Medieval crafts and skills on display

Utah State University’s Museum of Anthropology teams with a local group for a unique look at medieval life in the next Saturdays at the Museum event. The museum joins the locally-based Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA) group Shire of the Cote du Ciel to present “Medieval Crafts and Skills” Saturday, Aug. 9. Activities are free and all are invited.

Visitors to the museum can observe artisans at work demonstrating bobbin lace making, spinning and weaving, carpentry and lute playing. Visitors can also learn about and discuss the intricacies of armor making, medieval cookery and more.

“Artisanal crafts like the ones being presented provide a window to what was important in some societies and cultures of the time,” said museum assistant Sarah Lee. “Similar to our occupations and careers today, the people of medieval Europe depended on their various skills and crafts to make a living, contribute to their community and to pass on traditions. Many of these skills are becoming forgotten due to our modern conveniences.”

The Shire of the Cote du Ciel is doing its part to help preserve these arts, Lee said.

In addition to observing the demonstrated craft skills, visitors at the museum can sample shortbread and Old World bread baked in a reproduction medieval oven.

USU students and members of the public are invited to the museum any time during the 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday hours. The demonstrations are ongoing between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The USU Museum of Anthropology is on the USU campus in the south turret of the historic Old Main building, room 252. Free parking is available in the adjacent lot, south of the building. For more information on this event, call museum staff at (435) 797-7545 or visit the museum Web site (www.usu.edu/anthro/museum/).