Dana C E Millson (University of Durham; d.c.millson@dur.ac.uk)

Archaeology holds a unique position since it stands with one foot in the humanities and the other in scientific study. Data collected from artefacts, sites, and landscapes are analysed objectively and then interpreted using social theories. The remains we study, however, are the result of past peoples’ existence and their experiences in their surroundings and relationships with others. The analysis of raw data can only get us so far in the understanding of this. In order to understand the habitus of those whom have gone before, it is essential to consider experience with the hope that this may give us insight, even if only a practical understanding, into why they made specific artefacts, lived in particular ways, hunted or grew certain animals and plants, and built the things they did. Experimental archaeology offers a unique opportunity to get inside the minds of our human ancestors, ask our 'why' questions, and test theories that have been made. It also allows for scientific methods used in archaeology to be examined so that, with a clearer understanding of their processes, we can make our techniques more refined in an attempt to answer new kinds of questions. The way in which we interpret these results, however, has great bearing on the future directions of the discipline. The purpose of this session, therefore, is to consider how experimental archaeology is currently being conducted and what new insights are being gleaned about past human behaviour from prehistory to the historical period.