Disability, Living history and Experiential Archaeology

Disability and the presence of disabled individuals in prehistory and history is well established, attested through the archaeological record as well as in available contemporary written accounts. What seems less self-evident is how the presence of disabled individuals in a particular setting should be interpreted; practically, socially and in terms of the social agency where disabled individuals are concerned. Arguably some of the most significant developments in the understanding of prehistoric/historic crafts and life, particularly outside the purview of purely empirical academic research and especially where the public are concerned, come from those engaged in experiential archaeology and living history activities.