Linking Experimental Archaeology and Living History in the Heritage Industry

DISCUSSION

Q Butser Ancient Farm Iron Age Village Q Experimental Centre Lejre Fishing Stone Age style Linking Experimental Archaeology and Living History in the Heritage Industry

This article describes the way and methods of portraying them. and acted out either for entertain- four archaeocentres go about Concretely, my research is centred ment or educational purposes. How gathering information on the on four diff erent historical centres good is the quality of the informa- past and how they pass on that looking at how living history aff ects tion that is being portrayed? How is information: Butser Ancient our knowledge of the past and how the period being represented? How Farm in Hampshire, England, experimental archaeology contrib- much is this experimental archae- Lejre Historical-Archaeological utes to this type of learning. ology used to advance this knowl- Centre in Denmark, the Scottish edge? Or is the centre only being Crannog Centre in Perth I am particularly interested in used as a means of entertainment? and Archaeolink Prehistory the way we can gain knowledge Centre in Aberdeenshire, both by looking at what is left behind, For my research I chose four cen- Scotland. whether it is a dwelling or an im- tres to study how they go about plement of some description, then gathering information about the Q Carolyn FORREST trying to construct something simi- past and how they pass that infor- (UK) lar using the technologies available mation on: Butser Ancient Farm in in prehistory. What is interesting Hampshire, England, Lejre Histori- Th e main purpose of experimental is looking at the various diff erent cal-Archaeological Centre in Den- archaeology is to seek a better un- ways in which this can be achieved mark, the Scottish Crannog Centre derstanding of how prehistoric ar- and hoping that the physical act of in Perth and Archaeolink Prehis- tefacts were made and used. Th is reconstruction can off er a previous- tory Centre in Aberdeenshire, both involves using current archaeo- ly unseen or unthought-of insight Scotland. It was to my advantage logical data to reconstruct identi- into the actions of our ancestors. that I have three years working ex- cal representations using similar perience as a Historical Interpreta- materials and techniques. Th e aim Over the last few years, thanks to tion Assistant and a university de- of my research is to discover what programmes like Time Team and gree which incorporated a great forms of knowledge are generated the new Ray Mears series Wild deal of prehistory. I was, therefore, through experimental archaeology, Food, which was made with the able to quickly join in with the daily how they are acquired , and also archaeobotanist Gordon Hillman, routine aft er brushing up on local- to consider how such knowledge there has been a great revival of ised knowledge. Th is was extremely informs our understanding of the public interest in the past. Th is helpful in gaining fi rsthand expe- past and how it is used. One of the growing band of ‘armchair archae- rience of how the centres function largest domains for the generation ologists’ has also impacted on an- from the inside. However, initially I and application of experimental ar- other phenomenon – ‘prehistory took the time at each centre to fi rst chaeology is the heritage industry, centres’. Th ese are centres, or ar- visit it as a paying customer would, which provides a hugely diverse chaeoparks, where periods of lo- to give myself an unbiased, outside assortment of historical periods cal (pre)history are reconstructed point of view.

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Q Butser Re-daubing small roundhouse Q Butser Iron Age Farm and Livestock

Butser Ancient Farm ticular spot to give out information. bank site, display information and Th is can oft en be frustrating for the show short videos of the underwa- Butser Ancient farm near Port- public, but the staff are wonderful ter archaeology, was opened in the smouth in Hampshire was set up in and generous with their time and spring of 2000. 1972 by the late Peter Reynolds, who information. wanted to create a site for education Th e staff takes the public on guided and scientifi c research into the late The Scottish Crannog tours, works in the shop and carries Iron Age (400 BC to AD 400). Centre out any maintenance that needs to be done. Unlike Butser the pub- An important aspect of Butser is Th e Scottish Crannog Centre is sit- lic are, for safety reasons, only al- that things are allowed to naturally uated on the banks of Loch Tay in lowed to visit the crannog as part age and decay over time. Th e struc- Perthshire. Th e crannog is an ex- of a guided tour. Th e tours are run tures are not expected to be over- ample of an ancient loch dwelling, about every forty-fi ve minutes, de- ly maintained or kept in a pristine which has been based on underwa- pending on demand, and last about condition. Reynolds wanted to see ter archaeological evidence from forty-fi ve minutes. Th e fi rst fi ft een how these structures functioned the Oakbank crannog site in Loch minutes are unsupervised in the ex- and endured over time as they pos- Tay, at a place nearby called Fear- hibition centre, and then a guide sibly would have centuries ago (Rey- nan (Dixon 2004: 107). Work on takes a tour party out onto the nolds 1999: 131). Th erefore, Butser the crannog construction began in crannog and explains its construc- is a continually evolving site. 1994 and it was opened to the pub- tion and life in the Iron Age. Final- lic in July 1997. Th e visitors cen- ly, back on shore, the guide demon- Th e other important aspect of Rey- tre, where they exhibit many of the strates several skills ranging from nolds’s work is the fact that he chose original artefacts found at the Oak- wood-turning, stone-drilling, spin- to reconstruct the houses using exact dimensions and information from local archaeological sites. Th is is a chance to see these structures in a threedimensional form, something that most people are unable to visualise from the archaeological remains that are left at ground level.

At Butser no living history takes place, except for special events. Th ere are no costumed guides, the staff wear only a t-shirt or sweat- shirt with the Butser logo to distin- guish themselves from the public. Th ere are no guided tours and the public can wander around the centre at their leisure. Th ere are few, if any, information signs, so unless a member of staff is working in the vicinity there is no one in any par- Q Butser Repairing walls of large roundhouse

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Q The Scottish Crannog Centre View of crannog from shore Q Crannog Making fire with bow drill ning wool, grinding grain and fi re- they have over thirty years experi- craft speople. Th ey can sometimes making. Aft er the demonstrations ence and have been at the forefront employ up to fi ft y additional staff the public are free to try their skills of developing experimental archae- during the main season, depend- out. Th e guides at the crannog cen- ology. Th ey were also aware, very ing on how much funding is availa- tre wear a woollen tunic over their early on, of the importance of the ble. Oft en these people are students own clothes and the result is an odd ‘hands-on’ method of learning and studying in related subjects and so mixture of the old and the new. the eff ect of being able to handle have good background knowledge re-constructed objects and not just of the area to which they are as- view them from behind a sheet of signed. Historical-Archaeological glass. Experimental Centre What is so impressive about the in Lejre Th e centre is set in an enormous centre is the attention to detail. area of beautiful landscape, with Th ey are extremely careful about Th e Historical-Archaeological Ex- fi ve main areas of interest – Stone making sure that if they do some- perimental Centre in Lejre, Den- Age, Iron Age, Viking Market, 17th thing or dress in period costume mark was opened in May 1964 with century country cottages and the that it is as accurate as possible. Af- the sole aim of scientifi c archaeo- workshops. All are set apart from ter two weeks observing how the logical experimentation (Rasmus- each other and the natural habitat centre functioned I was allowed to sen & Grønnow 1999: 137). With- helps to give you the impression participate with the families staying in the fi rst three years an Iron Age that you have stepped back in time. in the Iron Age Village. Th ey stay village had been constructed and a Th ere is usually a permanent staff for one week at a time and must number of experimental workshops of about ten, made up of academ- remain in character and costume had been established. Like Butser ics, secretaries, area managers and whilst the centre is open to visitors. Th e aim of their week is to go about the daily life of the village and possibly learning a new skill or do some repair work. It is fascinating for visitors to see people preparing and cooking their food, sometimes being off ered a taste. Th e fact that there is a range of age groups also adds authenticity. Archaeolink Prehistory Park Archaeolink Prehistory Park in Oyne, Aberdeenshire was opened ten years ago at the foot of Berry- hill in Oyne. On the hill behind the park there are archaeological remains of a roundhouse and at the top of the hill there are the prehis- Q Crannog Thatching demonstration toric remains of a defensive earth-

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Q Archaeolink Prehistory Park Wooden Henge and Q Archaeolink Iron Age Roundhouse and Farm Stone Circle

work. Th is makes it an ideal area to due to poor funding opportunities a signifi cant part of the centres’ rev- promote local prehistory. It is also from the government and private enue shows a realisation that, from in the shadow of Bennachie, where charitable institutions. a pedagogical point of view, this is it is claimed the Battle of Mons a good way to provide information Graupius took place where the Ro- So, how important is experimen- about the past. Teachers are aware mans fought with local Celtic tribes tal archaeology in the heritage in- that history is a subject where text in 84 AD. On the park there are sev- dustry? Experimental archaeology book learning can be enhanced eral areas which start at the Meso- helps to fi ll in gaps in our knowl- through hands-on activity. lithic and Neolithic periods, there edge of the past. By being able to is a Bronze Age forge, a Roman try out ideas based upon archaeo- Interest in traditional craft s and marching camp and fi nally, the Iron logical information, and putting skills ensures that these centres also Age roundhouse and farm. it in a historically based context it have a place within the growing will, perhaps, give us a better idea tourist industry (Vergo 2000: 61). Th e Park is run by the Interpreta- of how life may have been. By us- Furthermore, an increased aware- tion Team, who provides one-hour ing this knowledge, heritage centres ness of green issues and sustain- tours in the morning and aft ernoon, can provide information and enter- ability, and the resulting quest for depending on demand, imparting tainment through living history knowledge into skills that are less interesting information about each and replication. intrusive and damaging to the en- of the sites and the local history in- vironment have over the last few volved. Eff orts are made to dress in Th e fact that visits from schools and years, meant a great revival of inter- the appropriate period, although other educational facilities provides est in these ancient techniques and they are not as strict as in Lejre.

Conclusion Th e centres and archaeoparks I have been using for my research put local historical knowledge into a physical context, which caters for education and tourism in order to produce revenue. Th e historical constructions at all of the sites are predominately based on local archaeological evidence and are built with locally sourced materials using prehistoric techniques, which are usually discovered through experimentation. Although Lejre and Butser were established initially as places for scientifi c research into experimental archaeology, neither can function without the revenue that education and tourism brings Q Archaeolink Main Visitor Centre

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Q Experimental Centre Lejre 18th century farmhouse cooking Q Lejre Wild boar and their offspring experimental archaeology has gone the overall picture the centre is try- Further, what is the value of a guid- a long way to fi ll in some of the gaps ing to create? Does the costume ed tour as compared to being left to in our knowledge. help to visualise the past or diff er- one’s own devices? Do the public entiate and alienate the guide from ask the same questions at each cen- Why was it important to visit and the visitor? Who is perceived to tre, regardless of whether or not a experience the four diff erent cen- be the more knowledgeable, those guided tour was provided? tres? with a costume or those without? Is it better to have no costume than Peter Stone and Philippe Planel Although all four sites are basically one that is not historically accurate? argue in their article in ‘Th e Con- trying to do the same thing – pro- Does wearing a costume create an structed Past’ (1999: 1), that it is vide information about the past – it empathy that helps with the process not enough just to build a construc- was interesting to see their diff er- of experimental archaeology? tion. Th ey point out that archaeol- ences and similarities and the ques- ogy allows for a number of possible tions these raised as part of my re- In fact, do we really need living his- interpretations, therefore any infor- search, for example: tory to bring to life what is learned mation off ered should stress that it by experimental archaeology, or is only one of, perhaps, many vari- Th e importance of being in cos- can experimental archaeology be ations. What is important is for the tume or not? Given the variation in fully explored without living histo- construction to stimulate the visitor levels of costume between the cen- ry? Can we just build a structure or into wanting to know more about tres, this is a broad area of research. copy an artefact without looking at it. Whether the vividness of history Do costumes add or detract from the human element? can be portrayed by a guide or a living history actor surely depends on their knowledge base, not the outfi t they are wearing? However, a costumed guide can help to stimulate the visitor’s mental imagery. What is important is that some sort of inter- action is taking place between the visitor and the structure or artefact. Without it they become a static display like those found in museums. Th e fact is that these centres require continuing experimentation to de- velop the information from new archaeological evidence in order for them to evolve. To undertake this experimentation they need to gen- erate revenue and by providing living presentation of what is learned by experimental archaeology they are able to provide education and entertainment in order to achieve Q Lejre Re-enacting an Iron Age bog burial ceremony this goal.

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In my view the importance of the Gordon Childe, V. 1956: Piecing Together Summary work being done in these centres the Past. London: Routledge & Kegan will only be appreciated when ex- Paul Ltd. Die Verbindung von Experimenteller Ar- Harding, A. F. (ed.) 1999: Experiment chäologie und „Lebender Geschichte“ in perimental archaeology is wide- der Kulturwirtschaft ly recognised as a valid and valu- and Design: Archaeological Studies in honour of John Coles. Oxford: able subject within archaeology. Prähistorische Zentren oder Archäoparks Oxbow Books. befassen sich aus Unterhaltungs- oder Th is can be helped by putting it Hudson, Kenneth 1981: A Social History on a much more scientifi c basis Bildungsgründen mit der Rekonstruk- of Archaeology: Th e British Experience. tion bestimmter Perioden der örtlichen (making sure of a clear hypothe- London: Th e MacMillan Press Ltd. (Ur-)Geschichte. Wie stark aber wird die sis, logging methods and results). Ingersoll, Daniel, Yellen, John E., Experimentelle Archäologie genutzt, um At present it is oft en put in the cat- MacDonald, William (eds.) 1977: Wissen zu verbreiten? Die Zentren und egory of hobby, with the image of Experimental Archaeology. New York: Archäoparks, die in der Studie untersucht enthusiastic eccentrics messing Columbia University Press. wurden, bringen Th emen der lokalen Ge- about at weekends, or being used Jewell, P.A. (ed.) 1963: Th e Experimental schichte in einen dinglichen Kontext, der as a means of entertainment. Th e Earthwork on Overton Down Wiltshire edukativen und touristischen Zwecken 1960. London: Th e British Association problem of a lack of coordinated dient, um Einnahmen zu erzielen. Die his- for the Advancement of Science. torischen Konstruktionen aller Einrichtun- resources has led to people ‘re-in- Leakey, L.S.B. 1934: Adam’s Ancestors: venting the wheel’, with many of gen basieren vor allem auf Erkenntnissen An up-to-date outline of what is known der lokalen Archäologie und sind unter the same experiments being done about the origin of man. Anwendung urgeschichtlicher Techni- over and over again. Th is in itself London: Methuen & Co. Ltd. ken, die in den meisten Fällen durch ex- is not a problem, as there is no Lumley, Robert (ed.) 1995: Th e Museum perimentelle Forschungen rekonstruiert one true method of achieving a re- Time Machine. London: werden konnten, mit vor Ort gewonnenen sult, and as in present life there are Routledge. Baumaterialien errichtet worden. Auch many diff erent ways to do some- McIntosh, Jane 2003: Th e Practical wenn Lejre und Butser ursprünglich als thing. However, what is needed is a Archaeologist: Orte für wissenschaft liche Forschungen How we know what we know way of getting a dedicated network zur Experimentellen Archäologie angelegt about the past. London: wurden, so können sie doch ohne die Ein- of information started, so people Th ames and Hudson Ltd. are able to see what is currently nahmen aus den pädagogischen Program- Merriman, Nick (ed.) 2005: Public men und dem touristischen Angebot nicht happening in the subject. Th ere Archaeology. London: existieren. also seems to be an air of distrust Routledge. Rasmussen, Marianne, and Bjarne within the heritage industry with Insérer l’archéologie expérimentale et Grønnow 1999: Th e Historical- what sometimes appears to be an l’Histoire vivante dans l’industrie patri- Archaeological Experimental Centre obsessive fear of passing on infor- moniale mation so that visits to other sites at Lejre, Denmark: 30 years of are oft en undertaken like an espio- experimenting with the past. In Peter Les centres de la Préhistoire ou autres ar- Stone and Philippe G. Planel (eds.) chéoparcs restituent la (pré)histoire locale nage mission! I think far more can Th e Constructed Past: Experimental dans un double objectif ludique et péda- be gained by sharing information. archaeology, education and the public. gogique. Quel est l’apport de l’archéologie I know I learned so much last year London: Routledge: 136-145. expérimentale dans l’avancée des connais- by being able to work alongside Renfrew, Colin 2007: Prehistory: sances ? Les centres et archéoparcs utilisés skilled artisans, which is exact- Making of the Human Mind. London: comme terrains de recherche permettent ly what would have happened in Weidenfeld & Nicolson. de replacer les connaissances historiques the past. Whether the knowledge Renfrew, Colin, and Paul Bahn 2004: dans un contexte concret, qui contribue à la is passed on through living histo- Archaeology: Th eories, Methods and formation et au tourisme, générateur de re- ry, costume wearing or otherwise, Practice. Fourth Edition. London: venus. Les reconstitutions historiques dans what is important is that people Th ames & Hudson Ltd. la plupart de ces sites reposent principale- Reynolds, Peter 1999: Butser Ancient ment sur des témoignages archéologiques are able to access and experience Farm, Hampshire, UK. In Peter locaux et sont construites avec des maté- this unique form of historical in- Stone and Philippe G. Planel (eds.) riaux locaux et avec des techniques préhis- formation, through hands-on par- Th e Constructed Past: Experimental toriques, gestes qui sont le plus souvent re- ticipation, which is aft er all, what archaeology, education and the public. trouvés grâce à l’expérimentation. Bien que real life is about. London: Routledge: 124- 135. Lejre et Buster aient été initialement créés Sorenson, Colin 2000: Th eme Parks and comme des terrains d’expériences pour les Time Machines. In Peter Vergo (ed.) Th e scientifi ques, aucun ne pourrait fonction- Bibliography New Museology. London: ner sans les revenus que leurs apportent les Reaktion Books Ltd: 60-73. actions pédagogiques et touristiques. Ascher, Robert 1961: ‘Experimental Stone, Peter G., Planel, Philippe G. (eds.) Archaeology’, American Anthropologist. 1999: Th e Constructed Past: New Series 63 (4): 793-816. Experimental archaeology, education Q Carolyn Forrest, having Coles, John 1973: Archaeology and the public. London: Routledge. completed her MA(hons) in Celtic by Experiment. London: Th omas, Julian (ed.) 2000: Interpretative Civilisation at the University of Hutchinson & Co. Ltd. Archaeology. London: Leicester Aberdeen, is currently completing University Press. Coles, John 1979: Experimental the last year of her reseach PhD Archaeology. London: Trigger, Bruce G. 1989: A History in the Anthropology Department. Academic Press Inc. of Archaeological Th ought. Cambridge: Dixon, Nicholas 2004: Th e Crannogs Cambridge University Press. She is especially interested in the of Scotland: An Underwater Vergo, Peter (ed.) 2000: Th e New value of experimental archaeology Archaeology. Brimscombe Port Stroud: Museology. London: as a method of archaeological Tempus Publishing Ltd. Reaktion Books Ltd. interpretation of the past.

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