Ancient Technology

Reconstruction of the Ancient Greek Long Jump - an Opportunity for Multidisciplinary Collaboration

Hannah Friedman and
Peter J. Miller (US)
EXARC Journal Issue 2017/3
Ancient Technology
The Games of the XXXI Olympiad – the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (5 August to 21 August, 2016) – continued the long tradition of Olympic sports, which began in ancient Greece (circa 776 BCE), and were heavily modified in their re-creation by the International Olympic Committee...

The Modern Reproduction of a Mongol Era Bow Based on Historical Facts and Ancient Technology Research

Jason Wayne Beever (USA) and
Zoran Pavlović (RS)
EXARC Journal Issue 2017/2
Ancient Technology
This bow was a concept, commissioned from Ulrich Velthuysen, a Swedish archer. This horn bow could be classified as a post-conquest design from early 14th century AD Mongolia. In this article, I will describe, step-by-step, the gathering and processing of materials, and the construction of this design of horn bow...

Reconstruction of the Geometric Décor Technology of the Bronze Age Ceramics in Siberia

Eva Lamina (US)
EXARC Journal Issue 2017/1
Ancient Technology
The grassland and forest steppes ranging from the Ural to the Altai-Sayan mountains were dominated by Andronovo Family cultures during the second millennium BC (the Bronze Age) (Koryakova & Epimakhov 2007; Мартынов 2005). The Andronovo dated ceramic series were characterized by a distinctly expressed geometric ornamentation style...

Cooking in Baskets Using Hot Rocks

Jonathan Thornton (US)
EXARC Journal Issue 2016/3
Ancient Technology
Baskets are among the most ancient of human artefacts. Everyone is familiar with their most common functions as containers for transport and storage. When told that baskets have also served as cooking vessels, most people will be unable to conceive of how this is possible, yet this was a primary function of baskets for many cultures of the past, and some until the present...

Recycled Flint Cores as Teaching Tools: Flintknapping at Archaeological Open-Air Museums

Matthew Swieton and
Linda Hurcombe (UK)
EXARC Journal Issue 2016/3
Ancient Technology
This article examines the art and craft of flintknapping and how the OpenArch project has influenced the way in which this specialized body of craft-knowledge can be most efficiently presented to the public, but additionally—and more importantly—how making the most of teaching opportunities can convey a deeper interpretation to the museum-goer...

The Role of Saltmarsh Plants in Iron Age and Roman Salt Production in the Thames Estuary, UK

Edward Biddulph (UK)
EXARC Journal Issue 2016/1
Ancient Technology
Analysis of plant remains and soils collected during excavations of the Iron Age and Roman Period salt production site at Stanford Wharf Nature Reserve on the coast of Essex have shown that saltmarsh plants and adhering sediments had been used as fuel to evaporate brine and crystallise the sea salt.

Needlework the Pazyryk Way?

Marja Haas (UK)
EXARC Journal Issue 2015/4
Ancient Technology

My work has been inspired by some of the most remarkable textile finds - those in the Pazyryk kurgans (burial mounds) - specifically the felt shabraks (horse blankets). The detailed, intricate designs of these items are achieved by appliquéing felt on felt (sometimes leather is used) in a manner that adds both decoration and strength (See Figure 1) and is still used among the steppe-land nomads (Barber 1991, 220).

Experiments on Possible Stone Age Glue Types

Werner Pfeifer and
Marco Claußen (DE)
EXARC Journal Issue 2015/4
Ancient Technology
These experiments cover the making and testing of several possible glue types that might have been used in the hunter and gatherer period of the European Stone Age. Glue types produced in these experiments are: 1. Birch bark tar and pitch, 2. Pine wood tar and pitch, 3. Pine resin / wax glue, 4. Pine resin / wax / charcoal glue, 5. Hide glue and 6. Blue Bell glue...

Experience with Building Mesolithic Huts in the Stone Age Park Dithmarschen in 2014

Werner Pfeifer (DE)
EXARC Journal Issue 2015/4
Ancient Technology
OpenArch Dialogue with Skills Issue
***Two new huts in the Stone Age Park Dithmarschen in Albersdorf (Germany) were built in spring 2014 by the Experimental Archaeologist and Educator Werner Pfeifer with the support of some friends and with financial support from the Stone Age Park Dihmarschen and the EU co-financed project OpenArch.