In this episode I talk with Claus Kropp about Mediaeval agriculture, experimental archaeology, and working at an experimental archaeological open-air laboratory.

Episode notes are available on the ArchaeoCafé website.

http://archaeocafe.kvasirpublishing.com/archaeocafe-podcast-ep-220-kropp

About Claus Kropp

Claus is an experimental archaeologist and the scientific manager of the Lauresham Open Air Laboratory for Experimental Archaeology at Lorsch Abbey in Germany. His research interests include Early Mediaeval settlement archaeology, draft cattle, (re)constructing Early Mediaeval agriculture, animal husbandry (including transhumance) and manorialism.

Web:

https://independent.academia.edu/ClausKropp

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Claus_Kropp/research

https://exarc.net/institutional-members/people-behind/claus-kropp-ma

https://www.agriculturalmuseums.org/author/ckropp-lorsch/ 

Some useful terminology and links

Lorsch Monastery World Heritage Site

Founded around 764 by the family of the Franconian count Cancor. In 1621, during the Thirty Years' War, Spanish troops destroyed the monastery complex. It was one of the most renowned monasteries of the Carolingian Empire. Even in its ruined state, its remains are among the most important pre-Romanesque–Carolingian style buildings in Germany.

https://kloster-lorsch.de/en/welcome

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorsch_Abbey

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/515

Lauresham open-air laboratory

Located in the heart of the Lorsch Monastery, this facility is based on archaeological finds at the settlement. A team of experienced craftsmen under scientific supervision, including the Archaeological Institute of the University of Hamburg, built an ensemble of buildings - including residential, farm, stables and storage buildings, as well as a chapel. In addition, there are various agricultural areas - such as meadows, fields and gardens - and farm animals. The laboratory has a special research interest in exploring different approaches to learn about mediaeval agriculture. Various long-term experiments on site focus on crops, subsistence strategies, field systems, and draft animals, as well as manuring and agricultural implements.

https://kloster-lorsch.de/freilichtlabor

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC71FasTYYaY5bA9n947Xn0A

Selected media

Claus Kropp - Draft Cattle in (Archaeological) Open-Air Museum and Living History Farms

Virtual Conference. Draft Animals in the Past, Present and Future. May 8-9th 2021. Lauresham Laboratory for Experimental Archaeology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcHEVSX5UsY

Medieval Agriculture in Experiment

Claus Kropp - Lauresham Open-Air Laboratory for Experimental Archaeology (Germany)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csexh48XQ2I

AIMA Lecture - Claus Kropp - A Year On the Field

Claus Kropp giving his AIMA lecture on the project "A Year On The Field".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnkTOyyrN1g

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