The Bloomsbury Handbook of Experimental Approaches to Roman Archaeology (Bloomsbury Handbooks)

Description

This volume is the first comprehensive overview of Roman experimental archaeology, exploring its key themes, methodologies and applications through a diverse array of international case studies. Experiments, simulations and reconstructions are important methods for understanding the past, from uncovering how ancient objects and structures were made, used, destroyed, deposited and affected underground, to illuminating the experiences of tasting ancient foods, fighting alongside comrades or living in replicated structures. Although the incorporation of experimentation has had great success in prehistoric studies, greater reliance on the wealth of literary and material sources remaining from the classical period has meant that its potential for Roman studies has yet to be fully realised. The 26 chapters in this book are divided into 5 thematic parts, each of which opens with a contextualizing introduction that frames the detailed case studies found in individual chapters and showcases the actual and potential diversity of experimentation as applied to the Roman past by scholars, re-enactors, and practitioners in the heritage sector. In laying out a detailed guide to Roman experimental archaeology, the volume as a whole maps its past, present and future, and provides a firm foundation for further practical research and collaboration. In doing so, it reasserts that experiments and reconstructions are a significant resource for testing or developing theories, rather than merely artistic replicas, and that the vast amount of quantifiable data they yield can be invaluable in support of interpretations of relevant archaeological or historical evidence, regardless of the period in question and beyond the confines of academia. Cover Halftitle page Also available from Bloomsbury Title page Copyright page CONTENTS CONTRIBUTORS ILLUSTRATIONS FOREWORD PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Introduction: The Past, Present and Future Role of Experimental Research in Roman Studies DEFINING ‘EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES’ A BRIEF HISTORY OF ROMAN EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY CURRENT RESOURCES IN ROMAN EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH FURTHER ENDEAVOURS IN ROMAN EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH A HANDBOOK OF EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES TO ROMAN ARCHAEOLOGY NOTES REFERENCES PART I Experimentation as a Tool for Academic and Public Education CHAPTER ONE Towards Sets of Guidelines for Roman Re-enactment and Reconstruction Archaeology – Revisited CHAPTER TWO Doing (Roman) History Blurring the Lines between Academics, Re-enactors and Artisans INTRODUCTION PHENOMENOLOGY: A FRAMEWORK EXPERIENCING THE PAST WORKING TOGETHER CONCLUDING REMARKS NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER THREE Popularizing Local Archaeology via Roman Experimentation: The ‘Man and Iron in the First Centuries Project in Poland INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND THE ‘MAN AND IRON IN THE FIRST CENTURIES’ PROJECT CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER FOUR The Influence of Experimental Workshops on Archaeological Communities: The Impact of ‘TRACamp' INTRODUCTION WORKSHOP GOALS WORKSHOP ORGANIZATION AND SUPPORT WORKSHOP SYNOPSIS OUTCOMES AND CONCLUSIONS NOTES REFERENCES PART II Rebuilding the Past: Architectural Reconstructions and Archaeological Open-air Museums CHAPTER FIVE Adventures with a Hypocaust and Mass Cob Walling BACKGROUND THE ROMAN BUILDING CHOOSING THE CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY COB WALLING FRESCOS THE HYPOCAUST CONCLUSION REFERENCES CHAPTER SIX Mind the Gap(s): Theoretical and Hands-on Approaches to the Production of Roman Brick and Tile INTRODUCTION THE PRODUCTION OF CERAMIC BUILDING MATERIALS IN CONTEMPORARY WRITTEN SOURCES THE PRODUCTION OF CERAMIC BUILDING MATERIALS AS SEEN FROM THE MATERIAL EVIDENCE PROVIDED BY ARCHAEOLOGY EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE PRODUCTION OF CERAMIC BUILDING MATERIALS CONCLUSION: THEORY AND PRACTICE –THE PERFECT MARRIAGE? REFERENCES CHAPTER SEVEN Rammed Earth, Hand-hewn Timber and Wood-fired Tiles: The Physical Reconstruction of Three Roman Craftsmen Houses at Xanten, Germany INTRODUCTION FIRST ASPECT: IMPROVEMENT DURING RESEARCH SECOND ASPECT: PROTECTION OF THE ORIGINAL REMAINS THIRD ASPECT: KNOWLEDGE OF ROMAN CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY FOURTH ASPECT: THE WEAR AND TEAR OF THE COMPLETED STRUCTURES CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER EIGHT The Oil Merchant’s House in the Roman City Quarter of Carnuntum INTRODUCTION ‘OIL MERCHANT’S HOUSE’ PROJECT CULTURAL EDUCATION CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES PART III Actualistic Experiments: Activities, Processes and Chains of Production CHAPTER NINE Ancient Fish Sauce at the Roman Table: Identifying Archaeological Traces of Ancient Recipes via Experimental Research into the Use and Deposition of Cooking Wares INTRODUCTION FISH SAUCE IN ROMAN STUDIES COOKING WITH FISH SAUCE THE CERAMIC VESSELS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OENOGARUM ORGANIC RESIDUES ANALYSIS OF SAMIAN WARE DISCUSSION EXPERIMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION OF OENOGARUM NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER TEN The Panis Quadratus: Form, Flour and Tools of the Trade INTRODUCTION SOURCES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE METHODOLOGY EXPERIMENTAL RECREATION TOOLS OF THE TRADE: CREATING THE BELTLINE TOOLS OF THE TRADE: CREATING THE WEDGE-LINES,CENTRAL CAVITY AND STEAM-VENT SLIT A REASONABLE FACSIMILE: RESULTSAND INTERPRETATIONS CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER ELEVEN Roman Leather Manufacture and the Archaeological Record: An Experimental Approach INTRODUCTION THE PRINCIPLES OF VEGETABLE TANNING LEATHER IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE A QUESTION OF (CHEMICAL) ORIGIN RESEARCH AIM THE MICROCOSM EXPERIMENT ANALYSIS RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES CHAPTER TWELVE Off With Their Heads! Broken Figurines and Religious Practice in Roman Britain INTRODUCTION FRAGMENTATION IN PREHISTORY FRAGMENTATION IN ROMAN MATERIAL CULTURE STUDIES FRAGMENTING PIPECLAY FIGURINES IN ROMAN BRITAIN BREAKAGE EXPERIMENTS THE ROLE OF BREAKAGE EXPERIMENTS IN FRAGMENTATION STUDIES FRAGMENTING PIPECLAY FIGURINESIN ROMAN BRITAIN BREAKAGE EXPERIMENTS BREAKAGE EXPERIMENTS RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER THIRTEEN An Experimental Approach to the Study of the Roman Oil Lamp INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW LAMP PRODUCTION: THE TWO-PIECEMOULD METHOD LAMP MOULD EXPERIMENTS WICK EXPERIMENTS FUEL TYPE VS LIGHT OUTPUT EXPERIMENTS DEGRADATION TEST OF LAMP MOULDS BUSTUM EXPERIMENT DISCUSSION CONCLUSION REFERENCES CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Role of Interdisciplinary Experiments in Developing Untested Theories: The Application of Engineering and Digital Approaches in the Study of Roman Dyeing Vats from Pompeii INTRODUCTION PLANNING THE EXPERIMENT DUNNING-KRUGER EFFECT AND DISCIPLINE BIAS CATALYST TO THE REACTION – MOVING TO ENGINEERING EXPANDING BEYOND DISCIPLINE BIAS THE FUTURE? CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER FIFTEEN Testing Ethnographic Hypotheses with Reconstructed Artefacts: Replicated Lead Fishing Net Weights and Their Use on Cast Nets INTRODUCTION THE STUDY OF ROMAN FISHING METHODOLOGY RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES PART IV Experiencing the Past: Sensory Experiences and Interpretations CHAPTER SIXTEEN Approaching the Romano-British Glass Bangle Craft with a Craftsperson Perspective INTRODUCTION MANUFACTURE OF ROMANO-BRITISH GLASSBANGLES: A MODERN CRAFTSPERSON’S PERSPECTIVEON MAKING REPLICAS OF AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL ARTEFACT TOWARDS THE NATURE OF BANGLE-MAKING CRAFT: THEORETICAL INSIGHTS EVIDENCE FOR WORKING KNOWLEDGE AND EMERGING SKILL FROM ROMANO-BRITISH GLASS BANGLES CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Reconstructing Recipes from ‘Apicius’: Professional Observations on Practices, Consistencies and Successes INTRODUCTION SOURCES CHANGES TO FARMING PRACTICES AND FOOD ALTERNATIVES THE PRACTICALITIES OF COOKING CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER EIGHTEEN The Price of a Mile: Marching and Its Impacton the Soldier: An Approximation to the Roman Republican Army through an Experimental Perspective INTRODUCTION LITERARY REVIEW: LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THE MARCH METHODOLOGY PARAMETERS STUDIED RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER NINETEEN Identifying Severe Hair Loss via the Reproduction of Known Roman Hair Styles: The Case of Julia Domna INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY PRIMARY SOURCES COSMETOLOGY OBSERVATIONS DETACHABLE HAIRSTYLES WHEN GROWTH CYCLES GO WRONG: ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA EXPERIMENT DISCUSSION CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER TWENTY Interpreting Clothing of the Late Antique Period: The Role of Experimental Archaeology INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND CLOAKS NARROW-SLEEVED TUNICS REPRODUCTION OF CHILDREN’S TUNICS PRODUCTION METHODS IN ANTIQUITY DISCUSSION NOTES PART V Digital Technologies: 3D Reconstructions and Gaming CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE 3D Reconstructions as an Educational Tool INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND APPLICATIONS DIGITAL ONLINE COURSES FURTHER DEVELOPMENT SUMMARY NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Methods and Applications of 3D Digital Reconstructions: The Roman Fishponds of Maritime Villas in Southern Latium INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND THE DIGITIZATION OF PLANS AND 3D RECONSTRUCTIONS OF FISHPONDS CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Shedding Light in Roman Houses: Using 3D Reconstructions to Analyse the Use of Natural Light INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY ANALYSIS LIGHT LEVELS IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROOMS DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSES DISCUSSION AND CONCLUDING REMARKS NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Digital Reconstructions as a Method to Test the Feasibility of Multiple Interpretations of Archaeological Artefacts as Illustrated by a Case Study of a Belt-like Object from Second-century CE Vimose INTRODUCTION RESEARCH AIM METHODOLOGY OBJECT OF RECONSTRUCTION RECONSTRUCTING AND STUDYING THE FIND RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE Rome Was Not Built in a Day Reimagining the Roman Empire in Video Games INTRODUCTION A HISTORY OF ROMAN VIDEO GAMES EXPERIENCE OF EXPERIMENTING WITH HISTORY: IMPERATOR: ROME MODIFYING HISTORY ROMEINCRAFT CONCLUSIONS NOTES REFERENCES CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX The Missing Dead Reconstructing the Past through Digital Gameplay at Roman Vindolanda INTRODUCTION THE MISSING DEAD: VINDOLANDA AND CITIZEN SCIENCE BRINGING THE DEAD TO LIFE: STORYTELLING AND VIDEOGAMES THE STORIES WAITING TO BE TOLD: CO-CURATORSHIP CONCLUSION: THE UNEXPECTED RESULTS OF COVID NOTES REFERENCES Conclusion: Reimagining the Roman Past INTRODUCTION DIFFERENT PATHWAYS TO REIMAGINING THE ROMAN PAST STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES CONCLUSION: THE PRAXIS OF ROMAN ARCHAEOLOGY REFERENCES INDEX