EXARC

15/06/2026

🔨The life of a Stone Axe: a view at the second life of polished tools from Czechia.

How does the life of a stone tool look like? There is way more to it than one can imagine, and manufacturing is just the beginning. Repurposing, secondary uses, alterations, and repairs can drastically change the use of a tool, to the point that it becomes something else.

In this new article, the authors summarize the results of eight years of experiments on the chaîne opératoire of polished stone tools from Czechia.

👉 Read more in our journal: https://exarc.net/issue-2026-2/rev/life-stone-axe

📝 by Radomír Tichý ✉, Iva Dohnálková, Karel Kučírek, Aleš Panáček, Petr Zítka

12/06/2026

🇪🇺 The European Archaeology Days (EAD) are an annual event dedicated to archaeology in all its forms. The initiative aims to raise awareness of archaeology and introduce European audiences to its many dimensions.

A wide range of activities is organised to engage families, schools, students, history enthusiasts, museum visitors, and the general public, offering opportunities to explore this fascinating discipline and Europe's rich archaeological heritage.

If you are based in Europe, don't miss the opportunity to discover a part of our continent's shared heritage.

👉 Find an event near you: https://www.exarc.org/calendar/ead2026

The European Archaeology Days (EAD) are an annual event dedicated to archaeology in all its forms.

10/06/2026

🎲 The Roman dodecahedron: a practical tool for administration?

Roman dodecahedra are hollow bronze objects dating to the 2nd–4th centuries AD, predominantly found in the north-western provinces of the Roman Empire.

Despite extensive debate, their function remains undocumented in contemporary sources and unresolved archaeologically.

Our latest article applies experimental archaeology to reassess whether the form of the Roman dodecahedron is consistent with its use as a practical tool in administrative contexts.

👉 Read the full article in our Journal: https://exarc.net/issue-2026-2/rev/functional-reassessment-roman-dodecahedra-tools-forming

📝 By Greg Lamb

08/06/2026

The EXARC Working Group on Live Interpretation is happy to invite you to its first online event!

📆 30 June, 8.00PM CET (Amsterdam time)
📍 Online, check the link below

Live interpretation is a broad and inspiring field, bringing together museums, and Open-Air Museums, heritage institutions, re-enactors, educators, storytellers and experimental archaeologists. Together we explore how history and archaeology can be communicated to modern audiences in engaging and meaningful ways.

The event will bring together a series of guests from across the living history, museum, and experimental archaeology communities.

👉 Here all you need to know: https://www.exarc.org/calendar/telling-the-story-of-history-through-festivals

05/06/2026

🇩🇪 The open-air museum, “Zeiteninsel,” has taken shape near Marburg (Germany) over the past few decades and will officially open on 18–19 July 2026!

The museum’s origins date back to the 1990s, when archaeologists discovered the remains of prehistoric settlements in the Lahn Valley. Excavations uncovered more than 100 house foundations and evidence of continuous human settlement spanning over 9,000 years, revealing a remarkable story of life in the region through the ages.

The complex and its buildings were designed in collaboration with archaeologists, archaeological technicians, and craftspeople. Much of the construction work was carried out by volunteers, reflecting the strong dedication of today’s residents of the Lahn Valley to preserving and sharing their heritage.

Today, the museum brings these prehistoric periods to life through five chronological sections, ranging from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods through the Bronze and Iron Ages to the Roman era. Together, they offer visitors a unique opportunity to explore daily life and the settlement history of the Lahn Valley across thousands of years.

🍀 EXARC wishes this new archaeological open-air museum every success and looks forward to following its future development.

📸 by Georg Kronenberg

03/06/2026

🪡 The colourful world of looms and weaving! Explore our new article collection 📝

Looms and weaving have shaped human societies for thousands of years, transforming spun fibres into textiles used for clothing, trade, and cultural expression.

Through experimental archaeology, researchers investigate loom weights, weaving techniques, and textile production methods to better understand how fabrics were made and how they influenced daily life and household economies.

These studies reveal that weaving was not only a practical craft, but also a technological innovation deeply connected to social identity, labour, and cultural traditions.

👉 Explore our new thematic article collection: https://exarc.net/journal/themed-collections/looms-and-weaving

📸 from the article of Billie J. A. Follensbee.

01/06/2026

📝 The 2026/2 issue of the EXARC Journal contains six peer-reviewed articles and seven mixed matters articles.

All articles in our journal are open access, enabling the free exchange of information in the fields of experimental archaeology, historical reconstruction, ancient technology, experiential learning, and presenting the past.

👉 Read the new issue online for free: https://exarc.net/issue-2026-2

30/05/2026

🎏 What is the Vlaardingen Culture?

During the Late Neolithic, nearly 5,000 years ago, the Rhine–Meuse delta in the western Netherlands was inhabited by communities who combined farming, fishing, hunting, and gathering.

In 2021, the research programme Putting Life into Late Neolithic Houses began to answer important questions about these communities and their way of life.

📝 Its major results were recently presented during the symposium "Living in a Wetland Landscape: The Late Neolithic Vlaardingen Culture Revisited".

EXARC attended the conference and helped make this important research available to everyone.

👉 Find the full conference recording on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqWUT1pOFU1NNA6eRuqoyBpNl_35mxBi-

28/05/2026

🏰Located in Iran, Saryazd Castle is a historic mud-brick fortress that once protected the local community living in the surrounding area. In 2019, the site was digitally documented using photogrammetry, high-resolution photography, and a virtual 360º tour to support preservation efforts and create more engaging visitor experiences.

🤔 Why is this experience interesting for experimental archaeology?

In recent years, EXARC has worked on the digitalization of craft processes through the RETOLD project, and the experience of Saryazd Castle has been an important inspiration.

👉 Would you like to know more about the RETOLD project? Read everything about how crafts and experimental archaeology activities can be digitalised in our new themed collection: https://exarc.net/journal/themed-collections/retold

📝 by Kristy-Lee Seaton and Miglena Raykovska.

26/05/2026

🪨 Between archaeology and craft: reconstructing stoneworking practices through traditional materials and techniques in Norway.

Filippo Olari is an archaeologist and stoneworker with over 25 years of experience in archaeological and historical projects across Europe. He specializes in experimental archaeology, stone craftsmanship, and heritage interpretation, with a particular focus on stoneworking traditions.

Filippo has recently joined EXARC and shared on our blog his vision of how, over the past years, his work has developed at the intersection of archaeology and craftsmanship. As both an archaeologist and a stoneworker, he approaches experimental archaeology not only as a research method, but also as a practical discipline grounded in manual skills, material knowledge, and long-term engagement with historical techniques.

👉 Read Filippo’s story on our blog: https://www.exarc.org/exarc-blog/between-archaeology-and-craft-filippo-olari