Lecture, Workshop tour - end of October

My friend and fellow experimental archaeology enthusiast (crazy) Neil Peterson and I are departing early tomorrow for a two week plus trip to the USA:

The adventure starts with a stop at West Liberty University, West Liberty, West Virginia. Dr Darrin Cox (kindly!) describes the program we will be presenting :

“Darrell Markewitz and Neil Peterson are scholars of experimental archeology from Canada. They will practice their ancient professions all day long, just outside the rear entrance to the Media Arts Center. Students will be able to observe the actual work involved in these professions that date back to the time of the Vikings and a number of observers will also get to make their own glass beads and work with wrought iron,”

Neil demonstrating the Viking Age bead furnace - Goderich 2012

We will be conducting demonstration / workshop sessions on campus for students. That evening (Thursday October 17) we will be giving a pair of short lectures :

'the Artist Blacksmith - a view from the workshop' (Darrell)

'Experimental Archaeology - Viking Age Glass Bead Making' (Neil)

As far as I know - these are open to the general public, but you would have to contact the campus for details.

Link to an article (and campus information)

Starting Friday Oct 18 - to Sunday Oct 20, we both will be participating in the 4th Reconstructive and Experimental Archaeology Conference (ReARC) at the Schiele Museum of Natural History, Gastonia North Carolina.
Besides generally hanging about, we both will be giving presentations at the conference Saturday :

09:20 – 09:40

Title: Making Yours One of the "Good" Presentations”

Author: Peterson, Neil, Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada

Abstract: We've all been to bad lectures or presentations in the past and we don't want to be one of those. Do you know how to avoid that?  In many ways the medium becomes your message.  No how matter how good your material is, if the presentation is poorly done your audience will tune out.  Presenting a paper has many advantages over other presentations, not the least because the content is well known to you.  Papers, however, regularly show a standard set of problems that are easily avoided. In this session Neil will review the 'do' and 'don't' items for presenting, basics of how to create a presentation, powerpoint ideas, and many other things you need to know to make yourself a better presenter. Based in part on the excellent book 'Presenting to Win', in part on many years lecturing at Universities, Museums, and conferences around North America, and in part on many years presenting in a corporate environment, this session will help you make your presentations more interesting, and memorable.

2:50 - 5:00

Forging the Viking Age

Presenter: Markewitz, Darrell, Wareham Forge, Ontario, Canada

Description: Scandinavian culture was known for the quality of its metalwork, especially in iron. Just how did the tools available effect the creation of the object? Is there an effect from the qualities of the metals available themselves? Join artist blacksmith and Viking Age specialist Darrell Markewitz for this combination demonstration and hands workshop session. A reconstructed 'sand table' charcoal forge, along with replicas of Norse blacksmithing tools, will be used. Those wishing to participate need to be dressed in natural fibre, long pants and work boots (jeans and T shirt ideal).

Darrell working the Sand Table Forge, Bristol RI - 2006

 To the ReARC web site

PS - this is both an amazing small conference, but also a great deal (at only $50 at the door - $40 for students). 

After ReARC, we are then travelling up to Washington College, Chestertown Maryland. There, at the request of Dr. Bill Schlinder, we are undertaking a modified version of the 'Archaeology and Experiment' workshop program.  For this program, we will be including sessions under Neil's guidance, building and working with the VA bead furnaces, as well as mounting a complete bloomery iron smelt.

Extracting the bloom - Bristol RI - 2011

As well as lectures to the students, we will be providing one open public lecture session, Wednesday October 23:

Norse America – what REALLY happened?

This will be a pretty free wheeling discussion around Vinland in the Viking Age. Darrell will be looking at the truth of L'Anse aux Meadows, Neil will be considering some of our 'favourite' fakes and forgeries.

 Again, you would have to look to the campus web site for exact location and time (evening).

To the general web site

 If that was not enough, we are going to take advantage of the proximity to hang out with Bruce Blackistone, Fred Blonder and our (extended) friends of the Longship Company.
It turns out their replica ship the Sae Hrafn docks off the north Chesapeake, a mere two hours from Washington College! Plans are to spend a couple of days on the water. Bill Short and his companions from Hurstwic are planning on travelling down for the gathering as well.


Those interested in the Viking Age, Iron Smelting, Glass Bead Production, Experimental Archaeology, ... are welcome to check for the public presentations and come out to meet us!


Oh - and if that is not *enough*, Neil figures we are 'more or less' driving up past the Corning Glass Museum in New York on our way back to Ontario. So we have juggled our travel and stops to allow us at least a few hours there (Neil has never seen it) on the way home Monday October 28.