Experimental Archeology

• Jun 12, 2021
  Pigments from the Morrison Formation

  In this installment, I attempt to make some of the most common and basic pigments available to ancient artisans using colorful dirt, coffee filters, and various containers.

• May 1, 2021
  Wrapping a "Mummy"

  Last fall, I was writing a section of my dissertaion about the actual craft of making coffins. I ended up reading a lot of papers on conservation of Egyptian coffins, and I had conversations via email with a lot of people who are really knowledgeable about how coffins were decorated (whose work I'll mention further in later entries). However, if you are going to make a small coffin or cartonnage, you had best have a "mummy" to go in it! So off I went to the discount store to find a cheap Barbie-knockoff to wrap.