Staff exchange from Archeon (NL) to Viminacium (RS)
Dates and program
04-07-2014
10:10 – 12:05: Flight from Amsterdam to Vienna
13:05 – 14:10: Flight from Vienna to Belgrade
Bus A1 from airport to hotel Slavija (ca. 30 - 45 min)
Check into hotel
Sightseeing Belgrade
20:00: Dinner with Ilija and conversations about the site, the activity, as well as the research
and interaction with the visitor.
05-07-2014
09:00 – 10:00: Milica provides transport from the hotel to the site
11:00 – 14:00: Site visit & film takes
14:00: Lunch
16:00: Event commences
16:30 – 17:00: Roman Youth Games (dress-up and war games)
17:30 – 18:00: Archeon exchange program
18:00 – 18:30: Roman food tasting
19:00 – late : Concert
Return by car in the evening
06-07-2014
12:00 - 17:30: Program with Ilija in Belgrade. Visit of museums and sites in the city.
07-07-2014
09:00 – 11:30: Free time
Transport from hotel to airport (ca. 30 - 45 min)
14:40 – 16:35: Flight from Belgrade to Zurich
17:30 – 19:10: Flight from Zurich to Amsterdam
Addresses
Hotel:
Slavija Hoteli Litd.
Svetog Save 1-9, Belgrade
TIN 103857354
Viminacium:
Arheološki park Viminacium
12208 Stari Kostolac BB
Serbia
Contact
Milica Tapavički-Ilić:
+ 381 11 2637 191
Ilija Mikic:
+ 381 65 3120 906
Hotel Slavija:
+ 381 11 3084 800
Viminacium:
+ 381 62 2322 09
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Introduction
Archeon and Arheološki Institut are the coordinators of WP3, Dialogue with the Visitors. There are many
ways one can present the archaeological heritage to a broader public, by using for example tour guides, reenactors, reconstructions or organizing events and lectures. Within de “Danube Limes Brand” project the
Arheološki Institut is organizing an event and concert (Danube Limes Day) on the 5th of July in the Kostolac
Viminacium Archaeological Park, called Journey to the Past. This way of presenting the archaeological
heritage and related themes, as well as the use of this heritage to raise awareness about the subject offers
an excellent opportunity for a staff exchange. The nature of the event (both the subject and its relation to the
visitors and presentation techniques) lead to the decision to send two of Archeon’s Roman experts to the
event to offer their expertise on both of these topics and to study the way the event is organized and the
public is reached, as well as participate in the actual event.
Goals
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To observe and analyze different methods used to engage the dialogue with the visitor, both
during special events and during ‘regular’ days.
To observe and analyze the way such an event is organized and executed.
To observe and analyze the way the archaeological heritage is presented to the public and how
issues regarding authenticity, reconstruction and different chronologies are resolved.
To compare these methods and discuss them, so as to distinguish the differences between the
way both partners converse with the visitors. By comparing the different ways of conversing with
an audience and contextualizing them both partners aim to learn from one another and possibly
implement elements of each others approaches into their own.
To communicate said observations to other OpenArch partners and members for educational
purposes.
Exchanged staff
Joerie van Sister, MA
Classical & Mediterranean archaeologist and museologist. Tour guide in the Roman
part of Archeon, as well as project coordinator for several Limes projects and active
in the administration and management of the archaeological museum near Archeon.
Giel de Reuver, MA
Historian specialized in Political Culture and National Identity. Tour guide in the
Roman part of the Archeon and independent researcher into the Roman history and
archaeology.
Both are specialized and experienced in not only Roman history and Archaeology, but also in presentation
techniques, both physical and digital, and in organizing, researching and writing.
Clothing and attributes
The Archeon employees will assume the role of Roman soldiers and will bring with them white Roman
tunics, waistcloths, shoes, belts and attributes. Not brought along will be weapons, shields or helmets.
Swords (gladii) will be provided for at Viminacium. One lorica hamata (mail armor) will be brought along from
the Netherlands.
Activity
The Archeon employees will put on an informative, interactive, fun show. If deemed necessary, interpreters
will assist them in talking to the audience. Members from the audience will be recruited into the Roman
Army, and they will be trained as such. They will learn Latin commands, military dress, as well as formations
from the two soldiers, who are quite experienced in this.
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Report
04-07-2014 Friday
After our flight landed we travelled to the hotel in Belgrade where we dropped off our luggage. In the early
afternoon we took a trip through Belgrade, visiting various sites and seeing/ learning different things. In the
evening we met up with Ilija from the Institute, with whom we had dinner and with whom we conversed about
Viminacium, the event, as well as the way the heritage is presented here in Belgrade.
05-07-2014 Saturday
After a 1.5 hour drive from Belgrade to Viminacium we visited the different parts of the excavation and the
park, such as the mausoleum and catacombs, the porta principia, the thermae and the amfitheater. We met
the different 'actors' in Roman clothing and assisted in shooting some video material in the reconstructed
villa as Roman soldiers. In the afternoon the event program started with some activities for children. They
were able to dress up as soldiers, learn about the Roman kit and weapons. This was guided by Nemanja
Mrdic, who wore Roman kit and explained the children (and surrounding adults) what the purpose and usage
of the different weapons was. After this everyone travelled to the amfitheater for the next part of the program.
The audience was seated on the benches, while the two of us, along with Nemanja (as a translator) did a
small introduction on our activity and the Roman army. We proceeded to recruit a group of children into our
new Roman army. In front of their parents these children were trained by us as Roman soldiers, learning to
march and turn, but also the basics of Roman formations, such as the cunia. Despite the language barrier
the audience and the soldiers were very enthusiastic, and the performance was excellent!
06-07-2014 Sunday
After getting up we were picked up by Ilija to explore Belgrade some more. We visited the National Museum,
where special exhibitions on the painter Rubens, as well as the exhibition "Through the Faces of the
Museum" were shown. The latter exhibition briefly covered the entirety of (pre)history, based on the
archaeologists/curators responsible for that part of the collection. Museologically speaking this is a very
interesting way of covering not only the historical part, but also the historiographical part of the collection.
After that, we visited the ethnographic museum, which had an interesting collection on different traditional
clothing from Serbia. We went on with sightseeing in Belgrade and visited the former Kunak (residence) of
the Serbian princess, which was turned into a small museum of its own, in which was shown with what kind
of furniture the princess might have lived there, around the late 19th and early 20th century. Finally, we went
to the Belgrade fortress again. Very different ways of presenting historical heritage are visible here. While the
fortress itself is presented as a historical site and therefore a tourist attraction, many parts of it are used in
more practical and modern ways: a big part of the fort is turned into a public park, while basketball training
grounds are placed beneath the bastions. Lots of old tanks, guns and cannons are placed within the fortress,
like a museum. In one part, there seemed to be some kind of "training ground" for children to act like knights.
On the other hand, there was no equipment for them to use and no guide or expert for proper interaction.
The fortress borders on the Belgrade Zoo, which is slightly visible from the fortress.
07-07-2014 Monday
Monday was mostly a travel day, during which not much happened, apart from customs being baffled by the
presence of a Roman mail armor in Joerie’s luggage.
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General observations during stay
Viminacium combines the original excavations (and the results thereof) with replicas of the buildings
encountered. The amfitheater present in Viminacium shows this excellently: one part of the theater has been
reconstructed, while the rest is currently still being excavated. Because Viminacium is a proper
archaeological site, much research and analysis is being done on location, which can function as a nice
bonus for visitors (rather than just learning about the past, they also learn about the process of excavating
and reconstructing the past). Furthermore, the staff working at Viminacium thus often knows not only a lot
about the reconstructions, but also about the actual archaeology.
One downside of building on an actual excavation site and following its plan is that the routing isn't optimal.
Because the original locations are predetermined the different reconstructed parts of Viminacium can be
pretty far apart. Furthermore, it is on some occasions difficult to determine whether something is real or
replica, and what the policy on reconstructing buildings is. The biggest reconstruction (the villa) is very
beautiful, but shows clear signs of modern construction and facilities (glass doors, electronic locks, stairways
and the interior.
Viminacium does not use special re-enactment staff. For the events in which Romans are needed, the
research team will often don Roman clothing and play their part. As a result, the re-enactment gear present
at Viminacium is meager and not very complete, and the staff is not very experienced in this way of
presenting the heritage. The researchers clearly have a lot of relevant knowledge and know exactly what
they should wear and/or tell. The shortcomings of the re-enactments are more because of the sporadic
usage and the high costs of getting proper gear.
While we were there we were able to witness several tour groups coming in and being guided by staff
members (not researchers). While we were unable to understand the Serbian language, we did notice that
the groups were quite large and a distance was maintained between the guide and the group. The tours
appear to be conducted the way traditional museum tours are. The guide was dressed in normal clothing,
going from part to part, explaining things and then letting the visitors roam around for a while. Emphasis was
placed mostly on the buildings, their context and the site.
During the event the opposite appeared to have been the case. The event consisted mostly of activities for
children, as well as interaction with the parents. At one point information on the Roman gear and its usage
was conveyed to the audience by showing the audience different pieces of Roman equipment and the
methods of using them. This was guided by one of the researchers in a Roman outfit. The information was
conveyed clearly from a 3rd person point of view; nowhere during the event did the guide claim to be a
Roman.
While Viminacium is a complex site with a long chronology, this did not appear to be a factor during the
event. The clothes did not appear to be based on a specific time-period or culture present at Viminacium, but
rather just provide a general overview of the Romans. The same was true for the activities and shows, they
were not specifically set in a context more detailed than Roman. This way the complex chronology of
Viminacium and the results thereof for presenting the heritage and/or re-enacting are simplified for a larger
audience. As another result, there was not much emphasis on authenticity of the reconstructions or outfits.
The audience was not told what was correct or incorrect about the clothing worn during the event.
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