Experimental archaeology
Encyclopedia
Experimental archaeology employs a number of different methods, techniques, analyses, and approaches in order to generate and test hypotheses, based upon archaeological source material, like ancient structures or artifacts
. It should not be confused with primitive technology which is not concerned with any archaeological or historical evidence. Living history
and historical reenactment
, which are generally undertaken as a hobby, are the layman's version of this academic discipline.
One of the main forms of experimental archaeology is the creation of copies of historical structures using only historically accurate technologies. This is sometimes known as reconstruction archaeology.
In recent years, experimental archaeology has been featured in several television productions, such as BBC
's "Building the Impossible" and the Discovery Channel
's "Secrets of Lost Empires
". Most notably were the attempts to create several of Leonardo da Vinci's designs from his sketchbooks, such as the 16th Century Tank.
in the English
county of Hampshire
which is a working replica of an Iron Age
farmstead where long-term experiment
s in prehistoric agriculture, animal husbandry and manufacturing are held to test ideas posited by archaeologists. In Denmark
, the Lejre Experimental Centre carries out even more ambitious work on such diverse topics as artificial Bronze Age
and Iron Age
burials, prehistoric science and stone tool manufacture in the absence of flint
.
Other examples include:
The subject has proven popular enough to spawn several re-creation-type television shows:
s and ecofacts for varying lengths of time to analyse the post-depositional effects on them. Other archaeologists have built modern earthwork
s and measured the effects of silting in the ditches and weathering and subsidence on the banks to understand better how ancient monuments would have looked.
The work of flintknapper
s is also a kind of experimental archaeology as much has been learnt about the many different types of flint tools through the hands-on approach of actually making them. Experimental archaeologists have equipped modern professional butchers, archers and lumberjacks with replica flint tools to judge how effective they would have been for certain tasks. Use wear traces on the modern flint tools are compared to similar traces on archaeological artifacts, making probability hypotheses on the possible kind of use feasible. Hand axe
s have been shown to be particularly effective at cutting animal meat from the bone and jointing it.
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
. It should not be confused with primitive technology which is not concerned with any archaeological or historical evidence. Living history
Living history
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is...
and historical reenactment
Historical reenactment
Historical reenactment is an educational activity in which participants attempt torecreate some aspects of a historical event or period. This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as the reenactment of Pickett's Charge at the Great Reunion of 1913, or as broad as an entire...
, which are generally undertaken as a hobby, are the layman's version of this academic discipline.
One of the main forms of experimental archaeology is the creation of copies of historical structures using only historically accurate technologies. This is sometimes known as reconstruction archaeology.
In recent years, experimental archaeology has been featured in several television productions, such as BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's "Building the Impossible" and the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's "Secrets of Lost Empires
Secrets of Lost Empires
Secrets of Lost Empires is a two part television series produced by PBS Nova, Boston . Both series explore experimentally how ancient civilizations achieved notable constructions without modern machinery and construction methods. Each episode has guest experts who are challenged to develop and...
". Most notably were the attempts to create several of Leonardo da Vinci's designs from his sketchbooks, such as the 16th Century Tank.
Examples
A good example is Butser Ancient FarmButser Ancient Farm
- External links :* * *...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
which is a working replica of an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
farmstead where long-term experiment
Long-term experiment
A long-term experiment is an experimental procedure that runs through a long period of time, in order to test a hypothesis or observe a phenomenon that takes place at an extremely slow rate....
s in prehistoric agriculture, animal husbandry and manufacturing are held to test ideas posited by archaeologists. In Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the Lejre Experimental Centre carries out even more ambitious work on such diverse topics as artificial Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
burials, prehistoric science and stone tool manufacture in the absence of flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
.
Other examples include:
- The Kon-TikiKon-TikiKon-Tiki was the raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. It was named after the Inca sun god, Viracocha, for whom "Kon-Tiki" was said to be an old name...
, a balsaBalsaOchroma pyramidale, commonly known as the balsa tree , is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is a large, fast-growing tree that can grow up to tall. It is the source of balsa wood, a very lightweight material with many uses...
raft built by Thor HeyerdahlThor HeyerdahlThor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer with a background in zoology and geography. He became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition, in which he sailed by raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands...
and sailed from PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
to PolynesiaPolynesiaPolynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
to demonstrate the possibility of cultural exchange between South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and the Polynesian islands. - Attempts to transport large stones like those used in StonehengeStonehengeStonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
over short distances using only technology that would have been available at the time. The original stones were probably moved from PembrokeshirePembrokeshirePembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
to the site on Salisbury PlainSalisbury PlainSalisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
. - Since the 1970s the re-construction of timber framed buildings has informed understanding of early Anglo Saxon buildings at West StowWest StowWest Stow is a small parish in West Suffolk, England.The village lies north of Bury St. Edmunds, south of Mildenhall and Thetford and west of the villages of Culford and Ingham in the area known as the Breckland.This area is located near the Lark River Valley and populated from AD 420-650.it is...
, Suffolk, England. This extensive program of research through experiment and experience continues today. - The reconstruction of part of Hadrian's WallHadrian's WallHadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
at VindolandaVindolandaVindolanda was a Roman auxiliary fort just south of Hadrian's Wall in northern England. Located near the modern village of Bardon Mill, it guarded the Stanegate, the Roman road from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth...
, carried out in limited time by local volunteers. - Greek triremeTriremeA trireme was a type of galley, a Hellenistic-era warship that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean, especially the Phoenicians, ancient Greeks and Romans.The trireme derives its name from its three rows of oars on each side, manned with one man per oar...
s have been reconstructed by skilled sailors from plans and archaeological remains and have been successfully tried out at sea. - Attempts to manufacture steel that matches all the characteristics of Damascus steelDamascus steelDamascus steel was a term used by several Western cultures from the Medieval period onward to describe a type of steel used in swordmaking from about 300 BCE to 1700 CE. These swords are characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water...
, whose original manufacturing techniques have been lost for centuries, including Computational Fluid DynamicsComputational fluid dynamicsComputational fluid dynamics, usually abbreviated as CFD, is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liquids and gases with...
reconstructions by the University of ExeterUniversity of ExeterThe University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
of the Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
furnaces at Samanalawewa. These are thought to be the most likely sources for Damascus steelDamascus steelDamascus steel was a term used by several Western cultures from the Medieval period onward to describe a type of steel used in swordmaking from about 300 BCE to 1700 CE. These swords are characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water...
. - Experiments in Ancient Roman Coin Minting.
- Experiments using reproduction bâtons de commandementBâton de commandementA bâton de commandement, bâton percé or perforated baton is a name given by archaeologists to a particular prehistoric artifact of uncertain function...
as spearSpearA spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
throwers. - Guédelon CastleGuédelon CastleGuédelon Castle is a medieval construction project located in Treigny, France. The object of the project is to build a castle using only the techniques and materials used in the Middle Ages...
a medieval construction project located in Treigny, France. - The Pamunkey Project - Dr. Errett CallahanErrett CallahanErrett Callahan is an American archaeologist, flintknapper, and pioneer in the fields of experimental archaeology and lithic replication studies.-Early life:...
led a series of extended Late Woodland living experiences in Tidewater Virginia. - Marcus JunkelmannMarcus JunkelmannMarcus Junkelmann is a German historian and experimental archeologist.-Life and work:1971 Junkelmann started to study history at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and in 1979 he received a PhD for a thesis on the military achievements of Maximilian II...
, who constructed Roman devices and gear for various museums. He also tested and analyzed them in various reenactments among them a group of legionariesLegionaryThe Roman legionary was a professional soldier of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC. Legionaries had to be Roman citizens under the age of 45. They enlisted in a legion for twenty-five years of service, a change from the early practice of enlisting only for a campaign...
crossing the AlpsAlpsThe Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
in full authentic gear (from AugsburgAugsburgAugsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
to VeronaVeronaVerona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
).
The subject has proven popular enough to spawn several re-creation-type television shows:
- The 1978 BBC TV series Living in the PastLiving in the Past (TV series)Living in the Past was a fly on the wall documentary programme aired by the BBC in 1978 which followed a group of 15 young volunteers recreating an Iron Age settlement, where they sustained themselves for a year, equipped only with the tools, crops and livestock that would have been available in...
re-created life in an Iron AgeIron AgeThe Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
village with 15 volunteers over a period of 13 months. - Discovery Channel's I, Caveman and I, Caveman : The Great Hunt
Variations
Other types of experimental archaeology may involve burying modern replica artifactArtifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
s and ecofacts for varying lengths of time to analyse the post-depositional effects on them. Other archaeologists have built modern earthwork
Earthworks (engineering)
Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving or processing of quantities of soil or unformed rock.- Civil engineering use :Typical earthworks include roads, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms...
s and measured the effects of silting in the ditches and weathering and subsidence on the banks to understand better how ancient monuments would have looked.
The work of flintknapper
Flintknapper
Knapping is the shaping of flint, chert, obsidian or other conchoidal fracturing stone through the process of lithic reduction to manufacture stone tools, strikers for flintlock firearms, or to produce flat-faced stones for building or facing walls, and flushwork decoration.- Method :Flintknapping...
s is also a kind of experimental archaeology as much has been learnt about the many different types of flint tools through the hands-on approach of actually making them. Experimental archaeologists have equipped modern professional butchers, archers and lumberjacks with replica flint tools to judge how effective they would have been for certain tasks. Use wear traces on the modern flint tools are compared to similar traces on archaeological artifacts, making probability hypotheses on the possible kind of use feasible. Hand axe
Hand axe
A hand axe is a bifacial Stone tool typical of the lower and middle Palaeolithic , and is the longest-used tool of human history.-Distribution:...
s have been shown to be particularly effective at cutting animal meat from the bone and jointing it.
External links
- Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire, UK
- The Lejre Land Of Legends, Denmark
- EXARC, the International association of Archaeological Open Air Museums and Experimental Archaeology
- EXAR the European Association for the advancement of archaeology by experiment
- The University of Exeter MA in experimental archaeology
- The University of Sheffield MSc in experimental archaeology
- West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village