How Do We Know Ryan Wraggs and Taylor Arrighi Boswell British Literature 2 September 2009

The First Steps A archaeological dig takes place in an area Items are found from being unearthed Easier items (like coins) can determined by possible dates on the coins or from pictures Other items (like knives, brooches, pottery, and metal) can be compared to other classified items that we already know the time

Craft Techniques Crafting techniques have many parallels all over the world Workshops and images tell that many practices from the Anglo- Saxon time has not changed much By comparing and consulting present day handcraft of one possible technique, we learn more of the technique as originally practiced But it does not always work out

Replication To prove or disprove one technique, practical experiments take place Modern craftsmen or archaeologists attempt to replicate items according to the theory craft technique The replication can determine if the technique was used in Anglo-Saxon time period If successful, the replica, and the waste, can be closely studied to compared the replica to other artifacts

Experimental Archaeology’s Other Use Experimental archaeology can be applied to many other aspects of past life artifacts, not just crafts Houses are replicated to see if they could stay up and to see if it can withstand weather from the Anglo- Saxon time Ships, weapons, tools, farming, etc. can be determined if it was of Anglo- Saxon from experimental archaeology, too

Understanding How They Lived Specialist archaeology is more used with living conditions and artifacts than experimental archaeology “The modern eye” can be a weakness in studying artifacts (illustrations and literature) because in the Anglo-Saxon time something can mean something else rather than our modern terminology

Settlement The study of settlements can tell historians many things about the surrounding area and culture concerning the Anglo-Saxon Things like skeletons can tell about illnesses, how people grow, etc. can tell a lot the settlement and period of time

Absent Parallels One of the biggest problems for an archaeologist can be deducing what an item might have been used for Some artifacts are related to some of today’s items, while others have no obvious parallel These items are called “ritual significance”

Sources (websites and pictures) ststow.html