Experimental Archaeology

Archaeologists increasingly conduct experiments (usually to determine how something worked), to test hypotheses and generate data. Experimental archaeology can be as simple as trying out a particular technique (use as flint-knapping), or as complex as a long-term experiment to test alluvial damage on artefacts. But what does experimental archaeology really mean? The most recent concise and universally accepted scholarly definition was published in 2002 by Mathieu:-

"…research which employs a number of different methods, techniques, analyses, and approaches within the context of a controllable initiative experiment to replicate past phenomena (from objects to systems) in order to generate and test hypotheses to provide analogies for archaeological interpretation."

The scientific method which underpins the methodology is well published (Okasha 2002), but within the discipline there is growing concern about the way experimental archaeology is perceived, resulting in a series of articles aimed at clarifying what does and what does not constitute experimental archaeology and how serious reports should be written (Outram 2005, 107-109 and see Mathieu 2005, 110; Schmidt 2005, 111).

Experimental archaeology does not involve dressing-up in period costume, role-playing or historical re-enactment. It is a scientific methodology which is used by archaeologists to examine the past (especially lost technologies). Some of the first archaeological experiments in the 19th century involved people attempting to make replicas of prehistoric flint tools and this concern with lithics has continued. The methodology has now been adopted by many archaeologists working in the field of materials science and the range of experiments has grown exponentially to include many technologies including metallurgy and ceramics. Some of the most interesting applications of experimental archaeology involve new technologies which enable archaeologists to examine artefacts in new and novel ways.

One of the important areas experimental archaeology is able to address is that of skill and skill acquisition. It is important that practitioners develop personal craft skills in order to ensure their experiments are as actualistic as possible, and to be able to claim any validity for data it has to be shown that where lost technologies are being explored that people with craft expertise commensurate with that exhibited by artisans in the past can be demonstrated. This can be problematic because some of these skills (flint-knapping for example) may take a long time (years) to learn.