Experimental and Experiential approaches to the past – Reconstructing and understanding Roman domesticity through recreated places

Abstract

Experiential, or sensory, studies of the past are often viewed in opposition to the ‘scientific’ nature of experimental archaeology, despite obvious overlaps between these two fields. However, recent research has argued for more humanistic experimental archaeology to better engage our present to the past. This study focuses on how we can, both theoretically and methodologically, utilise contemporary research into the experimental archaeology of Iron Age and Roman Britain to gain insights into the sensory experiences of past people. Focusing on the Empire's northern most frontier, this paper will explore how experiential approaches can be utilised within an open-air museum to provide a more agency driven and experience-based understanding of past archaeological sites across both time and space. This paper concludes by considering the methodological directions in which a broader experimental/experiential holistic approach could take in the future, incorporating digital technologies and differing viewpoints, both academics and non-academics alike.