By Elska á Fjárfelli and Chrestienne de Waterdene
My first colonial ale called Dear Old Mum, a spiced wheat, at Chowning’s
Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg. (Photo R. Mazza).
The 8th annual Reconstructive and Experimental
Archaeology Conference hosted by EXARC drew speakers and participants from many
parts of the world. The REARC conference was once again hosted by Colonial
Williamsburg in Virginia, from October 18th to the 20th.
Mistress Chrestienne deWaterdene and I drove down together to check out the
event. Friday was reserved for the presentation of papers, by students and
researchers alike, demonstrating the wealth of information and practical skills
available within the EXARC community. Saturday was filled with numerous
demonstrations in which the conference attendees could participate and museum
visitors could watch and learn.
My first academic paper, that started life as an
uncooperative IceDragon brewing entry. (Photo S. Stull, occasional SCAdian and a
conference presenter)
The presentations ranged from practical recreations like
bird bone flute making and weaving with captive reed beads to duplicate pottery
impressions, to the use of recreated objects such as determining if Ötzi’s
tools were for hunting or for warfare, and the function of experimental
archaeology within different types of classrooms. Some researchers presented a
follow up on previous papers, like Neil Peterson with his ongoing Viking bead
furnace project. Some might look for resources not yet found – the joy of
Caitlin Gaffney after finding a possible source for a reproduction medieval
knife to carve her bone flutes was absolutely contagious. And some were looking
to network: David Spence asked for additional projects for his Experimental
Archaeology in High School and left with numerous contacts and suggestions.
Each and every paper had some unique view, some unusual bit of information – as
the practical aspects of experimental archaeology requires a more
interdisciplinary approach than traditional academics, conferences like REARC
are essential. You just never know from what discipline, from which subject, the
answer to the question you did not even realize you had could come from. I
personally was amazed to find that the gist of my paper, to not take words at
their literal modern definition, was independently repeated in another paper – to
have my initial interpretation validated via an independent source right then
and there.
The work stations, surrounded by assorted Colonial-era garments being
altered or repaired.
During the lunch break Chrestienne and I quietly excused
ourselves and took a quick look at the Annual Open House at the nearby Colonial
Williamsburg Costume Design Center. Here, the staff fits, designs, creates and
dresses Colonial Williamsburg's costumed interpreters. The clothes range from
silk gowns and caps for the ladies, to cotton and linen wear for the middling
sort, to handmade leather gloves and embroidered coats for the male gentry.
Ordinarily, the Costume Design Center is only open by appointment, except one
day a year, when it opens the doors for all to show and tell. And we made sure
to be there! It was a cornucopia of fabrics and embellishments, and the
workstations were to die for…
Talon Silverhorn showing his beaded belt made using Fingerweaving. He
also told about how his Tribe uses this technique to record and tell stories,
right up to our modern days.
I also learned that the colonial interpreters do not make
nor own their costumes, it is this department that researches, designs, fits
and creates for everyone on the payroll. Except for the Native Americans, it
seems. We did not see any Native American wardrobes out in storage or on
display, and from talking with Native interpreter Talon Silverhorn we learned
that most make their own as part of their tribal community and heritage.
Bill Schindler, experimental archaeologist and co-host of the National
Geographic show The Great Human Race. I enjoyed our conversation over a craft
beer at the hotel, and even taught him a thing or two about historic mead
brewing.
The keynote speaker for this year was Bill Schindler, an
experimental archaeologist with Washington College and part of the Eastern
Shore Food Labs. His quite engaging presentation on Fusion: ancestral diets, modern culinary techniques, and experimental
archaeology was well received, and left the audience with a number of
questions to think on. This paper was perfect for our younger generation as
they are now growing up in an environment which might be more hostile to them
than they would surmise, and where this area of research, experimental
archaeology, could help shed light on where to go from here. The connection
between human biology and our diet, and the impact industrialization has had on
our health to the point where humans, and our pets, can be both obese and malnourished,
is not only fascinating from an academic point of view, but relevant to the
survival of our species.
This years’ demonstrations were two part: the practice of
throwing atlatl and observing and shooting early bows, combined with the
technique of smelting and casting bronze and making Viking era glass beads.
Unfortunately, while the weather was absolutely gorgeous on Friday, by the time
Saturday came around it had changed to intermittent drizzle and rain. But that
did not stop us from having a go at each of the stations, and appreciate the
added value of tent coverings at the metallurgy and flamework areas. While I
would have loved to try Ötzi’s replica bow as initially intended, Manuel
Lizarralde did not feel comfortable to have it out in soaking rain as
it was not yet waterproof. I did get to shoot a fire hardened black locust
Native American self bow, weatherproofed with bear grease, and even hit the
target center. Conference host Tim Messner enjoyed the primitive tattoo kit and
extant stone tools that Talon Silverhorn, Native American interpreter, brought
to share – and almost talked him into a tattoo demo on the spot.
Fergus Milton, with help from David Spence, melting bronze to do a
lost-wax mold casting later in the afternoon.
At the station near the Blacksmith area we enjoyed Fergus
Milton’s bronze casting demonstrations - with help on the bellows by David
Spence - using a small furnace constructed on site from local clay, and aerated
with a primitive leather-bag bellows. He began the day by smelting the bronze
and preparing two molds, and poured the molds mid-afternoon. Several museum
guests returned specifically to witness the casting, after stopping by
periodically to keep an eye on the proceedings.
Chrestienne making her
first Viking glass bead over a charcoal bead furnace under the expert supervision
of Neil Peterson (a SCAdian of old). She’s wearing the loaner sweater Neil
provided (available to those wearing flammable man-made fiber fabrics). Wool is
a safer fabric to protect against sparks and burning embers.
At the same time Neil Peterson had his coal-fed bead furnace
up and running for conference attendees to try their hand at making a Viking
glass bead. His station was in continuous use throughout the day and many of
the attendees left with a precious homemade bead in their pocket. Surprisingly,
participants often had more trouble with the coordination required to operate
the bellows effectively, me included, than they had creating a simple bead.
Left: Pouring molten
tin into a cuttlefish mold encased in fresh clay as support. Bottom: The mold is
only able to be used once, becoming burned during use. Although tin is used to
demonstrate, it is a softer metal than the master used for the impression.
Finally, before packing up, Fergus Milton did a quick demonstration
of cuttlefish casting for David Spence to consider showing to his highschool
students. He used some tin he had on hand, and as it had a lower melting
temperature than the bronze, it quickly became molten and he was able to show
how the porous nature of the cuttlefish bone lends itself well to making a
quick mold. It takes in a good amount of detail from the master used to press
into the material, and feels a bit like a dense, fine Styrofoam when pushing a
metal object in to make an impression.
To cap off this wonderful experience, the resident founders
at Williamsburg had invited Fergus Milton (burgundy shirt) for a special bronze
casting demonstration at their shop on Sunday morning. To experience the
prehistoric process, so closely followed by the much more refined methods of
the 18th century Geddy Foundry, was an appropriate ending to an otherwise
perfect immersive weekend of reconstructive and experimental archaeology. We
are ready to come back for more next year!
Insistent cow, with
bull calf, determined to charm snacks from us! (Photo: R. Mazza)
All photos credited to S. Verberg, unless otherwise stated.
