Ancient Technology

Making Wine like Iberians: a Learning Experience with the International Workcamp at La Ciutadella Ibèrica of Calafell

M. Gómez,
J. Pou and
O. Saura (ES)

The international workcamp in Calafell

The workcamps in Calafell are coordinated by the Fundació Pere Tarrés, a non-profit organisation of social action devoted to the promotion of leisure education and volunteering among other objectives, and the municipality of Calafell is one of the organisations that support these workcamps. So far La Ciutadella Ibèrica has held three of these projects (2010, 2012 and 2013) with international volunteers being the core theme of the activity.

From the Soil to the Iron Product - the Technology of Medieval Iron Smelting

Adam Thiele (HU)
2013 EXARC meeting at Csiki Pihenökert (HU)
***Nowadays, the development of technology rushes past the people of the machine-based technical civilisation, therefore they fail to understand the technological wonders that surround them. One of these is the ancient technology of iron smelting...

Reconstructing a Prehistoric Fish Trap

E. IJsveld (NL)

Introduction

The conical fish trap with a funnel entry is used mainly in standing waters, slow streams and tidal areas.Fish traps without a funnel can be used where a strong current prevents the fish from swimming out again, but in slow-moving water, the funnel is indispensable to block the way out and keep the fish penned (Brinkhuizen, 1983:8-53).

Stone Moulds from Terramare (Northern Italy): Analytical Approach and Experimental Reproduction

M. Barbieri and
C. Cavazzuti (IT)

Introduction

Although a long list of publications has been dedicated over the last several decades to the questions concerning early metallurgy, the achievements and the potential contributions of experimental archaeology in this area of interest still remain quite underestimated by a consistent part of academia, at least in Italy. At some official occasions the debate between the theoretical knowledge-holders and the technical skill-holders strongly emerges, but very few come back home with a true increased respect and acceptance for the counterpart's work. 

Acorn Bread in Iron Age of North-western Iberia, from Gathering to Baking

Estevo Amado Rodríguez (ES)
7th UK EA Conference Cardiff 2013
***Strabo's Geography is one of the main sources that archaeologists use for the study of the Castro Culture’s (Iron Age in north-western Iberia) customs on food and consumption. In his description, he affirms that during two thirds of the year, those mountaineers fed on the acorn...

A Picenian Warrior Who Lived in the Eight Century BC: A Hypothetical Reconstruction

Mauro Fiorentini (IT)

Various populations inhabited this territory from the tenth to the early third century BC, when the Roman army took control of it: the Laziali and Sabini in Lazio, the Etruscans and, from the fifth century, Celts in Toscana and Emilia Romagna, Umbri in Umbria and Picenians in Marche and Abruzzo. At the beginning of the Iron Age, and until the eighth century, we have evidence of other populations as well. The most ancient group being the Sub-Apenninical culture, which were Villanova and Proto-Villanovan populations that seem to have had towns in the Region Marche.

Drying Meat Today as During the Late Glacial Period

Edoardo Ratti and
Valeria Cosma (IT)
Western Europe during the Upper Palaeolithic, between 42,000 years ago and 12,000 years ago, was sparsely wooded, but later there was an increase in the percentage of specimens of birch, abies, fagus and tilia hosting wildlife similar to that already present during the Middle Palaeolithic. With the recent phase, starting from 24,000 years ago, humans in this territory become specialized...

The Quality of the Craft

Paul Eklöv Pettersson (SE)
In this study the sustainability of crucibles used during the Scandinavian Bronze Age is tested. Due to the crucible’s high or low sustainability the idea of it being a disposable object may be ratified or discarded. Earlier experiments focusing on the casting process in Scandinavian Bronze Age have concluded that crucibles such as the ones used during Bronze Age were disposable objects due...