EXARC

24/06/2026

On 14 June 2026, EXARC Director Matilda Siebrecht delivered an online presentation during the opening day of the TIMECRAFT Odesa workshop, an initiative supporting the establishment of a new Centre for Experimental Archaeology in Odesa, Ukraine.

The three-day workshop aims to lay the foundations for a sustainable platform for research, teaching, and public engagement in experimental archaeology.

During her presentation, Matilda introduced EXARC's mission, core values, and international membership network. She also highlighted the wide range of resources available through EXARC, with particular attention to the many publications, guides, and educational materials that can be accessed free of charge by both members and non-members.

EXARC is pleased to support emerging experimental archaeology initiatives and looks forward to future collaboration with colleagues in Ukraine.

👉 More here: https://www.exarc.org/news/exarc-presented-at-timecraft-odesa-workshop

24/06/2026

22/06/2026

💉 Liquefying blood relics in Italy: actual blood, or something else?

Italy is famous for its miraculous bloody relics: flasks containing the blood of saints that regularly change from a solid to a liquid state. Traditionally, this liquefaction has been regarded as a miraculous event, a sign of benevolence or a good omen.

A new article in the EXARC Journal further investigates this phenomenon, proposing two alternative explanations. The relics may either contain a thixotropic substance, which can change from solid to liquid when stirred or shaken, or a low-melting substance that liquefies when the temperature rises.

Several suitable substances, such as fats, are proposed for this second hypothesis, along with the dyes that could be added to reproduce the appearance of blood. The article also reports on experimental reproductions of the relics.

👉 Would you like to know more? Read the article in our Journal: https://exarc.net/issue-2026-2/rev/mysteriously-liquefying-blood-relics-italy

📝 by Luigi Garlaschelli and Giacomo Torzo.

19/06/2026

On 23 May, during Barbarica 2026 in Sondalo, Italy, members of the BARDOMAGUS Project shared the latest developments in their research on Celtic music.

The conference, The Music of the Celts, presented reconstructions of Iron Age musical instruments, including the Carnyx, the famous Celtic war trumpet. Recent archaeological discoveries and experimental work have helped researchers better understand its construction, sound, and cultural role.

Designed for living history and public engagement, these reconstructions allow visitors to experience ancient music firsthand, a great example of how research and living history can work together to make archaeology accessible to everyone.

A special thanks to the EXARC member Popolodibrig.

17/06/2026

🎙 In the second episode of EXARC Extracts in 2026, our director Matilda Siebrecht talks you through the content of EXARC Journal 2026/2.

This issue includes six reviewed articles and seven mixed matters articles. All the articles are open access to allow for free exchange of information and further development of our knowledge of the past.

👉 Listen to our new podcast episode: https://www.exarc.org/exarc-podcast/exarc-extracts-2026-2



📸 by the article of Kayleigh Saunderson, Anna Zimmermann, Karina Grömer.

June 2026

15/06/2026

🔨The life of a Stone Axe: a view at the second life of polished tools from Czechia.

How does the life of a stone tool look like? There is way more to it than one can imagine, and manufacturing is just the beginning. Repurposing, secondary uses, alterations, and repairs can drastically change the use of a tool, to the point that it becomes something else.

In this new article, the authors summarize the results of eight years of experiments on the chaîne opératoire of polished stone tools from Czechia.

👉 Read more in our journal: https://exarc.net/issue-2026-2/rev/life-stone-axe

📝 by Radomír Tichý ✉, Iva Dohnálková, Karel Kučírek, Aleš Panáček, Petr Zítka

12/06/2026

🇪🇺 The European Archaeology Days (EAD) are an annual event dedicated to archaeology in all its forms. The initiative aims to raise awareness of archaeology and introduce European audiences to its many dimensions.

A wide range of activities is organised to engage families, schools, students, history enthusiasts, museum visitors, and the general public, offering opportunities to explore this fascinating discipline and Europe's rich archaeological heritage.

If you are based in Europe, don't miss the opportunity to discover a part of our continent's shared heritage.

👉 Find an event near you: https://www.exarc.org/calendar/ead2026

The European Archaeology Days (EAD) are an annual event dedicated to archaeology in all its forms.

10/06/2026

🎲 The Roman dodecahedron: a practical tool for administration?

Roman dodecahedra are hollow bronze objects dating to the 2nd–4th centuries AD, predominantly found in the north-western provinces of the Roman Empire.

Despite extensive debate, their function remains undocumented in contemporary sources and unresolved archaeologically.

Our latest article applies experimental archaeology to reassess whether the form of the Roman dodecahedron is consistent with its use as a practical tool in administrative contexts.

👉 Read the full article in our Journal: https://exarc.net/issue-2026-2/rev/functional-reassessment-roman-dodecahedra-tools-forming

📝 By Greg Lamb

08/06/2026

The EXARC Working Group on Live Interpretation is happy to invite you to its first online event!

📆 30 June, 8.00PM CET (Amsterdam time)
📍 Online, check the link below

Live interpretation is a broad and inspiring field, bringing together museums, and Open-Air Museums, heritage institutions, re-enactors, educators, storytellers and experimental archaeologists. Together we explore how history and archaeology can be communicated to modern audiences in engaging and meaningful ways.

The event will bring together a series of guests from across the living history, museum, and experimental archaeology communities.

👉 Here all you need to know: https://www.exarc.org/calendar/telling-the-story-of-history-through-festivals

05/06/2026

🇩🇪 The open-air museum, “Zeiteninsel,” has taken shape near Marburg (Germany) over the past few decades and will officially open on 18–19 July 2026!

The museum’s origins date back to the 1990s, when archaeologists discovered the remains of prehistoric settlements in the Lahn Valley. Excavations uncovered more than 100 house foundations and evidence of continuous human settlement spanning over 9,000 years, revealing a remarkable story of life in the region through the ages.

The complex and its buildings were designed in collaboration with archaeologists, archaeological technicians, and craftspeople. Much of the construction work was carried out by volunteers, reflecting the strong dedication of today’s residents of the Lahn Valley to preserving and sharing their heritage.

Today, the museum brings these prehistoric periods to life through five chronological sections, ranging from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods through the Bronze and Iron Ages to the Roman era. Together, they offer visitors a unique opportunity to explore daily life and the settlement history of the Lahn Valley across thousands of years.

🍀 EXARC wishes this new archaeological open-air museum every success and looks forward to following its future development.

📸 by Georg Kronenberg