The University of Reading Archaeology Field School is digging in the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire – the ancient land between the iconic prehistoric monuments of Stonehenge and Avebury, find out more about the project here. A group of students from the Art Department joined the archeologists at Marden Henge, each student proposed how they would create an artwork in response to the dig and the work will go towards an exhibition at the Wiltshire Museum Devises .The works were also showcased during the Marden Henge open day Saturday 16th July 2016. Here is a very short clip from one art performance on the day ‘Monolithic Drone with Meditation’.
Teaching Fellow Wendy McLean and MA student Adam Stead collaborated with ArtLab to research the potential of 3D scanning the archaeologists finds and printing them on our 3D printers so they could be touched. Below are some of the object ‘finds’ discovered on the current dig.
Wendy and Adam were awarded a grant from The Friends of the University of Reading to develop an unique portable display system of 3 flatpack tables that would allow the public to access 3D technology at the site of the dig. Future plans are to develop workshops for children to be able to handle 3D printed versions of the archeologist finds to encourage engagement with past and discover the influence technology is having on many disciplines including archeology for example the creation of a 3D Palmyra in Syria. Adams practice investigates technology in relation to farming and the landscape. During the dig Adam became fascinated by the trenches dug to discover the objects. The images below show the archeologists at work and the public during the open day.
Adam discovered that the 3D scanner could capture the different textures of the ground as the archeologists dug down exposing the strata of the soil. He create a series of 3D prints of show the topography of the dug trenches. Below are images from the Open Day showing the display tables printing 3d models of the trenches and Wendy demonstrating the 3D technology to visitors.
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