This research delves into the preservation of wooden furniture excavated from Hercu- laneum, employing experimental archaeol- ogy. The primary goal is to comprehend the sequence of events leading...Show moreThis research delves into the preservation of wooden furniture excavated from Hercu- laneum, employing experimental archaeol- ogy. The primary goal is to comprehend the sequence of events leading to the survival of these artefacts. Central to this study is the research question of how experimen- tal archaeology can elucidate the lifespan and events surrounding archaeological ar- tefacts, particularly the wooden Roman furniture unearthed from Herculaneum. To address this question, the study delves into sub-questions related to the impact of the Vesuvius eruption on Herculaneum, the rep- lication of charring conditions, and the ef- fects of charring on wooden materials. Herculaneum faced pyroclastic surges and flows during the eruption, resulting in a 20-metre layer of ash and debris that pre- served wooden artefacts by rapidly sub- merging and preventing burning through oxygen deprivation. Samples were made in accordance with the wood and toolmarks found on the original artefacts, using ancient woodworking tools and two types of wood, oak and silver fir. Two charring methods, hot-ash and kiln charring, were designed and tested on the samples. Results indicate that hot-ash charring yields less blackening and carbonization com- pared to kiln charring with variations in vol- ume and weight loss between oak and silver fir samples. Notably, the combined process of hot-ash and kiln charring showed com- parable or reduced volume and weight loss compared to the sole kiln process, sug- gesting effective preservation. However, in terms of the traceability of tool marks ap- plied to the samples, no notable differences were found. All tested methods preserved the details of the samples after charring when performed correctly. Emphasising the need for improved meth- ods and tools to refine experiments, the research concludes that, despite challeng- es in method control in hot-ash firing, the combined charring method may result in the best preservation of the artefacts. With minor improvements, this method could be used to produce samples for experimental trials and in extent to gain a better under- standing of the Herculaneum furniture and how Roman carpenters made them.Show less