Dive into the fascinating world of experimental archaeology, where scientists, craftspeople, sound-experts, musicians, artists and re-enactors come together to recreate the past. They investigate human activities from a wide range of eras, areas and civilizations. Their work involves both the use of traditional materials and techniques but increasingly also modern digital technology. In each of these podcasts two experts from a particular field discuss their experiences, triumphs and tribula ...
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The 2024/3 EXARC Journal brings you five reviewed and five mixed matter articles. All the articles are open access to allow for free exchange of information and further development of our knowledge of the past. This time two of the reviewed articles come from the UK and one a piece from Greece, Norway and the United States. Each of the articles tac…
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In this month's episode of Finally Friday, Matilda chats with two specialists in nalbinding to find out all the details of the development, origins, and variety of this unique craft. Niina-Hannele Nuutinen (Nele) is the co-ordinator of the EXARC textiles working group and a masters student in Crafting Science at the University of Eastern Finland, w…
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Like many things in the modern world, digitalisation has transformed the way we interact with the past and opened opportunities for visualisation, curation and sharing. But how do we actually use these digital tools? How do we use them to engage the public? And how do we ensure our digital data is a fair representation of the past? Henk Alkemade wa…
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The 2024/2 EXARC Journal brings you eight reviewed and five mixed matter articles. All the articles are open access to allow for free exchange of information and further development of our knowledge of the past. The reviewed articles come from far and wide. The majority of the articles come from Europe with two from the United States. Luc Bordes’ a…
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In this month's episode of #FinallyFriday, we're discussing how experimental archaeology projects can help in developing well-being! Megan Russell is a PhD student leading the Experimental Health Project. After working in commercial archaeology, Megan saw the potential of experimental archaeology being used as a tool to increase mental health. She …
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This episode we're having a bit of fun and looking at an alternative kind of living history with two guests from the Middle Earth Re-enactment society. Eric Meulemans is based in the USA with an academic background in history and historic preservation. He has worked at various open-air museums, predominantly using his crafting skills in wood and me…
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So you’ve dug up an object… but how do you know what it was used for? Microwear and use-wear analysis is a growing sub-field within archaeology looking for microscopic traces on artefacts which might give us clues on how they were used in the past – or what might have happened to them once they were abandoned. Join us on this month’s episode of #Fi…
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The 2024/1 EXARC Journal is bringing you seven reviewed and five mixed matter articles. All the articles are open access to allow for free exchange of information and further development of our knowledge of the past. The reviewed articles come from far and wide. This time round we have four articles coming from Europe (Estonia, Denmark, Netherlands…
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Lather, rinse, and repeat – an insight into early chemistry. In this month’s episode of #FinallyFriday we dive into the history of soap, debunking soap origin myths and breaking down the science of making soap. From sourcing specific wood ash to hunting down ancient recipes, our two experts explore all the factors that are needed to create a good b…
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It's getting closer to the end of the year, which means that it's time for our next episode of Mirrors and Windows. This year, founding member and current director Roeland Paardekooper chats with Matilda Siebrecht, who will be taking over the role of director in January. Together, they talk about what's happened in 2023 - from the conference in Tur…
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The 2023/4 EXARC Journal presents seven reviewed and eleven mixed matters articles. All the articles are open access to allow for free exchange of information and further development of our knowledge of the past. The reviewed articles come from Europe, Canada, Australia and Syria. As usual they cover wide variety of topics. Can Experimental Archaeo…
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The use of metal has transformed almost every aspect of life, helping us to clothe ourselves, create cars, trains and planes, get to the bottom of the ocean and out into space. On this month’s episode of Finally Friday, we take a look at how experimental archaeology helps us to understand metal in the past, with guests Fergus Milton and Giovanna Fr…
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We all enjoy visiting museums and other archaeological areas, but what are the implications of sustainability when maintaining and rebuilding these sites? This month we consider open-air museums and cultural heritage sites from the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals, as Matilda chats with guests Amy Stewart and Silje Evjenth Bentsen. …
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The 2023/3 EXARC Journal is bringing you four reviewed and eight mixed matter articles. All the articles are open access to allow for free exchange of information and further development of our knowledge of the past. The reviewed articles come from Denmark, United Kingdom and two from Italy. Two of them concern metal production – Henriette Lyngstrø…
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In this month’s episode of Finally Friday we are talking sustainable and natural buildings! Most of us live in and around buildings every day, but could going back to historic or natural building techniques add new dimension to our architecture? This month Phoebe is joined by two experts from our EXARC community, Caroline Nicolay and Daniel Postma.…
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The 2023/2 EXARC Journal is bringing you six reviewed and eight mixed matter articles. All the articles are open access to allow for free exchange of information and further development of our knowledge of the past. As usual the articles vary widely. Among the reviewed articles we have for example articles on Reconstructing Ötzi’s shoes by Eva IJsv…
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Beans, beans! They’re good for the heart! In this month’s episode we are joined by two specialists from the EXARC Experimental Archaeology Award winning project Investigating the Origin of the Common Bean in the New World. We hear about the difficulties identifying beans in the archaeological record and how using organic residue analysis might begi…
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Only one month to go until our 2023 EXARC conference, and to celebrate we chatted with Linda Hurcombe, organiser of EAC12, and Grzegorz Osipowicz, organiser of the upcoming EAC13. Together, they shared their experience in what it takes to organise an international archaeology conference and how conferences have changed since the start of the COVID …
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The 2023/1 EXARC Journal is bringing you seven reviewed and five mixed matter articles. All the articles are open access to allow for free exchange of information and further development of our knowledge of the past. There are some very interesting themes being discussed in this issue. Among others we have the first three contributions from the Sus…
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Why do people wear shoes? What kind of materials can you make shoes out of? How can we recreate shoes from the past? On this month’s episode we are joined by two specialists in ancient footwear to think about all these questions and more… Markus Klek is an independent researcher focussing on indigenous and prehistoric skin processing technologies, …
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In this February episode of Finally Friday we're talking all about flint! This material is one of the most commonly found throughout prehistory, and so this month Matilda chatted about flint and flint-knapping with two experts from our EXARC community, Morten Kutschera and Prof. Javier Baena Preysler. What are the implications of different ways to …
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After 20 times putting together a year report, we decided it was time to do things differently: we did the year report as a podcast. EXARC Chair Dr Peter Inker leads our director Roeland Paardekooper through the year that passed. Of course we also comment on the future! For our more than 400 members around the world, 2022 has been a difficult year,…
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The EXARC Journal 2022-4 is published now, this issue includes 5 reviewed articles and 5 unreviewed mixed matter articles. As usual the articles vary widely. From the process of designing and running a new course on Experimental Archaeology and Experiential History at a small liberal arts college in central Minnesota, through working with gems and …
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In this very special edition of #FinallyFriday, we chatted with two of the main instigators of the new Support Ukraine Network (SUN). The aim of this network is to provide support for open-air museums as well as individual experimental archaeologists and traditional craft practitioners, many of whom are currently struggling to access resources or p…
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This month #FinallyFriday travels all the way back into the deep past, as we discuss the trials and joys of experimenting with Neanderthal glue. Dr Paul Kozowyk is a post-doctoral researcher at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. His work focuses on the investigation of ancient adhesives from Neanderthal and early human archaeolo…
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How can archaeological examples of cremation help us understand the past? How do we even identify a cremation? Tim Thompson is a professor of applied biological anthropology and Dean of the School of Health & Life Sciences at Teesside university in the UK. Tim has research interests in a number of areas, but has a primary focus on the archaeology o…
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The 2022-3 EXARC Journal is now published, bringing you 8 reviewed and seven mixed matters articles. All the articles are open access to allow for free exchange of information and further development of our knowledge of the past. Two of the reviewed articles introduce different aspects of RETOLD, the project ensuring that open-air museums can conti…
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It’s the first Friday of the month! And that means it’s time to listen in to the latest episode of Finally Friday, where this month we’re joined by two partners in the RETOLD Project to talk about the importance of digitisation, documentation and sharing. Julia Heeb is one of the key figures in the RETOLD Project and also works as the exhibition an…
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Seeing objects from the past in museum exhibition cases is one thing, but seeing how those objects would have been handled by the ancient people who made them is even better! In this month's episode of #FinallyFriday, Matilda is joined by two experts focusing on different ways that we can visualise the past. Dr Yvonne Lammers-Keijsers is a keen re-…
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With a delay, the 2022-2 EXARC Journal is now published. This issue contains four reviewed articles and whooping nine mixed matters articles. As always, all articles are open access. From the articles we would like to highlighted the article on the results of EXARC Twinning project by Lauresham, at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Lorsch Abbey, and C…
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To celebrate both the European Archaeology Days and the release of our 20th episode, #FinallyFriday went live to record a special behind-the-scenes chat with our hosts. Matilda Siebrecht is currently doing her PhD at the University of Groningen, using microwear analysis to investigate the manufacture and use of Paleo-Inuit bone and ivory tools from…
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It's the first Friday of the month! And that means it's time to listen in to the latest episode of Finally Friday, where this month we look at a really fascinating topic of experimental research - ancient tattooing. Aaron Deter-Wolf is the prehistoric archaeologist for the Tennessee Division of Archaeology in Nashville, Tennessee in the USA. While …
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We are joined by two archaeologists from the Putting Life into Late Neolithic Houses project discussing all the methods they’re using to create a picture of the past, from full scale reconstruction to microwear analysis. Annelou van Gijn is Professor of Archaeological Material Culture and Artefact Studies at Leiden University and the Principal Inve…
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It's the first Friday of the month! And that means it's time to listen in to the latest episode of Finally Friday, where this month we will be talking with archaeologists specialised in human-animal relationships in the past, and indigenous archaeology. Have you always wanted to know how people become zooarchaeologists? What it's like studying anci…
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Combining expertise from farmers, historians, scientists and more, A Year on the Field is an exciting new multi-national project set up to examine the farming of one crop across the globe through the centuries. Claus Kropp is the Project Coordinator for A Year on the Field and currently also manages the Lauresham Laboratory for Experimental Archaeo…
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Listen in to this first episode of "EXARC Extracts", where we provide you with a short summary of the articles in the latest issue of the EXARC Journal. From fire hearths to horse armour to amber to lime mortar, this edition is packed full with interesting experiments and inspiring discussions! Matilda Siebrecht summarises the reviewed articles fro…
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Saddle up, because it’s time to look at horse riding in (pre)history! Equestrianism often has to be looked at indirectly, either from the equipment used in horse riding or artistic depictions of riding styles. In this month’s episode of Finally Friday, we talk with two experts who look at horse riding in the past in just this way. Dr Rena Maguire i…
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Academic journals are an integral element of how we share knowledge of new discoveries, practices, and ideas. But how do these journals get started, what kinds of difficulties do they face and why do we need new ones? In this month’s episode of Finally Friday, our guest speakers discuss their experiences in founding new academic journals. Martina R…
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Ready player 1? Archaeological interpretation is often focused on the physical objects from our past, either in excavation, replication through experimental archaeology, or exhibition in museums. But what other ways are available to interact with the past? In this month's episode of Finally Friday, we speak with two experts focusing on the exciting…
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From drinking vessels to jewellery, glass is found in archaeological assemblages all over the world. Our guests Sue Heaser and Frank Wiesenberg join us on this month’s episode of Finally Friday to shed light on how experimental archaeology can help us ask new questions of this important material. Sue Heaser is an archaeologist, artist and author wi…
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A universal experience, hair has often formed a fundamental part of human self-expression and identity. But how can we see changes in hairdressing and styling throughout history and how can experimental reconstruction help us start creating a picture of the people of the past? Our guests Janet Stephens and Dorothee Olthof join us on this month’s Fi…
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Striving for sustainability is increasingly important in both archaeology and experimental archaeology. EXARC actively promotes the sharing and adoption of sustainable practices by its members. In today’s conversation Maria Josefina Villanueva talks to Tammy Hodgskiss, curator at The Origins Centre, a museum on the campus of the University of the W…
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Experimental archaeology doesn't always happen on land - sometimes it takes to the seas! In this month's episode of Finally Friday, our guest speakers discuss some of the ways that experimental archaeology can be used to explore the theme of maritime cultural heritage. Dr Tríona Sørensen is an experimental archaeologist currently working as a curat…
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Pyrotechnology – the manipulation and control of fire – is one of the defining characteristics of humanity, and has impacted nearly every technology that we used in the past and study archaeologically in the present. Our guests Dragoş Gheorghiu and Femke Reidsma join us for May’s #FinallyFriday to shed light on this ubiquitous but taken-for-granted…
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Experimental archaeology helps us to understand our human past, and it’s a research approach which grows every year all over the world. But how are experimental archaeologists establishing themselves in countries where the approach hasn’t been used so often? What kinds of questions are they asking and what difficulties do they need to overcome? Thi…
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“Sustainability” is a term that’s heard everywhere, and can apply to every part of our lives. But how can archaeology and heritage, which are generally involved with events and technology from the past, contribute to current climate issues? Guests Sarah Sutton and Kirsten Dzwiza share their complementary approaches in using ideas and depictions fro…
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Going Digital: From Necessity to Opportunity
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Creating digital events from scratch can seem like a daunting prospect. EXARC has navigated this process a few times thanks to the difficulties of 2020. The team of behind-the-scenes volunteers and staff sit behind the microphone to share some of their insights about the successes and pitfalls of preparing and hosting digital events. Join host Olal…
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Open-air museums are always looking for ways to engage the public. What is the best way to offer visitors a glimpse into the past? How can open-air museums be used to address issues of interpretation and social responsibility in the modern world? Luke Winter and Zsolt Sári discuss their views on how museums can engage with the public, providing aut…
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Pottery is one the most ubiquitous artefacts we recover archaeologically and is often the backbone of chronologies for understanding past cultures, but what if there’s a bigger story that it can tell us? Caroline Jeffra and Richard Thér join us for October’s #FinallyFriday to dive deep into the archaeology of technology. In this episode of The EXAR…
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Interpretation is a fundamental part of how we communicate heritage to the public, but what does the term ‘interpretation’ actually mean? Peter Inker and Angela Pfenninger join us in our next #FinallyFriday Show to explore the world of interpretation. Dr Peter Inker is a Board Member of EXARC and has been at Colonial Williamsburg for the last 13 ye…
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