The first conference (ICA I) resulted in the foundations for a methodology, allowing experimental archeology to be a scientific research tool in its own right. Following these reflections, we hope that the participants, in their presentations and experiments, will also define and highlight the methodology they practice. During this second symposium, the aim is to illustrate the contribution of experimental reconstructions to the understanding of excavation sites.
The organisers will be delighted to welcome you for the three day conference and four days of experimentation.
The theme of the conference: During the conference, the speakers will present the archaeological sites around which they perform experimental archeology. This conference will further create a meeting place and establish a dialogue between researchers to create new interdisciplinary synergies, particularly inviting teams who would like to start an experimental approach in their research.
Egyptological day: 25 September 2019
The first day will be dedicated to the Egyptian and Sudanese world, in connection with Sorbonne University and UMR 8167 of the CNRS (Orient & Méditerranée, Pharaonic Worlds team), which has long been involved in an experimental approach on the sites of Ayn Soukhna and Wadi el-Jarf. The very rich Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology fall within the research scope of the organizers of this conference. Experimental archaeology there is in full development, as part of a more broadly renewed interest on the history of production techniques, urban archeology and the archeology of everyday life. On the site of Bouto, led by the University Paris Nanterre, Archeology and Sciences of Antiquity (ArScAn, UMR 7041), experimentation was started in 2018 in collaboration with LAPA. The processing of gold is approached experimentally by the Archaeological Mission of the Oriental Desert - IRAMAT - Institute of Research on ArcheoMaterials - CNRS UMR 5060 IRAMAT-CEB.
Thematic days: 26 and 27 September 2019
The next two days will focus on methodological aspects, excavation missions outside Egypt or Sudan, specific themes and research carried out by laboratories, including LAPA as main actor at MSH Paris-Saclay University.
Experimental days: 28 September to 1 October 2019
Four days of experimentation will take place at Melle, at the experimental platform of the Silver Mines (Mines d’Argent).
Preparation of the experimental days: Three weeks in Melle will allow for the preparation of experimental structures and to develop a series of protocolised experimentation. Experimentation session: 15 June to 6 July 2019. Before the conference and experimental days, an experimentation session will be held at the experimental platform of the Silver Mines under the aegis of MSH Paris-Saclay and with the assistance of the DRAC Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This will provide the necessary time for the preparation of the experiments and their development.
