Interview with Dr Theresa Emmerich Kamper - Traditional Living Skills

What can we learn from ancient tanning and survival skills — and how do they connect us to our past?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Theresa Emmerich Kamper.

Theresa has been tanning skins using traditional technologies for over 30 years. She holds a Master of Arts in Experimental Archaeology and a PhD on the Microscopic Analysis of Prehistoric Tanning Technologies from the University of Exeter.

Her expertise includes:

Prehistoric tannage technologies
Animal processing
Using primary by-products such as bone, sinew, internal organs, fur, horn, and antler

Theresa was also one of the final participants on Season 8 of the hit US survival series Alone.

This fascinating conversation was recorded at the end of Theresa’s very first visit to Australia in August 2023.

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Gordon Dedman is the founder and senior instructor at Bushcraft Survival Australia (BSA) and serves as the survival and bushcraft consultant for the Alone Australia TV series.

A former member of the *Australian Army 1st Commando Regiment*, Gordon currently works as a survival instructor in *NORFORCE*, an Australian Army Reserve Regional Force Surveillance Unit (RFSU) that conducts patrols in remote Northern Australia and works closely with Aboriginal communities.

Gordon is also a Combat Survival (SERE) instructor and regularly leads courses at the RAAF Combat Survival Training School in North Queensland.

He has trained with and completed numerous survival and bushcraft courses worldwide, including programs led by Paul Kirtley (Frontier Bushcraft UK), Ray Mears (Woodlore Bushcraft UK), Dave Canterbury (Pathfinder School USA), Lofty Wiseman (Trueways Survival UK), Richard Hungerford (Bushlore Australia QLD), and Bob Cooper (Bob Cooper Outback Survival WA).

In addition, Gordon works seasonally as an outdoor guide in the Northern Territory, taking clients on camping expeditions into Kakadu and Arnhemland.

Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for watching!

Bushcraft Survival Australia (BSA)

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