Moravian and Slovak archaeologists seized the opportunity of Czech Television making a documentary series on prehistory to test 5 possible reconstruction of Palaeolithic dwellings based on the finds from Dolni Vestonice, Pavlov (both Moravia) and Mezin (Ukraine). They built a summer tent (the only structure with an outside hearth), a teepee with an entrance passage (named after its similarity to real teepees), a domed shaped dwelling, a flat roof dwelling (the only sunken dwelling based on a find from Dolni Vestonice) and a more complex structure similar to a yurt. They used partly local material. They also had to bring in clay and to buy hides and sinew. Because of time and money reasons the building material was prepared with help of modern technology. The ground structures took five people 1 to 4 hours to build. The experimenters tried various methods of fitting covering hides. Using wooden and antler pegs proved the most practical.

At first they built four structures in 1997 and their construction was tested. They recorded the process of their preservation and destruction. The structures survived well winter but started to collapse in spring. In 1998 the site was cleared and this time five structures were built. This time the site was occupied and they observed and recorded the usage of the "settlement" area. One of the experimenters then stayed on the site continuously since September 1998 to January 1999. He spent most of his time in the domed dwelling which seemed to him the most practical. He was able to keep there room temperature at all times.

This contribution is a follow up to an article about the Borek project from the previous number (R. Tichý, Projekt "Borek", REA 1, 2000, 71 - 116). The participants observed changes in the reconstructed structures, movement of stone, bone and pottery artefacts on the site, their breakage, loses and places of preservation.

During the two years of observation they broke four axes, lost two sickle blades and two bone points. They broke a wooden hoe which was burnt. Therefore, pottery was the most significant material under observation. There were accumulations of broken pot in the house, by a hearth used for cooking and by the kiln. Some of the broken pots were used for making whorls and for tempering new pottery. Generally, it is possible to say that most of the broken artefacts stayed on the place where they were broken. Pottery which stayed on the surface was soon destroyed. The highest probability of its preservation was in the places of high accumulation.

The experiment took place during two "long" weekends in February 2001 and its main aim was to observe the temperature in the EBA house described in the Studies part. They were testing the isolating qualities of the loft and comparing the results with data obtained from similar experiments in a house with a post structure without a loft and with a grubenhaus. They also tried to use a hearth in both the living and working space but this didn't prove effective.

The fire was kept going at all time, although during nights and during the time when they were working outside it was kept low. One source of heat (circumference of the hearth 60 cm, height of the flames below 60 cm) managed to warm the house sufficiently (average temperature of 17 °C) using 0.5 m3 of wood during the whole experiment. In comparison the results from houses with post structure without loft showed only small difference to the outside temperatures and could have been used only as protection from wind, rain and snow. The temperature characteristics of the house with a loft were similar as those of a grubenhaus.

The experiment took place during the first two weekends in February 2001. It followed the measurements from previous year (Anýž, R. - Stachová, E. - Štěpán, M. - Tichý, R.: První etapa..., REA 1, 2000, 131-142). During the year 2001 they thickened the reed layer on the roof and added a screen sheltering the hearth from the entrance area. They created two beds with sheep skins along the north and south walls.

During the first weekend the fire was allowed to die in night yet the temperature inside stayed on 1°C (minimum night temperature - 6°C). That was comfortable enough for the experimenter using sheep skin while the experimenter in a normal sleeping bag felt cold. The following weekend the fire was kept low over night and the temperature stayed at about 10°C (night temperature - 8°C).

The aim of the experiment was to obtain temperature data during firing. It took place in May and was repeated in the same pit in August. Unfortunately, the August repeat finished during a thunderstorm. During the measuring the experimenters used their experience from previous firings. The pit was first dried with a fire, then pots were placed in together with fresh firewood. The heat had to stay high enough for the firewood to catch light. The pit was then protected by cover of turf as with a charcoal pile and left.

Both firings were successful. In May the temperature reached 700°C. One pot from the twenty (Czech version, English talks about 25 vessels) was broken. The problem was very slow cooling because of the amount of used wood. In August the temperature reached 800°C. Because of the thunderstorm the pots cooled too fast and there was surface damage although none broke.