The Tannery construction means that we now have a base for our work with skins. Right now we’re working on sheep, goat, deer, fish and cow skins. No animals are killed for their skins but we do make use of fresh road casualities – fox, otter, polecat.
We’re harvesting the tannin from our spruce and oak trees and softening the skins with animal fat, eggs and brains. Both brain and bark tanning are organic processes with no harmful or toxic chemicals involved.
Skin was always a valued and essential resource to people living subsistence lifestyles, and will be an important material in other areas of the neolithic settlement.
With a tannery based at the settlement, we’ll be able to continue and expand our experimental work in skin clothing. Come and learn how to do it yourself! – this year we are running another hide camp.
