Putting life into archaeological reconstructions is often speculative, as we lack detailed knowledge about important aspects of past human technologies. What did people do with their hands, what kind of things did they make, especially with elusive organic materials such as wood, skins and fibers. In this project we employ microwear analysis of different material categories with an extensive experimental program to shed light on domestic craft and subsistence activities. Innovative material analysis like SEM/EDX, confocal microscopy and organic residue analysis are used to obtain a detailed understanding of the interconnectivities between different toolkits used for craft and subsistence activities. We focus on the late Neolithic Vlaardingen culture (VLC) because of its special significance in the neolithisation process of the coastal areas and to elucidate the effect of the Corded Ware immigrants on the local VLC technological traditions. A house from this period has been experimentally reconstructed at Masamuda open-air centre in the Vlaardingen-Broekpolder. Here an active group of volunteers will be trained in carrying out prehistoric domestic tasks. Our results and interpretations will be translated into reconstruction drawings which will be internationally distributed through EXARC to elicit comments. These, in turn, will be explored through microscopy and experiments. Ultimately, the project aims reconstructing VLC technology in time and space from the individual biographies of single items to the organization at the landscape scale. The results of the project will be transferred across EXARC members and will be incorporated in Masamuda displays and educational activities and the interested museums.
Archeologie telt
Het Nationale Wetenschapsagenda (NWA) thematisch programma 'Archeologie telt. Op weg naar toekomstbestendig archeologisch onderzoek' is gericht op onderzoek waarbij innovatieve (en/of conventionele) methoden en technieken worden ingezet voor vragen die in de archeologie centraal staan en dat bijdraagt aan het ontwikkelen van een kennisketenbrede duurzame onderzoeksinfrastructuur. Het programma stimuleert samenwerking binnen de kennisketen, maar ook van de kennisketen met maatschappelijke stakeholders uit publieke en semipublieke sectoren en het archeologische bedrijfsleven.