Experimental Archaeology Reveals Ancient Ingenuity and Modern Relevance

Key Quotes

"I was just really excited to try it I was just really curious about whether it would have an effect whether it would actually help um I was a little apprehensive because it was really really pungent I mean it just it was raw onion raw garlic it really had a very strong smell and the white wine I used especially it had turned sort of this neon color uh I think it was the copper leaching off the pennies that I had used and uh it looked sort of like the statue of liberty green you know onion and garlic and wine sounds like the start of a great dinner pennies on the other hand haven't seen that in a lot of recipes but Sam was trying out this concoction for science and also to recreate some history."

Sam Keen describes his personal experience testing an ancient wound remedy, highlighting the sensory aspects and his initial curiosity mixed with apprehension. Keen's willingness to experiment with a pungent, unconventional mixture underscores the experimental approach to understanding historical practices. This quote sets the stage for how experimental archaeology can involve direct, hands-on testing of historical recipes.

"The goal of experimental archaeology is to recreate things from the past uh sometimes that is ancient foods you know recreating lost recipes sometimes it's making ancient stone tools or weapons sometimes it's doing something big like building a boat and sort of taking off and uh sailing like they would have thousands of years ago and it got me excited because it was a new way of doing and looking at archaeology much more active and much more engaging."

This quote defines the core purpose of experimental archaeology, as explained by Sam Keen. Keen emphasizes that this field goes beyond traditional excavation by actively recreating ancient technologies and practices. He expresses his personal excitement for this approach, finding it more dynamic and engaging than conventional archaeological methods.

"Sure there were those virgin bathwater recipes that should probably be disregarded but there was also a recipe that might have some merit to it the recipe called for mixing onion garlic ox gall so bile from the liver of an ox and wine in a copper bowl you let it steep for nine days and then you use that on styes so infections uh of the eye and they looked at them and they thought well you know wine has alcohol in it it's kind of antiseptic onion and garlic those can be antiseptic too so there's a shot that this one might work."

This passage, recounted by Sam Keen, details the discovery and initial assessment of a specific recipe from Bald's Leechbook by Christina Lee and Freya Harrison. Keen highlights how the researchers identified a potentially effective ancient remedy amidst less credible ones. The interpretation focuses on the scientific reasoning applied to an ancient text, noting the antiseptic properties of common ingredients like wine, onion, and garlic.

"The pots were so simple that they deceived a ceramics archaeologist at the university of nevada las vegas named Karen Harry who Sam talked to for his book and she had a colleague Liam Frank who came to her and Liam worked in upper alaska and he came to her with the remains of some cooking pots and he said well take a look at these what do you think about these and Harry actually did not believe that they were cooking pots she said no there's no chance these are cooking pots these look nothing like traditional cooking pots and then r Kelly said well you know they were found near a fire and we know that they were cooking pots so Harry kind of had to swallow her pride a little bit and say okay I got to figure this mystery out I got to understand what was going on here."

Sam Keen shares an anecdote about how the simplicity of Tuli people's pottery initially misled a ceramics archaeologist. Keen illustrates how preconceived notions based on traditional pottery characteristics can obscure the reality of ancient technologies. This story demonstrates the challenges and surprises encountered in experimental archaeology when artifacts do not fit expected patterns.

"The oil is basically conducting heat from the fire into the contents of the pot and helping the water boil the seal blood essentially sealed uh sealed off the outside of the pot so that the water inside it wouldn't seep into the walls and destroy them as gross as it is to imagine glazing pottery with blood Tuli pottery is such a cool example of how ancient people figured out chemistry that helped them survive extreme conditions."

Sam Keen explains the dual function of seal oil and seal blood in Tuli pottery, revealing an ancient application of chemical principles. Keen highlights how these ingredients served distinct purposes: oil for heat conduction and blood for sealing the porous clay. This quote showcases how experimental archaeology can uncover sophisticated, survival-driven chemical knowledge in ancient cultures.

"Obviously new life in the past was harder in a lot of ways it took a lot more work to uh get clothing uh to make food you know even to get uh a meal took a lot more work but it's hard to appreciate just how difficult it was until you actually go through the steps and do it we live in a culture I think that we have a lot of disposable things yet we buy something and if you just buy it from a store you're not really invested in it in the same way when you make something you care about it a lot more you've put some of yourself into that thing so I got kind of attached to the tools and the things that I made I really cared about them in some way just because I had put some of myself in it so that connection I felt with inanimate objects was not something I expected before but it was uh was a nice little surprise."

Sam Keen reflects on the personal impact of engaging in experimental archaeology, contrasting the past with modern convenience. Keen emphasizes that direct experience with historical tasks reveals the immense effort required for basic survival. He also notes an unexpected emotional connection formed with the tools and objects created through his own labor, a sentiment often absent in a culture of disposable goods.