Researching Combat- Viking

21 Oct, 2019

Experimental Archeology is a term that has risen in the academic community over the last 80 years or so. It is an approach to understanding the lives of the people of the past through participating in the activities they experienced as closely as we can. This allows one to understand the practical problems and solutions that explain the evidence they left in the archeological record. This is an approach that we have avocaded from our beginnings as a company.

Working to bring the past alive

We have taken the opportunity to participate in such research from at least the earliest 1980's, but in reality most of use did this as our preferred activity as soon as we were able to use hammer, fire and steel. Over the years we have created pieces for researchers looking at evidence from the Battle of Towton to operating a Burgenland style iron smelt and participating in quite a few armor and weapon projects. In the series of posts we will look at what we have done and are doing to further the understanding of historical combat and create a better knowledge base for the public about our past.

One of the recent projects we have contributed to was a great event cohosted by Hurstwic with Eiríksstaðir called - Járngerðarhátíð in Iceland.

spear throwing interactive using the A&A Norseman Spear

Iron Smelting

One interesting aspect of their work was the production of iron in period circumstances while in Iceland. Check out some pictures here 2019 Iron Making Festival Vinland Team Slide show.

We provided some of the reproductions they used to demonstrate and test as they do their research. The folks in Iceland got to see Type L Fighting Axe, Danish War Axe and our Nordland belt axe as well as the Norseman Spear pictured above.

Their study of different aspects of personal combat in the early medieval period is very interesting and is opening a door which allows us to evaluate the past with new insight.