“…Experimental archaeology offers a tool by which hypotheses surrounding production remains can be tested. This a posteriori approach has been applied to the study of ancient production systems for many decades already and is indeed foundational for disciplines such as archaeometallurgy (e.g., Coghlan 1939, Crew 1990, Dungworth and Doonan 2013, Rothenberg 1990, Tylecote et al 1977, Tylecote and Merkel 1985 and lithics research (e.g., Audouze and Karlin 2017, Johnson 1978, Keeley 1980, Spear 1980, Walker and Long 1977, Warren 1914. Gaining experimental experience and thus a fuller understanding of any kind of prehistoric and ancient material cultureis also part of several university programmes in the context of dedicated classes at, e.g., the universities of Leiden, Exeter, York and Manchester, to name but a few.…”