of ancient technologies and guests of the event. The project team showed a photo of the antler parts of an ancient bow, made by Russian master Klim Abramov as well as the process of making the bow body by Greek master Joannis Boukogiannis. The event attracted the attention of many media, bloggers and famous people...

From May 30 to June 1, the 42nd conference of the Serbian Archeological Society was held in Negotin (Serbia). The session "summa summarum - experimental archaeology in the Balkans" was co-organsied with EXARC. About 130 experts from Germany, USA, Poland, Greece, Latvia, Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Russia and other countries took part in the event, of these several EXARC members presented their research: Vesna Vučković (RS), Milica Tapavički-Ilić (RS), Arturs Tomsons (LV), Ivan Semyan (RU), Spyros Bakas (GR), Rene Masaryk (SI), Andreja Kudelić (HR), Tena Karavidović (HR) & Ina Miloglav (HR).

Special mention is for the presentation by Ivan Semyan (RU) & Spyros Bakas (GR) on their EXARC twinning project...

In the first ever funding by EXARC, two projects were selected to benefit from EXARC and its network. UCD Dublin (IE) and Lauresham open-air Laboratory (DE) will work with Early Medieval ploughing implements and their detailed experimental archaeological (re)construction, use, testing and recording. This will be a typical case where the museum benefits from the university and vice versa: Lauresham for example has traction animals, while UCD has research labs.

With EXARC twinning, EXARC members can set up projects which otherwise would not take place. In the first ever funding by EXARC, two projects were selected to benefit from EXARC and its network. In both cases, EXARC has been instrumental in bringing the partners together. 

Ivan Semyan (RU) and Spyros Bakas (GR), both EXARC Individual Members, have a plan to reconstruct the Sintashta Bronze Age bow and arrow and do shooting trials with these. The experimental archaeology traditions of both countries can benefit from each other. 

Archaeology proves there have always been many connections over longer distances: people, artefacts and ideas have often found fertile soil elsewhere in the world. EXARC supports projects to bring members together for a common project. We pair members from different countries with seed money to visit each other and execute a project linked with the EXARC themes (archaeological open-air museums, experimental archaeology, ancient technology & interpretation). This should lead to an activity, which is relevant to both members and must have potential for other EXARC members. Each twin receives 1,250 EUR.