Recreating Roman perfumes

Saturday, October 14th, from 11 AM until 3 PM, there is a new workshop at Camp Virtus, near Cluj. The experimental archaeology and reenactment meeting is dedicated to Roman perfumes, unguents, and creams. There will be a presentation of the sources and other reconstruction attempts, of the ingredients and procedures, followed by a hands-on workshop and concluded with the tasting of Roman food recipes.

The meeting is part of the "Labyrinth through" time cultural project, co-financed by the National Cultural Fund  Administration of Romania and implemented by Virtus Antiqua NGO.

 See other experiments:

Smell like Julius Caesar: recreating ancient perfumes in the laboratory

The Scent of Love: Ancient Perfumes

Read our handout (in Romanian)

 

Labyrinth through time - a different kind of reenactment event

The dates are set for the Labyrinth through time event I've been talking about. Thus, on October 21st and 22nd the entire hill of Camp Virtus will be transformed in a giant labyrinth  inhabited by characters born out of the Antiquity. Unlike usual historical reenactment shows in Romania, this is not a spectacle to see but an experience to immerse yourself in. Once in the labyrinth visitors will meet and interact with Dacians, Romans (gladiators, auxiliary soldiers, civilians, priests) and Celts, will smell and taste ancient recipes and snacks, will touch natural samples and guess their ancient uses, will make their own ancient perfumes in unguentaria, will take part in the uncovering of a pottery firing pit and in the reenactment of Roman religious rituals, will weave on a vertical loom, will be able to practice shooting a bow and play Roman board games. There will also be an archaeology corner, with children being explained the principles of excavation and stratigraphy and then discovering strange objects, filing and keeping them.
Still, a show part is also included, with gladiatorial fights (munera) and military drills (with commands given in Latin, naturally).

Labyrinth through time event, 21-22 October 2017 at Camp Virtus

The event is family-oriented, with families of volunteers dressed in the era's costumes and inhabiting the labyrinth and the experiences designed with families of visitors in mind, where adults mediate and help the young experiment and learn. Still, all types of visitors are welcome, as access is in no way restricted to them.
We shall also hold a special ceremony for the volunteers involved in the weekend meetings, granting them diplomas and prizes, and the final event and a campfire to end the event.

Building the labyrinth near Cluj-Napoca

Join the Facebook event for updates!
Check out the web page of the entire Labyrinth through time project (in Romanian but with much illustrative material).

Experimenting with Roman recipes from Apicius

Reconstruction of a bread oven that we will use for baking

Educational activities

 

Auxilia Batavorum, reconstruction of a unit attested in ancient Dacia

Ludus Memnii - the gladiator school of training

Remake of a Roman altar

Saturday, September 30th 2017, a group of historians and volunteers from Transylvania are building a remake of an ancient Roman altar, with painted inscription in Latin. The meeting is part of the "Labyrinth through time" cultural project implemented by Virtus Antiqua, a reenactment NGO from Cluj-Napoca. The activity will take place at Camp Virtus, near Cluj, outdoors in the future historical park planned there. Volunteers and visitors shall receive handouts on the topic [free download of the Romanian presentation], shall work on the experimental archaeology activity and then will be able to taste recipes inspired by those of Antiquity.

Families are mostly envisaged through this project, but all visitors are welcome - all activities are free of charge. The workshops takes place between 11 AM and 15 PM.

Roman altar - experimental archaeology at Camp Virtus

 in preparation, we have gathered more images of Roman altar and ceremonies reconstructions in a Pinterest album HERE 

A brief presentation in Romanian is also available HERE.

Read also the explanation of ARA (altar) in Lacus Curtius HERE.

Reenactment of a Roman wedding ceremony from http://www.roman-empire.net/

 

Celtic costumes workshop

In Romania, the Celtic civilization has enjoyed little interest on the part of reenactors and historical festival organizers so far. There is a single Celtic Festival, organized a couple of years now in Beclean/Baile Figa, but the Celtic reenactment camp merely provides a distraction for festival goers who are there to enjoy the massive evening rock concerts. Several reenactment groups also have Celtic costumes among those of other "barbarians" and, naturally, Dacian and Roman ones. The most numerous Celts, with the most elaborate costumes, are to be mentioned among the members of Omnis Barbaria NGO.

Inside the "Celtic village" during the 2016 Celtic Festival in Baile Figa

Virtus Antiqua acknowledges the relative neglect of the ancient Celtic civilization, despite the impact in had on Transylvania at least, during the Iron Age. One of the weekend workshops organized part of the "Labyrinth through time" at Camp Virtus, near Cluj, thus focuses on recreating Celtic textiles and dress elements employing fabric that might have been used during Antiquity. The workshop "Atelier de reconstituie istorica - costume celtice" is held Saturday, September 23rd, at Camp Virtus - find directions HERE.

Dacian pottery workshop

Modelling by hand Dacian clay pots

Saturday, the 16th of September, between 11 AM and 15 PM, the meeting at Camp Virtus, in Salicea, near Cluj, is dedicated to ancient Dacian pottery. As many are interested today in the little-known Dacian civilization from the present-day territory of Romania, we have decided that some of our project entitled Labyrinth through time shall be dedicated to it. This meeting of experimental archaeology will consists of a presentation of the pottery shapes considered typical o the Dacians, many modeled by hand, including the distribution of handouts, followed by the actual clay modelling of shapes such as the cup, the jar-pot and the so-called fruit bowl. The pots will be pit fired in October, during our special Labyrinth through time event, in one of the centers of the actual 1 ha labyrinth inhabited by historical characters.

Dacian pottery experimental archaeology meeting at Camp Virtus

Free access on Saturday for a fun, outdoor experience for the entire family, involving a bit of education in historical and patrimony matters. See you at Camp Virtus!

Ancient pottery workshop

New experimental archaeology meeting this weekend, at Camp Virtus, near Cluj - "Intalnire ceramica antica". In a series of reenactment and reconstruction meetings part of the Labyrinth through time cultural project, this workshop focuses on the modelling of Roman and Dacian pot shapes. After the pots have dried, during a subsequent meeting the team project members and volunteers shall experiment with the old firing technique, namely pit firing.

Feel free to join us, despite the cloudy weather, September 9th between 11 AM and 15 PM in Salicea, near Cluj, to learn more about how the ancients modeled out of clay the largest category of everyday items they used and to experiment the process hands-on.

"Labirint prin timp" is partly financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration and organized by Virtus Antiqua NGO. Don't miss out on the news and stay tuned for the final event, in October this year, the creation of an actual labyrinth with different cores inhabited by Dacians, Romans, Celt, gladiators, auxiliary soldiers, civilians, perfume makers and hawkers!

Experimental archaeology meeting at Camp Virtus

Such activities contribute to the development of Camp Virtus, an open-air reenactment center focusing on the history, material culture and practices of the inhabitants of Transylvania during Antiquity - mainly Romans, Dacians and Celts.

Labyrinth through time - free online resources

One of the objectives of our reenactment project Labyrinth through time, financed by the National Cultural Administration Fund [AFCN] of the Romanian government, is to make available free online a series of resources regarding ancient history, reenactment, and patrimony. These are the handouts provided to volunteers and visitors at every weekend meeting, but online they may reach a wider audience.

The handouts contain general presentations on topics related to the reenactment activities performed at Camp Virtus: ancient plants, gardens and gardening tools; textiles, looms, and weaving tablets in Antiquity; Roman altars and ceremonies; food and cooking; bread and ovens; Celtic clothes and costumes and others.

All handouts [in Romanian only] can be downloaded in pdf format from the project's pages on the Camp Virtus website HERE. 

Handout sample - Roman altars and ceremonies pdf

 

Another ancient vegetable recipe remake

This weekend we have cooked another remake of one of the vegetable recipes preserved in Apicius, in his De re coquinaria - called Alter olus molle - using the Project Gutenberg online variant. The adaptation regards using white cabbage and broccoli instead of celery and cooking everything all the ingredients plus smoked pork meat in a cauldron. Due to the adding of meat in the recipe, we have removed the mentioned stock.

The experiment is part of the cultural project "Labyrinth through time" implemented near Cluj-Napoca, in the heart of Transylvania, at the reenactment park Camp Virtus. The project of NGO Virtus Antiqua also benefits from funding from the Administration of the Cultural National Fund of Romania.

See the previous cabbage recipe remake HERE.

Meet the team and volunteers and see all photos from the meeting held on July 1st 2017 HERE.

Chop the cabbage, broccoli and onion

Fry the onion and the meat

Add water and spices (pepper, lovage, oregano)

Do not forget about the white wine and let boil for around 1 hour

 

 

 

Serve with bread and enjoy!

Experimental archaeology : loom weights

On July 1st Virtus Antiqua organizes yet another experimental archaeology workshop near Cluj-Napoca, at Camp Virtus. The meeting includes two projects - modelling ancient-style loom weights inspired by archaeological artifacts from Romania and remaking another Roman cabbage recipe from Apicius. A vertical loom will be reconstructed and used during subsequent meetings.

The workshops is part of the "Labyrinth through time" cultural project that benefits from funding from the Romanian National Cultural Fund Administration, targeting 15 such workshops with families of volunteers and a larger event in the autumn when Camp Virtus becomes an actual labyrinth inhabited by gladiators, Roman auxiliary soldiers, ancient perfume makers, hawkers, Dacians and Celts.

So, both volunteers and the general public [including English speakers as well!] are invited on Saturday, July 1st, in Salicea, near Cluj, for a time-immersive experience!

Clay loom weights modelling workshop by Virtus Antiqua

Check out the Pinterest album with reconstructions of vertical-type, ancient looms and loom weights made of clay discovered during archaeological excavations HERE.
See pictures from our last week's meeting to get a taste of what we do at Camp Virtus HERE.

Ancient cabbage recipe remake

Last weekend we have cooked a remake of one of the cabbage recipes preserved in Apicius, in his De re coquinaria - using the Project Gutenberg online variant. The experiment is part of the cultural project "Labyrinth through time" implemented near Cluj-Napoca, in the heart of Transylvania.
Though Apicius [aka the preserved ancient Roman recipes] is rather brief in his cooking indications - regarding temperatures, quantities and time requirements - we have adapted one of his cabbage recipes (Olus molle) to also include pork sausages. Our variant thus consisted of white cabbage, white wine, onions, seasonings (coriander, mint, pepper, salt, cumin etc.) and sausages slowly cooked in a cauldron over an open fire for around one hour. This method renders the cabbage soft and sweet, a bit spicy as well, and very tasty in combination with the sausages and white bread.

Cutting a lot of cabbage

The first step - onion and oil

Adding everything in the mix with a bit of water

Letting things stew

Voting in favor of the end resut

 See also the brief YouTube video here:

The reconstruction of an ancient Roman garden

This Sunday, June 25th, members of the Virtus Antiqua reenactment association from Cluj invite volunteers and the general public to take part in yet another experimental archaeology meeting at their center Camp Virtus, in the village of Salicea, near Cluj-Napoca. The meeting envisages the reconstruction of an ancient Roman garden, with beds for medicinal, cooking, and decorative plants that the ancient Roman would have known and used. Due to the access of goats at Camp Virtus, the gardens needs to be protected by a wattle fence, the construction of which, with local materials, shall take up most of the meeting. Still, it shall not be all work, as we will also cook an ancient recipe inspired by Apicius' De re coquinaria - cabbage and cauliflower with spices and pig meat sausages. The event is part of the ongoing cultural project entitled "Labyrinth through time" that encourages outdoors historical learning for families of volunteers.

See you at Camp Virtus, ca. 8 km. from Cluj, between 11 AM and 16 PM to help us with some historical reconstruction and tasting. Join our Facebook event for all the details and find inspiration checking out our image collections regarding reconstructions of Roman gardens, ancient gardening tools, and plants known during Antiquity. 

The Roman garden - experimental archaeology workshop at Camp Virtus

Roman garden reconstruction in Cluj-Napoca, part of the botanical garden

 

Current state of the garden reconstruction at Camp Virtus

Ancient-type weaving loom

Labyrinth through time - Virtus Antiqua's reenactment project - continues with research onto another topic that shall be recreated soon at Camp Virtus, near Cluj: an ancient-type weaving loom. Several meetings at the camp, in the village of Salicea, shall lead to the modeling of clay loom weights, based on Roman-Era archaeological discoveries from Romania, the reconstruction of such a vertical loom and the experimenting with actual weaving techniques. Still, the first step is to consult the era's depictions, the existing patrimony and other reconstructions, in order to choose the exact type and model. Volunteers are encouraged to consult the thematic Pinterest album RAZBOI ANTIC DE TESUT (Romanian for ancient loom) that reunites such resources.

Pinterest album focusing on ancient looms

Plants known and unknown during Antiquity

Part of the research and activities planned for the Labyrinth through time cultural project implemented by my NGO Virtus Antiqua I have recently taken an interest in the issue of what plants did the Romans know and use. The first step was to compile a Pinterest album on the topic, reuniting ancient depictions of plants (mostly used as cooking ingredients or spices), actual remains (mostly from Pompeii), but also reconstructions of gardens or cooking tables. See it HERE.

"Roman plants" Pinterest album

 Then, I devised several activities for our meetings with reenactors and volunteers. The first is a test for the senses, asking participants to guess certain plants according to their shape and smell, thus discussing their possible origin and uses in the Roman world.

Smelling and guessing Roman plants

Vanilla bean - unknown during Antiquity in the Mediterranean

Sample box

The second activity focuses on plants unknown in Europe during the Classical Period. Several plants introduced from the new continents - tobacco, tomatoes, potatoes etc. - are shown to the participants who guess them according to ancient prints and then try to discover when they were introduced and from where.

Plants introduced to Europe after the great geographic discoveries of the Early Modern Period

Read more about the project and its activities HERE

Labyrinth through time - reenactment channel on YouTube

This year I am much involved in a cultural project entitled Labyrinth through time, partially funded by the National Cultural Fund Administration of Romania. Through this project my reenactment NGO from Cluj, Virtus Antiqua, plans to organize up to 15 meetings of experimental archaeology and living history this summer with families of volunteers and a final event in the autumn, reconstructing a true labyrinth "inhabited" by antique reenactors. Camp Virtus is our historical entertainment park near Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

The first meetings have been documented already on YouTube, through the project's specific channel:

Roman banquet and dessert, a game of archaeology, bow and arrow target practice and a display of gladiators:

The reconstruction of an ancient Roman bread oven:

  The second meeting - a game for the senses, an ancient Roman recipe, and the reconstruction of the oven:  
The first meeting, recruitment, and an ancient Roman snack:
 
Read more about the project (in Romanian) HERE. 
Join the project as volunteer together with members of your family - read the conditions (in Romanian) HERE. 
For updates follow our Facebook Page Camp Virtus.

An ancient Roman dessert remake

The latest gastronomic experiment at Camp Virtus, part of the cultural project "Labyrinth through time", envisaged the recreation of a Roman dessert, adapting an ancient recipe. The "cake" consisted of a solid layer of fresh season fruits (among those available during Roman times, naturally, such as grapes, plums, and pears), covered by a layer of fresh ricotta cheese mixed with honey, all topped with resins (other variants indicate walnut seeds or pine seeds). Fresh and easy to make, the result was served today during the remake of a Roman banquet with five-year-old kids dressed in tunics and togas :)

See an introduction to Roman deserts (in French) HERE. 

A useful introduction to Cooking Apicius HERE.

First layer of the Roman dessert

Fruits added

Fruits, cheese with honey, and resins

The Roman banquet for children

May 14th 2017 - experimental archaeology workshop at Camp Virtus

The cultural project entitled "Labyrinth through time / Labirint prin timp" of Virtus Antiqua NGO from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, will include an initial workshop of archaeology on May 14th at Camp Virtus (in Salicea, 8 km from Cluj). The project is co-financed by Administratia Fondului Cultural National (AFCN) and has several partners: Asociatia Socio-culturala apARTe from Cluj, Asociatia Parinte InFloresti from Floresti, Ziarul Faclia, Orasul Cluj.ro, Cluj.info and Cluj Web Story.

Depending on the weather, the workshop will either focus on the reconstruction of an ancient Roman garden, surrounded with a wattle fence, or on the reconstruction of an ancient bread oven made of clay bricks. There will also be Roman snacks and a proper recipe (Galnum soup) for all volunteers involved.

Partially designed Roman garden at Camp Virtus

Planned reconstruction of a Roman clay oven at Camp Virtus

Glanum soup - an ancient Roman recipe at Camp Virtus

Read all about the workshop in Romanian HERE.

Join the Facebook event HERE.

Labyrinth through time YouTube channel

You can now follow the reenactment activities we are organizing part of the "Labyrinth through time" project at Camp Virtus via the dedicated YouTube channel. Yesterday we held the first meeting with possible volunteers, presenting the projects, its goals, objectives, and activities, but there was also a history book fair, a Roman snack (consisting of olives with honey, cheese, and flatbread), and plenty of outdoor activities: bow and arrow target practice, gladiatorial training, and kite flying for the youngest of the lot.

Here is the first video documenting this initial meeting, ending with a call for families of volunteers and media partners.

See more photos HERE and HERE and do not hesitate to contact us if you wish to become involved in any way. We appreciate your support and interest!

 

Labyrinth through time - first meeting

29th April 2017, 11 AM - 3 PM

Mark the date and time of the first meeting part of the "Labyrinth through time" project - financed by Administratia Fondului Cultural National and with parteners such as Asociatia socio-culturala apARTe, Faclia newspaper, Parinte InFloresti NGO and others. The members of Virtus Antiqua NGO shall be waiting for the visit of possible volunteers and all those interested in historical reenactment at Camp Virtus, near Cluj.

Families of volunteers shall meet the team, see the Camp where the project will be implemented in 2017 and will get to find out all details and practicalities. There will also be a history book fair, bow and arrow practice, and a Roman snack.

Historical food preparation at Camp Virtus

Read more about the book fair VOLUMEN. 

See the history-inspired bookmarks available during the event.

Official logo of cultural project "Labyrinth through time" implemented by Virtus Antiqua

Poster of Volumen - history book fair held at Camp Virtus

 

VOLUMEN - special history book fair near Cluj

The 2017 season starts shortly at Camp Virtus, my NGO's historical park in the making near Cluj-Napoca, in Salicea. The opening event, prepared for April 29th, is entitled VOLUMEN as it mainly consists of a special book fair, focusing on history books, periodicals, and articles (extracts). Old and new history books are available in English, Romanian, even Slovak, dealing with periods between Classical Antiquity and the Early Modern Period in Central and Eastern Europe - mostly Romania. There will be free history books, special prices for author volumes, and history-inspired bookmarks.

We shall use the occasion to present a special project of ours, Labyrinth through time, financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration of Romania. Those who wish to become involved this year, together with their families, in reenactment weekend workshops and an autumn festival, are welcome to find out all about it!

More about the event, in Romanian HERE.

More about the project, in Romanian, HERE.