Living History and Experimental Archaeology
Living history offers a unique way of making the past tangible and understandable. It brings bygone periods to life through historical reconstructions and replicas, based on archaeological finds, historical sources and current academic research. By reconstructing objects, clothing, tools and other material remains as accurately as possible, and, where appropriate, using them in practice, we can gain a deeper understanding of how people in the past lived and worked.
This approach is closely connected to experimental archaeology. By applying historical techniques and methods ourselves, we can investigate aspects of the past that cannot always be understood through written sources or archaeological remains alone. Craftsmanship, agricultural practices, food preparation and the use of tools can all provide valuable insights into the practical realities of past societies. At the same time, experimental archaeology requires a critical approach. A reconstruction is never automatically a representation of historical reality; assumptions must continually be tested against archaeological evidence, historical sources and new research.
Living history also has an important educational and social role. Events and demonstrations provide an opportunity to share historical knowledge with a wider audience in an accessible and engaging way. Instead of merely observing the past, visitors can experience reconstructed environments, objects, crafts and activities. Reconstructed buildings, workshops and domestic spaces can help create a setting in which aspects of everyday life from a particular period can be explored and better understood.
Tempus Fugit focuses primarily on the Early Middle Ages, with particular attention to the 8th and 9th centuries and the societies of the Carolingian world. Through living history, experimental archaeology, historical reconstruction and research, the project seeks to explore this period from both an academic and practical perspective.
Our work brings together research, reconstruction and practical experimentation. Archaeological finds and historical sources form the basis for reconstructing objects, clothing, tools, techniques and environments. These reconstructions are then used not only to demonstrate historical practices, but also to ask questions about how and why things may have been made and used.
The aim is not to recreate an idealised or romanticised version of the past, but to approach it critically and as accurately as the available evidence allows. By combining archaeological research with practical experience and the exchange of knowledge, Tempus Fugit seeks to make the Early Medieval past tangible, accessible and open to further investigation.