by MHM
21 October 2018
Having watched the 1978 BBC Television program “Living in the Past”, which recreated an iron age village circa 700 BC, I noticed several things. Most importantly, the inhabitants did not have any weapons, they did not raise much poultry, nor did they make much of an effort to hunt wild game using archery, with spears, or with traps, gather nuts or fruits, eggs from wild birds, or apparently grow much of their own food (once scene shows members plowing, and there is mention of a failed bean harvest). Obviously, modern game laws in the UK were rather strict, but some leeway could have been made for these shortfalls.
Additionally, modern concepts like vegetarianism resulted in many members complaining of hunger. Seven of the fifteen cast members were vegetarians, and after viewing the series one wonders why they weren’t more active growing or gathering food instead of sitting around for hours arguing over ludicrous subjects in an executive supreme council in their anarcho-syndicalist compound. The time wasted in the “May Day Cake” fiasco is one such example.
Cast members also complained about the lack of variety of their diet (porridge), and the lack of flavor. While honey was collected, it was in small quantities, and the cast should have spent more time identifying and gathering food items native to Britain during the Iron Age (listed below). Members made "bread" on flat stones in an enclosed pit, instead of making a clay oven. I don’t recall any cast member making butter, a staple recovered in several bog find containers. Nor did anyone attempt to brew beer or any form of wine (or mead).
Too much time and effort was wasted constructing fish weirs and the attempt to drive fish into the traps. Cast members should have made nets and designated one or two fishermen to actively fish and several to forage on a daily basis. They could have also made a coracle (hide boat) or dugout canoe to travel and fish the waterways for fish and eels.
On a positive note, cast members built the entire village by themselves, at first in modern clothing and manual labor. It’s apparent that it was not a fun task, since it was accomplished in the rain, snow, and on frozen ground (and much too late in the season for planting most crops). The use of horses and oxen would have helped in hauling the trunks of trees and moving heavy items into position. They spent an extraordinary thirteen months living in the settlement (no mention was made on educating the three children, nor how they disposed of human waste).
It’s quite evident from the historical record, i.e., drawings made by the Celts, and the archaeological record, that ancient people were not living in a hippy commune, but in a society of several classes which included overlords, warriors, hunters, craftsman, and skilled laborers. Numerous hill forts and other sites around Britain, and especially in Dorset, shows that their society was probably more feudal, with a ruling warrior class led by a chieftain.
Having watched the 1978 BBC Television program “Living in the Past”, which recreated an iron age village circa 700 BC, I noticed several things. Most importantly, the inhabitants did not have any weapons, they did not raise much poultry, nor did they make much of an effort to hunt wild game using archery, with spears, or with traps, gather nuts or fruits, eggs from wild birds, or apparently grow much of their own food (once scene shows members plowing, and there is mention of a failed bean harvest). Obviously, modern game laws in the UK were rather strict, but some leeway could have been made for these shortfalls.
Additionally, modern concepts like vegetarianism resulted in many members complaining of hunger. Seven of the fifteen cast members were vegetarians, and after viewing the series one wonders why they weren’t more active growing or gathering food instead of sitting around for hours arguing over ludicrous subjects in an executive supreme council in their anarcho-syndicalist compound. The time wasted in the “May Day Cake” fiasco is one such example.
Cast members also complained about the lack of variety of their diet (porridge), and the lack of flavor. While honey was collected, it was in small quantities, and the cast should have spent more time identifying and gathering food items native to Britain during the Iron Age (listed below). Members made "bread" on flat stones in an enclosed pit, instead of making a clay oven. I don’t recall any cast member making butter, a staple recovered in several bog find containers. Nor did anyone attempt to brew beer or any form of wine (or mead).
Too much time and effort was wasted constructing fish weirs and the attempt to drive fish into the traps. Cast members should have made nets and designated one or two fishermen to actively fish and several to forage on a daily basis. They could have also made a coracle (hide boat) or dugout canoe to travel and fish the waterways for fish and eels.
On a positive note, cast members built the entire village by themselves, at first in modern clothing and manual labor. It’s apparent that it was not a fun task, since it was accomplished in the rain, snow, and on frozen ground (and much too late in the season for planting most crops). The use of horses and oxen would have helped in hauling the trunks of trees and moving heavy items into position. They spent an extraordinary thirteen months living in the settlement (no mention was made on educating the three children, nor how they disposed of human waste).
It’s quite evident from the historical record, i.e., drawings made by the Celts, and the archaeological record, that ancient people were not living in a hippy commune, but in a society of several classes which included overlords, warriors, hunters, craftsman, and skilled laborers. Numerous hill forts and other sites around Britain, and especially in Dorset, shows that their society was probably more feudal, with a ruling warrior class led by a chieftain.
While
a few period skills were presented, the camera crew seemed more intent on
filming exhibitionist cast members (we should note that Celtic warriors were known for going into battle naked).
To make iron tools, you need a blacksmith, and a blacksmith needs coal or charcoal to fire his forge. I noted one wood worker in the documentary, but did not see anyone carding wool (shorn from sheep in the video), nor did I see anyone using a vertical loom to weave cloth, nor tanning hides with brain or bark. Basic items such as needles could be made from bone, along with combs. While some societies used tallow and lye (from water and strained ash) to make soap, it’s not evident in iron age Britain (members wisely improvised by using clay, and bathed in camp; others apparently chose to bathe in a pond or stream, depending on the weather). While the farm was pre-stocked and initially built in large part using modern hand tools, a system of trade (simulated) would have enabled members to barter for iron tools, cooking utensils, cloth, and livestock. While a few geese were pictured, I didn’t see any chickens, and raising them would have provided more protein for their basic diet (notwithstanding the modern bias of the vegetarians in the cast).
In all, the documentary is revealing in that it shows the basic instinct of humans to divide themselves into groups (those who lead, those who work, and those who complain). This characteristic is revealed in another documentary entitled “I, Caveman”, an interesting expose on experimental archaeology and human nature.
Some food items available in Britain/Europe during the Iron Age-
Fruits- Black currant, damson plum, juniper berry, pear, raspberry.
Vegetables- cabbage, parsnips, radish, rapeseed, turnip.
Herbs- caraway, dill, hops, tarragon, thyme, oregano, wormwood.
Nuts- chestnuts.
Meat- deer, duck, rabbit, goose, cattle, auroch, eel.
This list does not include fish and other species which could have been caught near the sea coast.
To make iron tools, you need a blacksmith, and a blacksmith needs coal or charcoal to fire his forge. I noted one wood worker in the documentary, but did not see anyone carding wool (shorn from sheep in the video), nor did I see anyone using a vertical loom to weave cloth, nor tanning hides with brain or bark. Basic items such as needles could be made from bone, along with combs. While some societies used tallow and lye (from water and strained ash) to make soap, it’s not evident in iron age Britain (members wisely improvised by using clay, and bathed in camp; others apparently chose to bathe in a pond or stream, depending on the weather). While the farm was pre-stocked and initially built in large part using modern hand tools, a system of trade (simulated) would have enabled members to barter for iron tools, cooking utensils, cloth, and livestock. While a few geese were pictured, I didn’t see any chickens, and raising them would have provided more protein for their basic diet (notwithstanding the modern bias of the vegetarians in the cast).
In all, the documentary is revealing in that it shows the basic instinct of humans to divide themselves into groups (those who lead, those who work, and those who complain). This characteristic is revealed in another documentary entitled “I, Caveman”, an interesting expose on experimental archaeology and human nature.
Some food items available in Britain/Europe during the Iron Age-
Fruits- Black currant, damson plum, juniper berry, pear, raspberry.
Vegetables- cabbage, parsnips, radish, rapeseed, turnip.
Herbs- caraway, dill, hops, tarragon, thyme, oregano, wormwood.
Nuts- chestnuts.
Meat- deer, duck, rabbit, goose, cattle, auroch, eel.
This list does not include fish and other species which could have been caught near the sea coast.
mhm
Old
School Survival
21 October 2018
21 October 2018
Suggested
viewing-
1. BBC
TV “Living in the Past” (1978)
Note- some scenes contain nudity
Note- some scenes contain nudity
2. Time
Team Special 50 (2012) - Rediscovering
Ancient Britain (South Dorset Ridgeway, Dorset)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLwOUm8xl68
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLwOUm8xl68
3. Ancient
Craft Britain
https://www.ancientcraft.co.uk/Archaeology/iron-age/ironage.html
https://www.ancientcraft.co.uk/Archaeology/iron-age/ironage.html
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