I belong to a reenactment group called Britannia. We are a Late Roman to Early Saxon reenactment group, however Britannia also has a group of gladiators that fight for public entertainment in the same way it was done 2000 years ago. The Late roman side of the group display battles and skirmishes that may have occured in 5th century Britain although there being very little evidence of open warfare in 5th Century Britain; this is due to the fact that there are so few documentary evidence that mentions war at this time in Britain.
There is some reference in the "Gildas" (circa 504 - 570) which is where most evidence comes from about this period.
At some events we have are able to use the two Curragh's (below left) the group owns. The skin boat is one of the oldest, if not the oldest types of boat in the world, possibly going back into Neolithic times.
Britannia was founded by Dan Shadrake (above right) in 1990 and is a battle re-enactment society, plus a living history element. Over the years, the group has supported a number films and TV shows, such as Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" (2000) and "Robin Hood" (2010), CBBC Horrible Histories series and the British comedy Faintheart (2008).
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The pictures (left & right) are of me operating Britannia's Trebuchet (a siege engine that was employed during Roman to Middle Ages either to smash masonry walls or to throw projectiles over them) at Old Sarum in 2009.
The picture below is of me in one of the many skirmishes we have for the general public |
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Reenactment Reenactment is essentially performing a role in an event that may have occurred at an earlier time, especially battles. Activities related to "reenactment" have a long history. In fact the Romans staged recreations of famous battles within their amphitheaters as a form of public spectacle. |
Living History describes attempts to bring well researched history to life for the general public for educational purposes. Unlike reenactment, it does not necessarily aim to recreate a specific event in history. Instead Living history often involves demonstrating everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning, medical care, or particular skills and handicrafts. |
Experimental archaeology use different methods, techniques and analyses to generate and test hypotheses, based upon archaeological source material. One of the main forms of experimental archaeology is the creation of copies of historical artefacts and structures using only historically accurate technologies (such as flintknapping). |
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