Papers by Experimental Archaeology Switzerland
EAS-Anzeiger, 2013
I have randomly tested the following plants from my garden for suitability as useful fibre plants... more I have randomly tested the following plants from my garden for suitability as useful fibre plants or breakable string material: Honeysuckle, rhubarb and irises. These experiments with fibres from different plants do not have a direct archaeological background, but I would like to show how diverse nature is around us, which is often received with amazement at activities in schools and museums and encourages people to try it out - in this case twining, a technique used in the Stone Age to make threads, cords, ropes, presumably also with the material just available in nature.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2013
For many years I have been experimenting with lime bark, which is what most Neolithic well bucket... more For many years I have been experimenting with lime bark, which is what most Neolithic well buckets are made of. But where do I get suitable lime bark? For a reconstruction of the well bucket from Erkelenz-Kückhoven (Germany), for example, I need a piece of thin lime bark about 60 cm long and 30 cm wide. The problem is that the bark can only be removed in one piece in early spring when the tree is in full sap – but at this time of year tree felling is no longer permitted in Germany.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2013
Objects made of wood with two mushroom-shaped, convex ends and a thin central bar are repeatedly ... more Objects made of wood with two mushroom-shaped, convex ends and a thin central bar are repeatedly found in specialist literature. The striking pieces are turned from wood, between 5 and 6.5 cm (rarely 8 to 9 cm) high, with largest diameters of 5.5 to 7 cm. In the meantime, the number of sites where one or more wooden “double mushrooms” have been found is over 22. The dating of the objects ranges from the 5th/4th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. In 2009, Rudolf Fellmann published a list of numerous comparisons with the presentation of the wooden finds from Vindonissa.
The function of these "bobbins" or "bobines" is extremely controversial. Interpretations range from toys as yo-yos or diabolo to technical devices such as bollards, yarn spools, pulleys or buttons. The use for tensioning tent cords or an interpretation as coupling pulleys for connecting two rope loops for tarpaulins of canopies or sails are also mentioned. The conspicuous frequency of the pieces at sites that have to do with water or are located near water is probably less to do with their use in shipping or fishing, but has more to do with the preservation of wood in a moist environment in general. On one specimen from Bar Hill (UK), the adhering remains of a thread wrapping led to the interpretation of the object as a twine spool – perhaps used in fishing.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2014
Under the expert guidance of Erika Berdelis, a four-day course was held in summer 2013 for intere... more Under the expert guidance of Erika Berdelis, a four-day course was held in summer 2013 for interested “ExperimentA” association members. The first day focused on the extraction and preparation of clay. The search for suitable raw materials led us through the Dübendorf forest (Switzerland) to a stream near our experimentation site. The extracted clay and mudstone were laid out to dry and the further steps were demonstrated on modelled clay. Monotonous banging, which came from crushing the gneiss (for temper), dominated the second half of the day. After a detailed introduction, on the second day, various vessels and some figurines were moulded from the clay according to various archaeological finds. On the second weekend, the clay we had collected and dried in the meantime could be washed and freed from impurities. In a spectacular pit firing, all vessels were fired with the exception of the thick-walled pots (Horgen culture!) which were still wet. The pit was opened on Sunday afternoon and cleared out under great tension. All the vessels survived the firing without damage. The clay we have extracted will be used to make more pots this summer.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2014
Years ago, fragments of birch bark vessels were found in Yverdon (Switzerland), reinforced at the... more Years ago, fragments of birch bark vessels were found in Yverdon (Switzerland), reinforced at the bottom with several rods inside and out. How they are sewn together has not yet been clearly explained. My attempts with birch bark have so far failed because the birch bark I could get was consistently unsuitable. Both thin and thick bark was so curled that it could not be smoothed even after a long soaking in water. Other pieces of bark were totally hard, full of lichen and holes, torn when sewn together.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2015
A wealth of finds documents life in the 111 pile-dwelling and lakeside settlements of the Neolith... more A wealth of finds documents life in the 111 pile-dwelling and lakeside settlements of the Neolithic and Bronze Age, which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including several dugout canoes (boats made from a single tree). A dugout can float on its own and be carried by a current, but it can only be moved with a paddle or a long pole.
Archaeologists have so far recovered numerous paddles and paddle fragments throughout Switzerland – especially thanks to underwater archaeology. As part of the 2014 exhibition "Einbaum - Urgeschichte der Schifffahrt" (Dugout - Prehistory of Navigation) at the Neues Museum Biel (Switzerland), I demonstrated how to make prehistoric paddles.
Many objects from the Stone Age – baskets, hats, sandals and other items – are made from lime bas... more Many objects from the Stone Age – baskets, hats, sandals and other items – are made from lime bast in different techniques. The process of getting lime bast is shown on photos, also some reconstructions made for archaeological museums in Germany, Great Britain, and Italy.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2015
This study of an openwork, notched spearhead discovered at the La Tène site is divided into three... more This study of an openwork, notched spearhead discovered at the La Tène site is divided into three parts. The first, the subject of this article, deals with the reconstruction of this Celtic spearhead. The second, which will appear in the next AEAS-GAES newsletter, will look at the shaping of the wooden shaft, the shaping of the spear heel and the positioning of the spear and heel on the shaft. The third part of this little trilogy will concern the actual use of the replica of this hast weapon in a martial context.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2016
In the early nineties of the last century, remains of two organic objects were found close to eac... more In the early nineties of the last century, remains of two organic objects were found close to each other in detritus layers above the fire horizon in Hornstaad on Lake Constance. They are interpreted in the article as parts of a back stretcher and reconstructed in an archaeological experiment true to the material.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2016
From April to October 2014, the Historical Museum in Berne presented the temporary exhibition "Th... more From April to October 2014, the Historical Museum in Berne presented the temporary exhibition "The Lake Dwellers – On the Water and Across the Alps". The supporting programme was a multi-part educational project in the Museum Park. This was divided into two parts, a Bronze Age part, in which the grave finds from Thun-Renzenbühl were reconstructed using Early Bronze Age materials, and a Neolithic part, in which a pile-dwelling house was built and a field laid out with the temporary participation of the public. This article deals with the construction of the pile-dwelling house, which was conceived as a reconstruction of a find from Sutz-Lattrigen on Lake Biel (Switzerland).
EAS-Anzeiger, 2016
I assume that hunting with the arrow bow was primarily for obtaining food and raw material. Hitti... more I assume that hunting with the arrow bow was primarily for obtaining food and raw material. Hitting and killing game was the most important thing of all. Thus, the comprehensive knowledge of nature and animal habits and behaviour also played a role. The art of hunting was to remain unnoticed by the animal long enough and to shoot an arrow at the decisive moment with as little noise and movement as possible. However, hunting success is not achieved by making the appropriate hunting weapons and equipment alone. Much more important is a familiar and safe handling of the hunting weapons, extensive knowledge about the properties of the materials used and about the hunting prey and its habitat. And ultimately, an arrow bow is only as good as its shooter.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2016
Experimental archaeologists from all over Europe have been meeting in Ergersheim, Germany, since ... more Experimental archaeologists from all over Europe have been meeting in Ergersheim, Germany, since 2011. The focus is on the practical application of woodworking tools. The following tools were brought by the authors: one pecked serpentinite stone axe with wing spar. A small adze with a serpentinite blade. A small adze with bone blade and bast binding. Kurt had made bast cord from lime for the binding of the latter two implements. In addition, there was a deer antler axe for each of them. Individual oak trees were made available in the forest area where the experiments were carried out. An oak trunk that had already been felled was ready for the splitting experiments. We report here on our experiences with the winged spar axes; Johannes completes the experiments with the "stone-age" production of a simple stool.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2017
In this article, the author looks back at a project to reconstruct prehistoric flutes with primar... more In this article, the author looks back at a project to reconstruct prehistoric flutes with primary school pupils. Bone flutes are probably the oldest man-made musical instrument. Copies were made with the children, as were wooden flutes made from elder, mulberry, reed and bamboo, although archaeological examples in wood are rare and even absent from lake sites. In an attempt to recreate the sound of ancient flutes and whistles, the author drew inspiration from pre-Neolithic flutes made from phalange bones.
There are countless educational applications for handmade archaeological instruments. For example, the tuners used on flutes can be used to identify the name of a key and measure its accuracy and quality: for the child, this experience could be the first step in his or her musical career.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2017
In spring, bark with all bast layers can be easily pulled off the tree trunk. Wider pieces of bar... more In spring, bark with all bast layers can be easily pulled off the tree trunk. Wider pieces of bark were immediately bent back against the direction of growth to be sewn into bags later. In order to obtain lime bast, the bark strips must lie in water for a few weeks to rot. The stinking slime has to be brushed off, the bast rinsed several times and then dried. For the Museum of Prehistory in Zug (Switzerland), I wove sandals out of lime bast in different techniques, which visitors can try on.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2017
The experimental archaeological project "fossa nivalis", launched in 2016 and not yet completed, ... more The experimental archaeological project "fossa nivalis", launched in 2016 and not yet completed, attempts to answer the question of the primary function of a shaft discovered in the lower town of Augusta Raurica. In the case of the approximately 4 m deep shaft MR 6/MR 32, the question arises as to whether it was a normal storage shaft (fossa promptuaria), a snow cellar (fossa nivalis) or a storage shaft (possibly cooled with the help of ice and snow). The starting point was the fact that, according to ancient sources, snow was also regularly used in Italy, where it was much more difficult to obtain, e.g. to cool (and dilute!) wine, to garnish food or to keep oysters and other foods fresh.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2017
In experimental archaeology, archaeologists and historians of technology seek to reproduce craft ... more In experimental archaeology, archaeologists and historians of technology seek to reproduce craft production methods and compare their experiments with original archaeological objects. In his recent book “The Gilded Buddha”, a summary of which is given in this article, Alex R. Furger observes the work of craftsmen today who are still largely working as they did some 1300 years ago.
The book poses innumerable questions and provides numerous images documenting the various stages of work. Based on observations of Newar craftsmen in the town of Patan (Nepal), it provides a rich documentary source of 551 colour photos of processes that will probably no longer be seen in a few generations' time: modelling models in beeswax, making clay moulds with the addition of various organic temper agents, drying and firing the moulds, pouring metal (generally brass), opening the moulds, cleaning up the residue, polishing, chiselling with a punch and hammer, gilding with mercury and even painting according to ancient iconographic conventions. Several passages deal with social, religious, historical (e.g. Sanskrit sources), economic and technical aspects. The book also presents other metal crafts, including some with very ancient traditions, such as forging, the repoussé technique and jewellery-making.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2018
Mound no. 4 at the Bettelbühl necropolis near Heuneburg (Germany) was excavated in 2010. The buri... more Mound no. 4 at the Bettelbühl necropolis near Heuneburg (Germany) was excavated in 2010. The burial mound was built in 583 BC and contained three graves. The main tomb contained the body of an upper-class woman wearing exceptional gold jewellery. The third tomb, that of a little girl, also contained gold jewellery in a similar style. Findings from the Heuneburg suggest that the jewellery was made on site.
In 2017, I produced replicas of the most important objects from the burial mound at the request of the Baden-Württemberg Historic Monument Protection Service in Esslingen. The images shown illustrate the manufacturing process of three of these jewels.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2018
Alpine house and enclosure structures have been identified in the Silvretta region since 2007. In... more Alpine house and enclosure structures have been identified in the Silvretta region since 2007. In 2009, Emanuela Jochum Zimmermann of the ExperimentA association produced a "fresh cheese from the Laugen-Melaun culture" for the first time, to mark the open day of the excavation sites in the Fimbatal. The discovery of traces of milk fat on fragments of pottery from Alpine sites dating back to the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age dates from 2016, a discovery that received considerable media coverage. A new production of "fresh cheese from the Laugen-Melaun culture" took place in front of the cameras, as part of a programme on the Terra-X online channel entitled "The Alps, a long history". The article looks at the preparations, the production of this cheese under the spotlight and the knowledge gained from it.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2018
On the basis of two traditional recipes given by Pliny and Theophilus, we have experimented with ... more On the basis of two traditional recipes given by Pliny and Theophilus, we have experimented with ten different reaction soldering methods. We have also included soldering methods mentioned in recent sources. Some of the soldering materials used contained copper compounds, but others did not. The granules were soldered to a gold foil. The composition of the granules and gold leaf was rich in silver, similar to ancient gold alloys.
All the mixtures used produced soldered joints, albeit of different qualities. We can conclude from these experiments that reaction soldering is possible in different ways and that each period, perhaps even each goldsmith, used his own variant of the basic technique to obtain the best results.
EAS-Anzeiger, 2019
“Viviskes” wants to bring the history of the Latène period closer to the audience in a lively way... more “Viviskes” wants to bring the history of the Latène period closer to the audience in a lively way. To do this, we reconstruct the way of life of a Celtic group (phase Latène C2–D1) on the basis of archaeological sources and experiments in warfare and crafts. We impart our knowledge in museums and schools as well as by participating in festivals. We have held our own festival "Celtiques de Vivisco" three times so far (2019).
If we had to sum up everything that motivates the members of the Viviskes association in a single question, it would be: how did the Celts live? The Viviskes warrior anthropology association tries to answer this question by adopting a practical approach based on experimentation, while benefiting from the insights of the archaeologists and craftsmen who are part of the association. We offer a wide range of living history activities.
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Papers by Experimental Archaeology Switzerland
The function of these "bobbins" or "bobines" is extremely controversial. Interpretations range from toys as yo-yos or diabolo to technical devices such as bollards, yarn spools, pulleys or buttons. The use for tensioning tent cords or an interpretation as coupling pulleys for connecting two rope loops for tarpaulins of canopies or sails are also mentioned. The conspicuous frequency of the pieces at sites that have to do with water or are located near water is probably less to do with their use in shipping or fishing, but has more to do with the preservation of wood in a moist environment in general. On one specimen from Bar Hill (UK), the adhering remains of a thread wrapping led to the interpretation of the object as a twine spool – perhaps used in fishing.
Archaeologists have so far recovered numerous paddles and paddle fragments throughout Switzerland – especially thanks to underwater archaeology. As part of the 2014 exhibition "Einbaum - Urgeschichte der Schifffahrt" (Dugout - Prehistory of Navigation) at the Neues Museum Biel (Switzerland), I demonstrated how to make prehistoric paddles.
There are countless educational applications for handmade archaeological instruments. For example, the tuners used on flutes can be used to identify the name of a key and measure its accuracy and quality: for the child, this experience could be the first step in his or her musical career.
The book poses innumerable questions and provides numerous images documenting the various stages of work. Based on observations of Newar craftsmen in the town of Patan (Nepal), it provides a rich documentary source of 551 colour photos of processes that will probably no longer be seen in a few generations' time: modelling models in beeswax, making clay moulds with the addition of various organic temper agents, drying and firing the moulds, pouring metal (generally brass), opening the moulds, cleaning up the residue, polishing, chiselling with a punch and hammer, gilding with mercury and even painting according to ancient iconographic conventions. Several passages deal with social, religious, historical (e.g. Sanskrit sources), economic and technical aspects. The book also presents other metal crafts, including some with very ancient traditions, such as forging, the repoussé technique and jewellery-making.
In 2017, I produced replicas of the most important objects from the burial mound at the request of the Baden-Württemberg Historic Monument Protection Service in Esslingen. The images shown illustrate the manufacturing process of three of these jewels.
All the mixtures used produced soldered joints, albeit of different qualities. We can conclude from these experiments that reaction soldering is possible in different ways and that each period, perhaps even each goldsmith, used his own variant of the basic technique to obtain the best results.
If we had to sum up everything that motivates the members of the Viviskes association in a single question, it would be: how did the Celts live? The Viviskes warrior anthropology association tries to answer this question by adopting a practical approach based on experimentation, while benefiting from the insights of the archaeologists and craftsmen who are part of the association. We offer a wide range of living history activities.
The function of these "bobbins" or "bobines" is extremely controversial. Interpretations range from toys as yo-yos or diabolo to technical devices such as bollards, yarn spools, pulleys or buttons. The use for tensioning tent cords or an interpretation as coupling pulleys for connecting two rope loops for tarpaulins of canopies or sails are also mentioned. The conspicuous frequency of the pieces at sites that have to do with water or are located near water is probably less to do with their use in shipping or fishing, but has more to do with the preservation of wood in a moist environment in general. On one specimen from Bar Hill (UK), the adhering remains of a thread wrapping led to the interpretation of the object as a twine spool – perhaps used in fishing.
Archaeologists have so far recovered numerous paddles and paddle fragments throughout Switzerland – especially thanks to underwater archaeology. As part of the 2014 exhibition "Einbaum - Urgeschichte der Schifffahrt" (Dugout - Prehistory of Navigation) at the Neues Museum Biel (Switzerland), I demonstrated how to make prehistoric paddles.
There are countless educational applications for handmade archaeological instruments. For example, the tuners used on flutes can be used to identify the name of a key and measure its accuracy and quality: for the child, this experience could be the first step in his or her musical career.
The book poses innumerable questions and provides numerous images documenting the various stages of work. Based on observations of Newar craftsmen in the town of Patan (Nepal), it provides a rich documentary source of 551 colour photos of processes that will probably no longer be seen in a few generations' time: modelling models in beeswax, making clay moulds with the addition of various organic temper agents, drying and firing the moulds, pouring metal (generally brass), opening the moulds, cleaning up the residue, polishing, chiselling with a punch and hammer, gilding with mercury and even painting according to ancient iconographic conventions. Several passages deal with social, religious, historical (e.g. Sanskrit sources), economic and technical aspects. The book also presents other metal crafts, including some with very ancient traditions, such as forging, the repoussé technique and jewellery-making.
In 2017, I produced replicas of the most important objects from the burial mound at the request of the Baden-Württemberg Historic Monument Protection Service in Esslingen. The images shown illustrate the manufacturing process of three of these jewels.
All the mixtures used produced soldered joints, albeit of different qualities. We can conclude from these experiments that reaction soldering is possible in different ways and that each period, perhaps even each goldsmith, used his own variant of the basic technique to obtain the best results.
If we had to sum up everything that motivates the members of the Viviskes association in a single question, it would be: how did the Celts live? The Viviskes warrior anthropology association tries to answer this question by adopting a practical approach based on experimentation, while benefiting from the insights of the archaeologists and craftsmen who are part of the association. We offer a wide range of living history activities.
This volume presents all the lectures, workshops, demonstrations and "work islands" that were presented at the congress entitled "Experimental Archaeology - How does it work?”
The editors of EAS were anxious not only to reproduce the reports of the speakers, but also to document the conference in pictures. This seemed all the more important to us because the organising committee used a format that is unusual for specialist conferences with the live experiments and especially with the "work islands". This book therefore shows this exciting aspect of the Solothurn conference.