Experimental archeology

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Tree felling experiment with a reconstructed ceramic adze to determine the traces of work on the tool and workpieces

The Experimental Archeology is a specialized field of archeology. It is dedicated to answering archaeological questions with the help of the scientific, fully documented experiment carried out under controlled conditions . In addition to projects on technological problems, experiments with psychological and sociological approaches in the context of archaeological research also include experimental archeology.

approach

Ceramic furnace based on the late Bronze Age model, experimental archeology at Tall Zira'a , Jordan

Frequently, specific questions from ancient studies can only be answered through experiments, which is why experimental archeology has an important role to play in the evaluation of finds and findings . With its systematic approach, it contributes to the development of plausible models for aspects of life in the past as well as for the emergence and change of archaeological findings. On the basis of these sources , scientifically relevant questions are formulated after an in-depth analysis, process technologies are developed and experiments to answer the questions are carried out. The knowledge gained is documented and interpreted in terms of the question. In order to be able to carry out a controlled experiment, it is important to know and master tools and materials. It is therefore advisable to start with a practice phase.

Definition and demarcation

The starting point for experimental archaeological experiments is a precisely defined question. The results from the tests must be measurable and traceable at all times and include all details, such as B. material, methods, or data are documented. These results must later be reproducible at any time under the defined conditions . Since carrying out experiments should serve to gain knowledge, it is still necessary to refer to experiments that have already been carried out and to discuss them in order to prevent “constantly reinventing the wheel”. Ultimately, the results should be in a form published are enabling a scientific debate.

In both the preparatory and the follow-up phase, procedures are touched upon which, although they can be understood as part of an archaeological experiment, do not represent it on their own. Numerous offers in the context of museum and school activities are labeled with the term "experimental archeology" despite the lack of a scientific question and an experimental setup. Here an assignment to archaeological technology or museum education would be more appropriate. Museum education in particular draws on the sometimes strong illustrative effect of archaeological actions and / or experiments. Didactically prepared elements derived from this in the context of museum educational work are then not experimental archeology per se, but they can serve to convey the characteristics of the method. In order to get closer to the conditions of the past and thus to arrive at relevant comparative values, the mastery of ancient work processes and the use of equipment that largely correspond to the originals should be seen as elementary. The fragmentary character of archaeological sources, however, requires a methodical approach to the reconstruction of both equipment and production processes (reconstructing archeology).

Since the plausibility of reconstructions can only be checked experimentally, the production of material-identical and functional replicas can be assigned to both reconstructive archeology and experimental archeology. The acquisition and implementation of reconstructed or ancient handicraft techniques can be assigned to archaeological engineering. Experienced archaeotechnicians are indispensable for carrying out meaningful experiments because of their manual skills.

History and well-known examples

Ra II in the Piramides de Güimar Park on Tenerife
A castle has been built in Guédelon since 1997 using only the techniques and materials of the 13th century.

Experimental work on archaeological relics began with the aim of finding out more about their nature. In the second half of the 19th century it was the attempts of the Dane S. Nilsson and the Englishman J. Evans to manufacture and use Stone Age tools that were decisive for the development of experimental archeology. The amateur archaeologist Frederik Sehested (1813–1882) is also considered the father of this discipline. In 1879 he built a log house in Soholm , Denmark , using Stone Age tools, which stood for a long time in the open-air museum Den Fynske Landsby in Odense on Funen .

For the German-speaking area, the experiments in the area around the Saalburg, which was reconstructed as a Roman fort, should be mentioned. As early as 1904, successful attempts at firing with reconstructed Roman torsion guns were carried out. Nine years later, soldiers from a Mainz pioneer battalion carried out fortification work next to the Saalburg with replicated Roman tools.

The experiments carried out in the following years with replicas of medieval longbows and replicas of ancient Greek kilns can be easily added to the ranks of those experiments that wanted to find out more about the production and functioning of ancient devices and the efficiency of early technology. In many cases, the production and the comparison with signs of use, such as those on the originals, played an important role. This underlines the importance of the analysis of traces of use , which is closely linked to experimental archeology. Viewed critically, the experiments of the past only in very few cases meet the criteria that should be applied to an archaeological experiment in the strict sense. Projects that generated a lot of media coverage helped to make the discipline known to large parts of the public. The travels of Thor Heyerdahl should be mentioned here . Among other things, he built a raft, the Kon-Tiki, and sailed the Pacific with it . He tried to travel from Africa to America with the reed boats Ra I and Ra II . Another well-known boat experiment was the circumnavigation of the world with the Viking ship Saga Siglar , which proved the seaworthiness of this type of ship. In 1995, the Munich historian Marcus Junkelmann provided an example when he and a few companions with reconstructed weapons and equipment from Roman legionaries managed to cross the Alps as they did 2000 years ago. A first comprehensive overview of experimental archaeological projects in Germany was provided by the exhibition “ Experimental Archeology in Germany ”, initiated by Mamoun Fansa , which was shown in the State Museum of Natural History and Prehistory in Oldenburg in 1990 and subsequently visited 30 European cities for 14 years was noticed by about half a million visitors.

More recently, several television productions have been devoted to experimental archeology. In 2006 SWR produced the documentary film series Stone Age - The Experiment and the following year Swiss television followed with Pfyn's Pfahlbauer . Both formats are dedicated to life in the Stone Age .

A well-known building archeology experiment is the earthworks at Overton Down in southern England. An artificial earth wall was created there, in which various materials are buried. Since it was built in 1960 , it has been observed how the erosion has changed the shape of the wall. The decay of the substances brought in is observed in excavations. As a long-term project, Overton Down is to provide insights into the preservation of finds and erosion that will be used in future excavations. A similar approach was followed by an earthwork created by Jens Lüning in 1970 in the form of a four-meter-long wall and ditch system.

The Butser Ancient Farm located in Great Britain is also dedicated to experiments on weathering processes. The experimental investigations carried out on Iron Age and British-Roman agriculture are also relevant . In Germany, the “ Cologne experiments ” on early agriculture carried out by the Institute for Prehistory and Early History at the University of Cologne should be mentioned.

Experimental construction projects include the construction of Guédelon Castle , the tower hill castle near Lütjenburg or the monastery town of Messkirch (Campus Galli). Archaeological experiments also play an important role in the scientific evaluation of the traces of prehistoric and early historical salt mining in Hallstatt . The Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen , which has been testing and researching since 1922, also has a long tradition in experimental archeology .

Experimental archeology in teaching

As recently as 2010, the general lack of teaching on the methods of experimental archeology in university education was criticized. Exceptions were events in experimental archeology at the German universities of Tübingen , Berlin and Hamburg as well as Vienna in Austria. Of particular note is the experimental archeology course at the University of Exeter , which provides premises and laboratories for this purpose.

Places for practical experiments include the Sagnlandet Lejre in Denmark, the Archaeological-Ecological Center Albersdorf or the Laboratory for Experimental Archeology in Mayen , supported by the district of Mayen-Koblenz and the Roman-Germanic Central Museum , where students also carry out complex experiments and gain practical experience can. Since 2013, experimental archaeological projects have been carried out regularly in the Roman Villa Borg Archaeological Park, in particular on Roman glass furnace technology and vessel glass manufacture, which are integrated into university courses.

The Mamuz Prehistory Museum, Schloss Asparn an der Zaya, occupies a special position, which has been offering courses on experimental archeology on the open-air site since 1982 together with the Institute for Prehistory and Historical Archeology of the University of Vienna.

Experimental archeology and museum education

Exhibition "Roman Kitchens and Tableware", State Archaeological Collection . Archaeologists cook according to ancient Roman recipes

Carrying out real archaeological experiments as part of everyday museum education is still a rarity. Obviously, the action-oriented acquisition and evaluation of relevant data still seem too unattractive or too complex. But the playful handling of the building blocks of an experiment, as well as conveying an authentic excavation , could contribute significantly to understanding the method. In terms of museum education, “archaeotechnical” approaches are sometimes used, which ideally are based on the results of experimental or reconstructive archeology. Museum educational campaigns generally do not have any questions and are not documented. They rather serve to empathize and convey and thus set themselves apart from the archaeological experiments that are rarely carried out in public. Experimental archeology is not a museum education, it does not serve to convey, but to gain knowledge for research. An example from the Roman Museum in Haltern is given here for a museum educational campaign , where a legionnaire's baggage can be shouldered, an experience that inspires respect for the marching performances of Roman legionnaires. How intensively archaeological experiments can shape everyday museum education, however, is shown by U. Stodiek's experiments with reconstructed Upper Paleolithic spear throwers, which are now an integral part of many museum educational offers and workshops. At the Darpvenne Iron Age House , life in the pre-Roman Iron Age can be recreated. Booked visitor groups of all ages can learn crafts such as forging, pottery, felting and Iron Age cooking or try their hand at archery.

Experimental archeology and hobbyism

Attempt to reconstruct a Carolingian scale armor (8th - 9th centuries)

As more and more interested laypeople with high scientific standards have been intensively concerned with it for some years now, experimental archeology in the broader sense can also be viewed as part of the living history or reenactment scene. In addition to the many years of experience that these people can contribute, they are also mostly volunteer and free of charge and can therefore be very valuable for science in this regard as well.

Associations and Scientists

Important research institutions and associations with a focus on experimental archeology in German-speaking countries include:

  • EXAR eV - In the European Association for the Promotion of Experimental Archeology eV (EXAR) numerous working groups, museums as well as archaeologists, restorers and lay researchers have come together. With its annual public conferences, the association offers an important platform, not only for the German-speaking area, to exchange information on the latest results in experimental archeology.
  • EXARC - An international association of international open air museums and experimental archaeologists . The association has more than 120 members from around 25 countries and is a member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
  • EAS - The Experimental Archeology Switzerland (EAS) is an association founded in 1998 as AEAS to promote experimental archeology. Its members carry out archaeological experiments and tests, make reconstructions and replicas or impart technical techniques.
  • AK EA ÖGUF - Experimental Archeology Working Group of the Austrian Society for Prehistory and Early History (ÖGUF).
  • VIAS - Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science. Experimental Archeology at the University of Vienna .

Well-known scientists who deal with experimental archeology include:

literature

  • Jodi Reeves Flores, Roeland Paardekooper : Experiments Past. Histories of Experimental Archeology. Sidestone, Leiden 2014, ISBN 978-90-8890-251-2 . (Conference proceedings with 18 contributions; English)
  • Michael Herdick: "Natural-Born Cyborgs"? Experimental Archeology and the Image of Man . In: M. Koch (Hrsg.): Archeology in the Greater Region. Contributions to the international symposium on archeology in the Greater Region in the European Academy Otzenhausen from 7. – 9. March . (= Otzenhausen Archaeological Days. 1). Nonnweiler 2015, pp. 291-302.
  • Rolf Schlenker, Almut Bick: Stone Age. Life like 5000 years ago . Konrad Theiss-Verlag, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-8062-2099-5 .
  • Erwin Keefer (Ed.): Living Past. From archaeological experiment to time travel. (= Archeology in Germany ). Special issue 6). Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-8062-1889-7 . (With contributions by Erwin Keefer, Bastian Asmus, Jörg Bofinger , Sylvia Crumbach, Guntram Gassmann, Wulf Hein, Thomas Hoppe, Jens Lüning, Gunter Schöbel , Cornelia Szelényi and Jürgen Weiner)
  • James R. Mathieu: Experimental archeology - replicating past objects, behaviors, and processes. Archaeopress, Oxford 2002, ISBN 1-84171-415-1 .
  • John Morton Coles: Experimental archeology. Acad. Press, London 1979, ISBN 0-12-179750-3 .
    • German: Experienced Stone Age. Experimental archeology. translated by Theodor A. Knust and Jutta Knust. Bertelsmann, Munich 1976, ISBN 3-570-00371-X .
  • “Wood culture” - from prehistoric times to the future. Ecology and economy of a natural raw material as reflected in experimental archeology, ethnology, the history of technology and modern wood research. Oldenburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-8053-3763-2 .
  • Martin Schmidt, Marlise Wunderli: Museum experimental. Experimental archeology and museum education . Wochenschau-Verlag, Schwabach / Ts. 2008, ISBN 978-3-89974-400-2 .
  • Jürgen Weiner: Archaeological experiments in Germany. From the beginning to 1989 - a contribution to the history of experimental archeology in Germany. In: M. Fansa (edit.): Experimental Archeology, Balance 1991. (= Archaeological Communications from Northwest Germany. Supplement 6). Oldenburg 1991, pp. 50-68.

Magazines

  • Experimental archeology in Germany . Isensee, Oldenburg 1990, ISBN 3-920557-88-3 .
  • Experimental archeology in Germany . Balance 1991-2001. Oldenburg 1991-2001
  • Experimental archeology in Europe . Balance 2002–. Oldenburg
  • Experimental archeology in Europe . Special volume 1. Oldenburg 2005, ISBN 3-89995-266-9 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Martin Trachsel: Prehistory and early history. Sources, methods, goals . Füssli, Zurich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8252-8369-8 , p. 175 .
  2. ↑ Peter Kelterborn: What is a scientific experiment? In: Anzeiger of the Working Group for Experimental Archeology in Switzerland AEAS . No. 1 , 1994, p. 7–9 ( aeas-gaes.ch PDF, 5.18 MB [accessed on March 23, 2014]).
  3. ↑ Thomas Lessig-Weller: Discover the possibilities - archaeological technology in the mediation of experimental archeology . In: European Association for the Promotion of Experimental Archeology eV (Ed.): Experimental Archeology in Europe Balance 2008 . No. 7 . Isensee, Oldenburg 2008, p. 131-138 .
  4. ↑ Thomas Lessig-Weller: Between fact and fiction - considerations for reconstructing archeology . In: European Association for the Promotion of Experimental Archeology eV (Ed.): Experimental Archeology in Europe Balance 2014 . No. 13 . Isensee, Oldenburg 2014, p. 166-176 .
  5. ↑ a b c Jürgen Weiner: Archaeological experiments in Germany. From the beginning to 1989 - a contribution to the history of experimental archeology in Germany . In: State Museum for Natural History and Prehistory Oldenburg, Mamoun Fansa (ed.): Experimental Archeology, Balance 1991 (=  Archaeological Messages from Northwest Germany . Supplement 6). Isenee, Oldenburg 1991, ISBN 3-89442-114-2 , pp. 51-59 .
  6. ↑ Claus Ahrens : Reconstructed prehistoric times, archaeological open-air museums in Europe . Wachholtz, Neumünster 1990, ISBN 978-3-529-01838-1 , p. 1 .
  7. ^ Gunter Schöbel : Museums Exhibitions, open-air museums, and hands-on archeology . In: Francesco Menotti, Aidan O'Sullivan (Eds.): The Oxford Handbook of Wetland Archeology . Oxford University Press, Oxford 2013, ISBN 0-19-957349-2 , pp. 859-874 (English).
  8. ^ Frank M. Andraschko, Martin Schmidt: Experimental Archeology: Mesh or Method? Notes on the history and methodology of a "new" research direction . In: State Museum for Natural History and Prehistory Oldenburg, Mamoun Fansa (ed.): Experimental Archeology, Balance 1991 (=  Archaeological Messages from Northwest Germany . Supplement 6). Isenee, Oldenburg 1991, ISBN 3-89442-114-2 , pp. 71 .
  9. ↑ a b Ulrike Weller: Quo vadis Experimental Archeology? In: European Association z. Promotion d. Experimental Archeology eV (Ed.): Experimental Archeology in Europe, Balance 2010 . No. 9 . Isenee, Oldenburg 2010, ISBN 3-89995-739-3 , p. 9-14 .
  10. ↑ Gunter Schöbel : Experiences and knowledge of a film project. The ARD / SWR film documentary "Stone Age - The Experiment. Life like 5000 years ago" from the perspective of the Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen . In: European Association z. Promotion d. Experimental Archeology eV (Ed.): Experimental Archeology in Europe, balance sheet 2008 . No. 7 . Isenee, Oldenburg 2008, p. 111-130 .
  11. ↑ Jutta Meurers-Balke , Jens Lüning: Experiments on early agriculture. An overview of the experiments in Cologne from 1978–1986 . In: State Museum for Natural History and Prehistory Oldenburg, Mamoun Fansa (Ed.): Experimental Archeology, Balance 1990 (=  Archaeological Messages from Northwest Germany . Supplement 4). Isenee, Oldenburg 1990, ISBN 3-920557-88-3 , p. 82-92 .
  12. ↑ Michael Herdick : The Laboratory for Experimental Archeology in Mayen (District Mayen-Koblenz) . In: European Association for the Promotion of Experimental Archeology eV (Ed.): Experimental Archeology in Europe Balance 2010 . Isensee, Oldenburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-89995-739-6 , p. 15-22 .
  13. ↑ Frank Wiesenberg : Experimental archeology: Roman glass ovens. Reconstruction and operation of a glassworks based on the Roman model in Villa Borg. Borg Furnace Project 2013 . 2014.
  14. ^ Frank Wiesenberg : The experimental archaeological "Roman" glass furnace project in the Roman Villa Borg Archaeological Park (Borg Furnace Project) . In: Michael Koch / European Academy Otzenhausen (Hrsg.): Archäologentage Otzenhausen 1. Archeology in the Greater Region. International symposium on archeology in the Greater Region in the European Academy Otzenhausen 7. – 9. March 2014 . 2014, p. 215–322 ( archaeoglas.de PDF, 18.4 MB [accessed on August 17, 2015]). archaeoglas.de ( Memento of the original from August 13, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / archaeoglas.de
  15. ↑ Experimental archeology at mamuz.at Schloss Asparn / Zaya, Museum Mistelbach [accessed March 6, 2018]
  16. ↑ Martin Schmidt: Museum education is not experimental archeology. In: Experimental Archeology and Museum Education, Archaeological Messages from Northwest Germany. Beiheft 20, Isensee, Oldenburg 2000, pp. 81-89.
  17. ↑ Ulrich Stodiek: Young Palaeolithic Spear Throwers and Spears - An Attempt at Reconstruction . In: State Museum for Natural History and Prehistory Oldenburg, Mamoun Fansa (Ed.): Experimental Archeology, Balance 1990 (=  Archaeological Messages from Northwest Germany . Supplement 4). Isenee, Oldenburg 1990, ISBN 3-920557-88-3 , p. 287-297 .
  18. ↑ mps public solutions gmbh: Iron Age House - Visit me. Retrieved August 27, 2018 .
  19. ↑ Andreas Willmy: Experimental archeology and living history - a difficult relationship? In: European Association for the Promotion of Experimental Archeology eV (Ed.): Experimental Archeology in Europe Balance 2010 . Isensee, Oldenburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-89995-739-6 , p. 27-30 .
  20. ↑ EXAR homepage
  21. ↑ EXARC homepage
  22. ↑ EAS homepage
  23. ↑ AK EA ÖGUF Homepage
  24. ↑ VIAS homepage

Web links

Commons : Experimental Archeology  - collection of images, videos and audio files