This field museum studies/museology workshop is designed to offer participants the opportunity to explore and experience aspects of the evolution of traditional crafts and technologies through their theoretical, ethnographic and practical dimensions. The workshop is a museum studies and archaeological program which is meant to be both experimental and experiential. For the purpose of this project, the program brings together archaeologists, museologists and craftsmen in order to recreate actual objects found in excavations, using Late Iron Age, Imperial Roman and medieval techniques and technologies. The core experimental modules will focus on two transformation pyrotechnologies, metal and ceramics; and several aspect of woodwork, ranging from architectural to practical and decorative. Participants will make the intellectual and phenomenological journey from the academic, to the experimental and to the experiential, culminating in building and hosting an exhibit.

This exhibit will be an ultimate synthesis of their museum experience, highlighting the process of artifact creation and providing artifact biographies. Participants will also be integrated into the presentation as living embodiment of the experienced artifacts, illustrating their path of discovery and immersion into historical culture and processes. As such, they will interact with several categories of individuals, ranging from journalists to local visitors and, possibly, a school group. The entire process should result in a fully active participatory museum learning experience. As part of the final exhibit, the participants will maintain a blog of their experiences as well as creating a short documentary of about 5 minutes presenting their path of discovery of the various core modules.

Museum Field Studies, Ethnoarchaeology and Traditional Crafts Workshop

Dates: June 4 – July 1, 2017

Location: Rapolt, Hunedoara County, Transylvania (Romania)

More information: http://www.archaeotek-archaeology.org/field-museology---ethnoarchaeology

Contact e-mail: archaeology@archaeotek.org

Remarks: several study/field trips are part of the project to the ASTRA Open Air Ethnographic Museum (Sibiu), Dacian and Roman Civilization Museum (Deva) and, time permitting, Corvin Castle Museum (Hunedoara) and a Daco-Roman historical reenactment festival.

Participants who wish to expand their skill set can attend Roman excavations immediately following the Museum Field Studies Workshop, respectively:

• Roman Provincial Villa Excavation – Identity and Wealth on the Roman Frontier: http://www.archaeotek-archaeology.org/roman-villa-excavation
• Roman Provincial Settlement Excavation and Survey – Life by the Imperial Roads: http://www.archaeotek-archaeology.org/roman-settlement-excavation

Please note that all projects are designed as an intensive hands-on programs and, as such, are open to both credit students and non-credit participants. For more information on this program, see attached brochures or visit www.archaeotek-archaeology.org.