Abstract
Re-enactment Historic Re-enactment or Living History is a world wide movement sparked by increased interest in the understanding of the past. This interest expresses itself in the organization of groups of people who spend a great deal of personal time and resources researching and recreating specific historic periods from the Bronze Age Celts through to the soldiers of the Vietnam War. Often spending hundreds of hours and as much in personal funds, re-enactors research clothing and armour from appropriate dye colours, fabrics and metals down to small items such as appropriate embellishments, jewellery and footwear. Living History societies differentiate themselves from costumed fantasy activities such as Live Action Role Playing with extensive historical research for costumes and activities and only allowing those that compare favourably with available historical fact. Authenticity officers check the accuracy of an individual's costume, called kit, against known archaeology and other historical records for the time frame and social class of the persona assumed by the individual. All of this research is then furthered with experimental archaeology. Dependent on personal interest, members of each organization will create items, from learning to spin and weave for clothing, to building a trebuchet, to increase their understanding of the lives and times of the culture they research. Studying academic writings, documents and art contemporary to the era and culture, archaeology and modern techniques, the re-enactor will explore possible ways to create specific items and revive old technologies to verify or negate current understanding of medieval lifestyles. Such experiments are sometimes performed in historically accurate settings such as West Stow, Suffolk, or Wychurst (privately owned and operated by Regia Anglorum ), in appropriate costume to understand how setting affected lifestyle. Often such research leads to questions that would not have occurred without a hands-on approach to exploring the past. When an organization specializes in known historic individuals, the costume and customs are recreated from art and archival description to the best of the re-enactors abilities. Personalities are based on extensive research, with sources that might include the writings of the individual portrayed, etiquette books, literature of the era to further understanding of the surrounding culture, and histories written by contemporary sources, as well as modern research. This work is then displayed in Living History encampments at historically important sites, during re-enactments of specific battles, or for educational purposes at museums and schools. In an attempt to portray the past more accurately, most societies avoid any modern contrivances on site, including details like disposable cups, glasses and watches, and anything made of modern materials such as plastic. Tents and other camping arrangements are researched and recreated, and often used for their original intent of sheltering the individual against weather and sleeping in at night. Living History encampments often include skilled workers performing daily tasks for the era portrayed, such as cooking, blacksmithing or cold-forging, sewing, spinning and shoemaking as well as activities appropriate for the venue from those requiring large numbers of people such as battlefield tactics to the smaller,