We want you!

Looking for test institutions for the RETOLD documentation workflow at the annual EXAR conference

by Julia Heeb

The annual conference of the European Network for Furthering Experimental Archaeology (EXAR) took place from the 19th to the 22nd of September 2024 in Blaubeuren, Germany. Many of its members work for open air museums either as freelancers or paid staff, making the conference an ideal platform for sharing the results of the RETOLD project and to look for interested parties to test the prototype of the web-based documentation application for craft activities and reconstructed buildings. 

Many of the papers presented at the conference had to do with crafts, either in an experimental setting or as part of reconstructions of objects or technologies. Like the paper on the production of Late Bronze Age sickle handles, for which manufacturing marks on the archaeological objects were used for inference. Especially the reconstructive crafts carried out in open air museums or by freelancers are good example for potential entrants into the RETOLD platform. 

A powerpoint presentation with the title “Das EU Projekt „RETOLD“ - Einheitliche Dokumentationsstrategien für archäologische Hausmodelle und altes Handwerk“ (The EU-Project RETOLD – standardizes documentation strategies for archaeological house models and crafts) was given. In addition to the presentation the flyer on the RETOLD project was distributed to interested delegates. There was a lot of interest, after the presentation I was approached by a number of people who wanted to know more and were asking how to test the prototype and most delegates picked up one of the flyers.