Category: Miscellaneous Posts

Ahoy!

I just finished reading an interesting article about the possible origins of distillation, so I thought I would share. In Ancient Distillation and Experimental Archaeology about the Prehistoric Apparatuses of Tepe Gawra, Maria Rosaria Belgiorno attempts to confirm M. Levey’s 1950 theory about the use of Late Chalcolithic, the transitional period in between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, or the Copper Age. The Chalcolithic spanned a period of the late 4^th to the 3^rd Millenium BC. This idea theorized that the strangely shaped ceramics pots that were found in Tepe Gawra, where Mesopotamia once stood, were possibly used for the distillation of perfumes, essential oils, medicine, and alcohol.

A recreation of the alchemical paraphernalia from different layers/eras that were recovered from the site (Figure 1.), using local clay and basic techniques so as to recreate the fabrication processes as accurately as possible, were made using the basic principles of similar but more modern equipment used in Iran (Figure 2.) to fill in the gaps left in the archeological record from the missing pieces.

Figure 2. Distillation Equipment Used in Iran

               Additionally, since Levey’s formulation of his hypothesis in the 1950s, similar pots have been found at multiple other sites. His theory, if confirmed, would also explain the rich findings of burial goods in a resource poor area.

All in all an exciting experiment that yields some interesting results, proving once again that pot sherds, which were once tossed aside as useless debris by most, can yield surprising cultural processes of a time long past.

Read it here: ExArch Distillation Experiment

Hey there!

This week I read a cool article from the ExArch experimental archaeology archives called ‘A Singing Bone from the Mätäjärvi (‘Rotten Lake’) Quarter of Medieval Turku, Finland: Experimental Reconstructions and Contemporary Musical Exploration’ by Riitta Ranio (et al.) that was published in November of 2021. This article describes a recreation of a medieval (sheep or goat) bone flute that was dound in Finland. What I found interesting about this article is that it focuses on a crudely made flute that would have (likely) been used and created by someone who was not an expert in this craft. It’s easy for researchers to only choose to recreate the best of the best, but there is so much value to be found in works that are less polished as well. This bone was probably made in someones free time (for fun?), rather than as or related to their profession. 

After remaking the flute, a professional flute player spent around a year regularly playing this flute to try to figure out how it would have been played and how the original would have sounded (sound clip included). Thats a lot of time and effort to put in after the recreation has been finished, and shows true dedication on the parts of the researchers (and flutist!). This article really makes a point of displaying that a recreation is not the end point of an experience/experiment, sometimes its just the beginning. 

Figure 1. The original bone flute found in Finland

Figure 2. The recreations (the upper one cracked and was unusable, leaving only the lower in tact)

Read the article here: https://exarch.net/ark:/88735/10604

This week, I read a really interesting article from the ExArc journal called ‘Killing the Cauldron: Experimental Research on Dented Bronze Cauldrons from the (post)Medieval Period’ by Vincent van Vilsteren.

Vincent van Vilsteren and his cauldrons

For his experiment, he dropped bronze cauldrons on various materials — wooden plank, soft brick, a boulder of quartzite sandstone, iron axeblade, and the back of an iron ax — to compare the resulting damage with those on Medieval vessels. Due to the energy and precision required to create dents and cracks during his experiment, he concluded that the unearthed vessels were used as a form of ritual mutilation (a common practice for other objects such as swords and saddles). He provides the following supporting evidence for this practice (which I found very interesting!)

• Damaged cauldrons could still be recycled and melted down to make new products. Why would people not prioritize reducing costs for future purchases?
• Cauldrons are hardly ever found in middens. Why did past owners not view them as waste?
• Cauldrons are often found in water sources, such as moors, rivers, and wells. Perhaps due to another aspect of a ritual?
• Some cauldrons lacked any evidence of cookware or food residue. Why were they made if not for deliberate deposition? 

Overall, his experiment made me reflect on Medieval bronze cauldrons and their cultural significance outside of the kitchen. 

A Medieval Kitchen: Il Cuoco Segreto Di Papa Pio V (The Private Chef of Pope Pius V), by Bartolomeo Scappi, Venice, 1570.

Read the article here!!

Vincent van Vilsteren. (2021). Killing the Cauldron: Experimental Research on Dented Bronze Cauldrons from the (post)Medieval Period. EXARC Journal, 2021/2.