Making Material Culture: Experimental Archaeology and Experiential Learning

Experiential learning emphasises the learning process, rather than the final product. The most well-rounded experiential learning opportunities combine hands-on experiences with collaboration and reflection (Haynes 2007). In this paper, I discuss experimental archaeology assignments used in two of my upper level archaeology courses at the University of Victoria. Students work in groups to design an experiment that involves making something medieval. They begin with an idea, work through project design guided by the principles of the scientific method, and reflect on their process through the use of blogs and a finished report. The process of experimentation is not always successful. Sometimes this is because experiments are poorly designed, or because students lack the necessary skills or resources to carry them out successfully. Throughout the semester, they are reminded that failure can be as beneficial as success, and I encourage them to reflect on their failures as much as their successes in their blogs. In addition to helping students recognise what they have experienced and learned, I believe that reflecting on the challenges they face also helps to develop resilience. Students who complete the experimental archaeology projects develop a range of skills, including project design and management, communication, and critical thinking. Most importantly to me, they come away seeing the value of risk-taking and collaboration in both their learning and in the field of archaeology.