08-27-2010, 07:09 PM
Paul,
Its an interesting question, but I think you are getting ahead of where we are.
The first priority of a re-enactor is to be able to interpret historical practice for an audience. That practice may not neccessarily effective, such as French tactics at Nicopolis or Agincourt, or easy to understand, like the complex interactions of 18th century linear warfare that require your being able to see the men you command, communicate with them, and have them deliver effective musketry or charge with zeal and bayonet only.
The first questions we need to answer, or evolve theories around, involve interpreting the sources and images we see, and then the scholarship deriving from them as effectively as possible for the public.
So, to take a piece of discussion from earlier in the thread, a critical question is what is the fighting stance of the hopite? How does he thrust with his spear? How does he cut with his sword? And once we have theories to test for these, how does he do things with those who stand behind him based on the images we see?
This is the foundation work that needs to be done to interpret effectively before we can start to dig down into the really gray areas. If we're not doing the basics right.
The worst part is that having this discussion makes me reconsider the experiments we really need to do on labour day.
Have fun!
Cole
Its an interesting question, but I think you are getting ahead of where we are.
The first priority of a re-enactor is to be able to interpret historical practice for an audience. That practice may not neccessarily effective, such as French tactics at Nicopolis or Agincourt, or easy to understand, like the complex interactions of 18th century linear warfare that require your being able to see the men you command, communicate with them, and have them deliver effective musketry or charge with zeal and bayonet only.
The first questions we need to answer, or evolve theories around, involve interpreting the sources and images we see, and then the scholarship deriving from them as effectively as possible for the public.
So, to take a piece of discussion from earlier in the thread, a critical question is what is the fighting stance of the hopite? How does he thrust with his spear? How does he cut with his sword? And once we have theories to test for these, how does he do things with those who stand behind him based on the images we see?
This is the foundation work that needs to be done to interpret effectively before we can start to dig down into the really gray areas. If we're not doing the basics right.
The worst part is that having this discussion makes me reconsider the experiments we really need to do on labour day.
Have fun!
Cole
Cole
