I have worked many years on Iron Age and Historical food, from cooking techniques and ingredients availability to .. doing the washing up, the ancient way!
I've been taught and used these methods for the five years I spent working on a Tudor living history farm, where cooking and washing as it was done historically was part of our everyday tasks.
Absolutely ZERO problems, certainly no food poisoning, mould growth on something etc etc ... and it was hands down our visitors' favourite display of the day.
I tested, adapted, used and now added to this video a few of my own practices when I portray life on Iron Age Britain or Gaul.
Everything is based on traditional practices, sometimes mentioned, sometimes used by grandparents and passed down the generations.. but all keep in mind what was available and possible at the time in terms of plants, materials, utensils, knowledge etc.
So if you do living history displays and fancy presenting a new topic, trust me, doing the dishes is a brilliant, very engaging and educational topic!
If you just fancy a look: enjoy!
** NOTES **
- the material used to wash the metal dish is a plant called Field Horsetail in the UK (Equisetum Arvense, Latin name). It's a "prehistoric plant", full of silica so very gritty and great as a scrubby pad! It's plentiful in many places (definitely where I live and have lived) and NEVER. DIES. It's an incredible plant. check it out to see if you have some where you live!
- I turned the comments section off as I don't have the time to read them and answer potential questions. So to avoid never answering a query as I would miss it here, I chose to not have comments and let people email me if something is important!
- VIDEO MADE BY AND FOR "BUTSER PLUS",
an online video platform by Butser Ancient Farm that offers heaps of short films about crafts on prehistory, from building a roundhouse to a sneaky peak at their amazing yearly Beltaine Festival.
check them out on www.butserplus.com for less than a coffee, or a monthly donation if you feel like supporting this brilliant site in the UK.
- When is the Iron Age?
''Iron Age'' in Britain is usually 800BCE to 43CE, date of the Roman conquest by Claudius. In France, 800BCE-52CE (battle of Alesia and Roman conquest).
For me... well... there is a very early iron ring found in Scotland dating back to 900BCE, and I consider 52BC as the ''end'' of the Iron Age as I come from France myself!
So here: 900BCE to 100BCE is what I research mainly in terms of ''Iron Age'' life. Before much Roman contact with Britain. But eh, each to their own ;)