Early May, Lauresham Open-Air Laboratory hosted its Days of Experimental Archaeology online. It showed a choice of the work on experimental archaeology done in Lauresham, an early medieval (Carolingian) monastic site in Hessen, Germany. Over 10 presentations were shown on YouTube (prepared by the Lauresham crew), with a live discussion between the speakers and the audience via Discord, powered by EXARC. Presentations will be in German with English subtitles, except for the four lectures, which will be in English with German subtitles.
The virtual days of experimental archaeology are divided into the following categories:
Lectures / project presentations
These are presented by an international group of speakers.
Insights
In addition to the lectures and project presentations, Lauresham also presents some insight "behind the scenes" of their daily work by means of several clips on YouTube.
Virtual Information Stands
These are introductions to several organisations and cooperation partners of the open-air laboratory.
Themes included the Bronze Age boat reconstruction in Falmouth (UK) (professor Linda Hurcombe), an introduction to the international world of experimental archaeology (Dr Roeland Paardekooper), building a Neolithic type house at Butser Ancient Farm (UK) (Walton & Creighton) paired with many papers about the work in and around Lauresham itself: draft cattle, agriculture, climate inside the reconstructed houses, tablet weaving, the construction of a pit house and finally the Panzerreiter project.
The conference attracted an interested public from Germany as well as (far) beyond, with some people having to start their day very early as they were at the other side of the globe. The audience enjoyed very much the chance to speak at length with the authors, covering many details of the work introduced. EXARC was happy to offer its knowhow and volunteers to manage part of this.
Program
Saturday May 9, 2020 (times in CET, Amsterdam, Berlin time)
| 11:00h | Welcoming Speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGjrTNQF-QI Claus Kropp, Manager of the Lauresham Laboratory for Experimental Archaeology |
| 11:15h - 12:00h | Introduction to the Lauresham Open-Air Laboratory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuJDzTMZ_0o&feature=youtu.be |
| 12:00h - 12:30h | Insights: Draft Cattle Training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75Mgs-r_VK8&feature=youtu.be |
| 12:30h - 13:00h | Lunch break with culinary recommendations from the Early Middle Ages https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9sUi1JdjHY |
| 13:00h - 14:15h | Keynote: Lauresham Lecture for Experimental Archaeology Experiments within experiments: building a Bronze Age boat and other experiences within museums (in English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW1bj-IVd-Q Prof. Linda Hurcombe (University of Exeter, UK) |
| 14:15h - 15:00h | Project presentation: Medieval Agriculture in Experiment. Documenting strategies at the Lauresham Open-Air Laboratory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UA8R9hLcXo&feature=youtu.be |
| 15:00h - 16:00h | Lecture: Experimental Archaeology: what is it and who does it? (in English, with subtitles in German) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2SKglRZ5bk&feature=youtu.be Dr. Roeland Paardekooper (EXARC) |
| 16:00h - 17:00h | Project presentation: Indoor climate in Early Medieval House(models). Preliminary results from a long-term experiment at the Lauresham Open-Air Laboratory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obo3KZz7bXc&feature=youtu.be |
| 17:00h - 18:00h | Virtual information stand: AIMA (International Association of Agricultural Museums) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lL5oGA52-8&feature=youtu.be |
Sunday, May 10, 2020 (times in CET, Amsterdam, Berlin time)
| 11:00h | Welcoming Speech (in English): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9MGdtFNPjM&feature=youtu.be (auf Deutsch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AW3KIcVQNc&feature=youtu.be Claus Kropp, Manager of the Lauresham Laboratory for Experimental Archaeology |
| 11:15h - 11:30h | Insights: Weaving in the Dissemination Programme. The Weaving Comb Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8xHtGhhiTs&feature=youtu.be |
| 11:30h - 12:30h | Project presentation: Made from gentle hands. The Albecunde-Belt and the role of noblewomen in Early Medieval textile-production https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDHH4C1gcQM&feature=youtu.be |
| 12:30h - 13:00h | Lunch break with a picture gallery of “Wild Lauresham” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ00cMC7ZCw&feature=youtu.be |
| 13:00h - 14:00h | Lecture: (Re)constructing the Stone Age: Building a Neolithic house (in English, with subtitles in German) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu_mWAhHgpg&feature=youtu.be Claire Walton, Trevor Creighton (Butser Ancient Farm, UK) |
| 14:00h - 15:00h | Project presentation: On the agony of choice. (Re)constructing a sunken featured building (pit-house) from the 7th century at the Lauresham Open-Air Laboratory (in English): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0DyXJg2M8o&feature=youtu.be (auf Deutsch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSGyQZvg-OE&feature=youtu.be |
| 15:00h - 16:00h | Lecture: Draft Cattle Usage in (Archaeological) Open-Air Museums. Perspectives, Potential and Limitations (in English, with subtitles in German) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzwaITArGzo&feature=youtu.be Claus Kropp (Lauresham open-air laboratory) |
| 16:00h - 17:00h | Project presentation: Loricati milites. The „Panzerreiter“-Project at the Lauresham Open-Air Laboratory and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Lorsch Abbey (in English): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp08p3bfXdg&feature=youtu.be (auf Deutsch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tphMqPEX17o&feature=youtu.be |
| 17:00h - 18:00h | Virtual information stand: Butser Ancient Farm, UK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dmvWBgkjvY&feature=youtu.be |
