HANDS-ON COURSES TAUGHT BY A PHD ARCHAEOLOGIST WITH 30+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Bushcraft, Hide Tanning & Ancestral Skills Courses, Taught Worldwide

Learn crafts our ancestors relied on — animal processing, hide, fish skin, and fur tanning, and leather sewing — taught in small groups with real one-on-one time.

COURSES BY COUNTRY

STUDENT REVIEWS

Dr. Theresa Emmerich Kamper teaching hide tanning outdoors

"Hide tanning is one of the essential and ubiquitous skills that connect us all from pre-history to present".

- Dr. Theresa Emmerich Kamper

Learning traditional skills in person offers something our modern world can’t replace — hands‑on practice, natural materials, and techniques passed directly from teacher to student. It’s a chance to slow down, work with your hands, and build practical knowledge that still matters today.

Three stylized animal paw prints for Theresa Emmerich Kamper.

Theresa Emmerich Kamper's hide-covered coracle on water.

In-person courses

Theresa Emmerich Kamper working with animal hides outdoors.

Consultations

LEARN TRADITIONAL SKILLS

Bringing ancestral skills and traditional crafts to life

I'm an experimental archaeologist and traditional skills instructor with 30+ years of experience in hide tanning, prehistoric crafts, and primitive skills. Through hands-on courses, I share practical, research-based knowledge that blends experimental archaeology with ancestral crafts to make traditional skills accessible today.

Find out more

Theresa Emmerich Kamper scraping an animal hide outdoors

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Completed PhD

University of Exeter, prehistoric tanning technologies

Published Researcher

Peer-reviewed book, Sidestone Press

National TV Credits

Alone Season 8, Surviving the Stone Age

30+ Years Practicing

Hands-on practitioner since childhood in Wyoming

JAN  28 -31 · SOUTH LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

Join my next course:
LEATHER PATTERNING & SEWING

Person wearing a hand-sewn chamois leather garment from Theresa Emmerich Kamper's leather patterning and sewing course.

Over four hands‑on days, you’ll turn soft oil‑tanned chamois into a finished garment — drafting patterns, cutting precise lines, and hand‑sewing each detail to build a piece that fits your body.

10 SPOTS LEFT!

Hand-tanned leather items by Theresa Emmerich Kamper.

reviews

REVIEWS

What students say about my courses

Nothing means more to me than hearing what someone actually took away from a course — here are a few of those stories, in their own words.

COYOTE FUR TANNING COURSE

"What immediately drew me to Theresa's course was the complete absence of the stressful, survivalist energy that dominates so many outdoor programs."

Amanda - October 2026

USING THE WHOLE ANIMAL

"How brilliantly fascinating to see the whole process and what you can do with literally all of the animal. Nothing goes to waste."

Jay - 2026

DEER SKIN TANNING COURSE

"Theresa is such an engaging and knowledgeable teacher. I learnt so much on the August deer tanning course - which was well structured and paced."

Helen Hampton - 2026

Hide tanning, fur, fish skin, leatherwork, and whole-animal use — find your course

Discover the practical and theoretical knowledge behind prehistoric technologies. Through hands-on courses and personal guidance, I teach the skills our ancestors used to build, craft, and thrive. Questions? Contact me or check out the FAQ.