Archaeological Open-Air Museum

Celtic Village Ichenhausen (DE)

Member of EXARC
No

The Celtic Path takes you back to the millennium before the Romans arrived. On information boards along the way you will learn something about a people that has left no written records. You will pass original grave mounds, a so called Viereckschanze and a reconstructed Celtic homestead, Keltengehöft Ichenhausen.

Located on the corridor between the municipalities Ichenhausen and Kammeltal a Celtic Village provides insights into the lives of the people 2500 years ago, and so to speak, at the original location, because the farm, built by the friends of culture and recreation, is surrounded by a wealth of archaeological monuments, from Celtic times.

Cultural-Historical Park "Botai - Burabay" (KZ)

Member of EXARC
No

The Cultural and Historical Park "Botai - Burabay" was opened in 2018 in the territory of the National Park "Burabay", located at the foot of Zheke Batyr. The initiator of the Park is Dr Seibert. The Botai culture is an eneolithic archaeological culture (c. 3,700–3,100 BC) of Kazakhstan and North Asia. 

The Botai culture is especially interesting for research into the origin of horse domestication. They were a major user of domestic horses by about 3,500 BC. Excavations of Botai sites are ongoing. 

Museum of Ontario Archaeology (CA)

Member of EXARC
No

Situated beside the museum on a flat plateau overlooking the Medway River and Snake Creek is the 500-year-old Neutral Iroquois Village site. The Lawson Archaeological Site may have housed upwards of 2000 people at the height of its occupancy. 

Ancestral communities selected this location for its defensible characteristics, access to water, and proximity to a wide variety of animals, fish and wild plants. The site is five acres in size. Three-quarters of the Lawson site remains covered by trees and is undisturbed by previous farming or archaeological digs.

Yoshinogari Historical Park (JP)

Member of EXARC
No

At the Yoshinogari Historical Park, visitors experience life in the ancient Yayoi period of Japan's history. Yayoi life and culture come alive through the carefully reconstructed village and unique exhibitions found here. 

The Yoshinogari hills were originally slated for one of Saga Prefecture's industrial areas, but the project was suspended upon discovery of ruins and relics, until further research into the area could be carried out. In 1986, the site was meticulously studied to understand whether it was a truly important cultural site. The concluding result was that this area was one of Japan's largest moat encircled villages dating from the Yayoi period (3c. B.C. - 3c. A.D.).

Sannai-Maruyama (JP)

Member of EXARC
No

The Sannai-Maruyama special historical site ((三内丸山遺跡)) features the remains of a large, long-term settlement that from the Early to the Middle Jomon period (from approximately 5,500 to 4,000 years ago).

Excavation that started in 1992, and pit-dwellings, large pit-dwellings, burial pits for adults, burial jars for children, mounds, the remains of large and regular-sized pillar-supported building, storage pits, clay mining pits, and remains of roads have been found. These findings have revealed how people lived in this settlement, as well as the natural environment at that time.

Plantage Bakkie (SR)

Member of EXARC
No

Plantage Reynsdorp (Bakkie) is a former coffee plantation (1744) with old locks and buildings. The plantation was divided around 1900 under old, mainly Javanese, contracts. Bakkie is the last inhabited plantation on the right bank of the Commewijne River.

The Bakkie Museum has one of the most unique collections in Suriname with many original books, prints and objects, like the original journals of J.G. Stedman 1799, the picture book of Benoit 1823, a Blaeu map of 1630, payments for abolition of slavery in 1863, a branding iron, crooked buoy, a West Indian Company (WIC) chocolate mold, a referral from Dr. Sophie Redmond and a coloured picture by Maria Sibylla Merian 1719. The garden at Bakkie is particularly special.

Rõuge Ancient Farm Project (EE)

Member of EXARC
No

The Rõuge ancient farm project (Rõuge Muinastalu) was initiated in 2010 by Viire Kobrusepp and managed by her until 2016. In her Master’s thesis, Viire concentrated her research on an archaeological Iron Age building experiment that saw the construction of a Viking era dwelling house using ancient building techniques.

This was followed by a living experiment. Other buildings followed the construction of the dwelling: a granary, a smithy, a summer kitchen and a barn. When building the reconstructions, archaeological examples were used for the building layouts and ethnographical sources for the different roof designs. The hillfort and settlement site of Rõuge, located only 100 m away from the site, serves as a major source of information as it has been thoroughly excavated.

Posyolok Predkov (RU)

Member of EXARC
No

The complex of historical reconstructions “Ancestors Village” (Посёлок предков) in the Khakassky State Nature Reserve is unique for Khakassia in its concept and forms of work with visitors. On its territory, right under the open sky, the dwellings of the ancient peoples who once inhabited the territory of modern Khakassia are located.

The copies of dwellings recreated with scientific accuracy belong to different archaeological cultures (Okunevskoj, taštykskoj, tagarskoj, kyrgyz) and, thanks to the realism of their exterior and interior, they literally reflect the traces of ancient civilizations.

Kroma Kolna Bruoliste (LV)

Member of EXARC
No

Kroma Kolna is an association of historical activists and reconstructors working with the popularization and imitation of the events and the cultural environment of Latgale’s ancient history, mainly the 9th-13th century AD, before the arrival of Christianity. Latgale is the easternmost region of Latvia, north of the Daugava River. Kroma Kolns’ members study Latgale's ancient history and culture, organise living history events and demonstrations. They also produce jewellery and gadgets, fighting equipment and tools for everyday life of the Latgalians of that time. There are about 30 members from different regions of Latgale operating in the batch of Kroma Kolna.

Under the leadership of Aleksandra Lubāna, the Kroma Kolna bruoliste has begun work on the reconstruction of the Latgalian tribal wooden castle in Puši Zundas on the Prince Mountain in the Dagda district. It is the place where bruolsters meet at least once a month to share current information, both in terms of historical research and the activities that are being implemented and planned.

From Gastonia to Gotha: My Thoughts and Impressions on doing Museum Work

Author(s)
Doug Meyer 1
Publication Date
What I consider my first real museum work came from a message on my phone on January 9th from Ann Tippitt, the Director of the Schiele Museum in Gastonia, North Carolina. Ann asked if I was interested in outfitting a Catawba Indian mannequin for the exhibit. Ann wanted a complete set of clothes, weapons and gear...