East Kingdom Event Announcement
Information for Prospective Entrants and Judges
Contest Pre-registration Information
The Barony Beyond the Mountain invites the populace of the East to join us on February 18, 2023 for Artifacts of a Life V — an arts and sciences competition with a focus on persona development.
Have you ever looked at your modern family heirlooms and wondered what your SCA persona would leave in your will, or the objects you would have valued during your life? Have you ever wanted to create your own set of grave goods? Have you ever thought how cool it would be to walk into a museum or an archive or an archaeological dig and see the things that your persona left behind? Of course you have! Haven’t we all? This is your chance to create that experience!
Artifacts I through IV showcased inspiring displays of work from the populace of the East Kingdom. We’re looking forward to seeing the fruits of your research and hard work at Artifacts V.
Depending on the culture and time period, these could be grave goods buried with you, recreations of items mentioned in your will or probate inventory (“my second best bed to my wife…”), documents such as charters, indentures, or receipt books, or items that might be found in an excavation of your life context — all the ways that we know about the material culture of the past and can reconstruct a plausible life. Examples can include votive gifts found in a bog, the tools found in your workshop when they dug up the old town to put in a parking garage, and the cookbook passed down for 8 generations. In short, the things that could have ended up in a museum that were associated with your life, or the life of a persona that you wish to recreate (it doesn’t have to be your current SCA persona).
To add spice, there will be a contest prizes will be given, as well as materials for future projects.
How It Works
Entrants may choose to enter the Typical, Elite or Team category. In the Typical category, entries must consist of 3-5 items from a single culture and time. The Elite category requires entries consisting of 6-9 entries from a single time and place. If you’d like to participate as part of a team, the Village category allows you to work with a group of folks to create 6-9 items. Again, they must all be from a single time and place.
Contest Rules
Artifacts of a Life Competition Rules (as of August 2022)
(Please see the note below about documentation)
1. The competition consists of three divisions: Typical, Elite, and Village. Entrants may compete in only one of the three divisions. To enter the Typical division, entrants must enter at least 3 items, but no more than 5 items. To enter the Elite division, entrants must enter at least 6 items, but hopefully no more than 9 items. To enter the Village category, there must be a Team with a minimum of 2 people but no more than 4 people, and there must be 6 to 9 items. Each member of the team must participate in the physical creation of at least 1 item. Documentation should specify the roles of each team member.
1a. For those who do not wish to enter the competition but would like to display their work, display space will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
2. There are no formal categories that entries must fall under, but please note that the judging criteria rewards the use of a breadth/depth of techniques and/or materials. Unfortunately at this time, we cannot accept any performance entries.
3. Each item entered must have been created within the last 3 years, and may have been entered into previous competitions.
4. All levels of skill are welcome – there are no restrictions against competition by Maunches, Laurels, etc.
5. Documentation must provide the following minimum information for individual items:
• Historical basis for the object;
• Composition and Construction;
• Where the Object is from (Persona / Culture) and how it was used.
Please see Entry Registration Form. Additional documentation is welcome, but should be limited to a MAXIMUM of 4 pages of text (not including bibliography, works cited, images of historical examples, images of your work in progress, or other images).
It is strongly recommended to have a page of documentation that explains the context of the collection of items as a whole, why they were chosen, and what the historical basis for the collection would be in order to assist your viewers in evaluating the first criterion in Rule 8 below. Entrants have the option of explaining this orally, but writing down a few brief points will help your presentation.
6. A copy of your documentation must be submitted electronically no later than 1 week before the event (February 11, 2023). The advance documentation submitted does not need to be in it’s final form, as we are aware that last minute changes are often made. This will allow our judges to have the opportunity to review the documentation in advance so as to spend more time in discussion with the entrants in person on the day of the event. Please send documentation to 173642@members.eastkingdom.org.
7. All food entries must be cooked off site. Entrants are responsible for keeping cold foods cool, and hot foods warm. Food entries must fall under one of the following three types: 1) food left in graves; 2) food served at funeral feasts; or 3) reconstructions of recipes left by a persona in a written format such as a receipt book.
8. Entries will be judged as a group according to the following criteria:
• Cohesiveness and appropriateness for the persona (overall impression) – 40 points
• Craftmanship – 30 points
• Presentation of Documentation (how well the entries are explained – oral, written) – 20 points
• Breadth and/or Depth of techniques and materials used – 10 points.
9. Pre-registration of your entries is strongly encouraged. Entries should be emailed no later than February 11, 2023. Pre-registering your entry will ensure that there are enough judges present. Pre-registration should include:
• Your SCA Name
• Your Mundane Name
• A list of your entries and what general category they should be in
• If you need special considerations (an electrical outlet, extra table space, etc)
• Your email address
Send Contest pre-registrations to: Event-Steward@bbm.eastkingdom.org
What’s in YOUR will?
