Session - Topics > Session 1 – Experimental approach

1 - Appropriate experimental procedures

In the last few years, the term "experimentation" has taken on a very broad meaning in research connected with hard animal material (HAM) industries, and more generally, in the general exploitation of animal resources. Based on archaeological case studies and/or examples drawn from the history of our disciplin, this thematic session aims to engage a collective brainstorming to better define the meaning given to specific terms and concepts. From didactic tests (often exploratory) to large-scale experimental programs, is it possible to create and define a typology of different experimental approaches? What are their objectives, their contribution, but also their limits? Examples of unexpected or problematic results are especially welcome since failures and mistakes are also a learning experience.

The rich diversity of the WBRG meeting participants offers a framework for valuable comparisons of practices in different countries, on material from various chronological periods and various kinds of animal resources. This thematic session aims at contributing to increased consensus over what constitutes proper experimental practice and terminology. This session could contribute to a greater homogenization of our practices and terminologies, and help us to better establish our research questions in relation to the resources we mobilize to answer them, and vice versa.

In addition to these issues, this session is open to all presentations dealing with the experimental approach to understanding hard animal material processing and transformation chains (chaînes opératoires), or the use of equipment manufactured from these materials.