Definition: Experimental archaeology is a branch of archaeological study that replicates or attempts to replicate past processes to understand how the deposits came about. This includes everything from flint knapping or atlatl studies to past farming techniques to building entire villages. The logical extension of experimental archaeology is ethnoarchaeology, which studies living cultures to determine what the remains of their activities look like. Pioneers of experimental archaeology include John Lubbock and A.H.L. Fox Pitt-Rivers.
This glossary entry is part of the
Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the
front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of
Kris Hirst.
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