Introduction

Performative methods are playing an increasingly prominent role in research into historical production processes, materials, and bodily knowledge and sensory skills, and in forms of education and public engagement in classrooms and museums. Such methods, which we refer to as Reconstruction, Re-enactment, Replication, Reproduction and Re-working (RRR), are used across fields in the humanities and social sciences, from history of science and technology, to archaeology, art history, conservation, musicology and anthropology, among other disciplines. There is much to learn from interdisciplinary methodological reflection. RRR raises issues of truthfulness and accuracy, draws attention to process and performance as well as practices of documentation and facilitates communication with broader publics.