Co-Production of alternative views of lost heritage

This project focuses on harnessing the creative capacities of communities to provide transformational engagements and research production between communities and researchers: to enable (crowd sourced) co-production of heritage data.

Using photogrammetry techniques, we utilize the ubiquity of the camera (in the hands of the communities) to photograph heritage artefacts and environments that are uploaded to our server, transformed to 3D models (through an automatic and online photogrammetry server), and stored in open file formats, with metadata, and archived in the public HER of Wales, via Archwilio.

This process preserves 'by record' an archive of 2D photographs and 3D models of the heritage, metadata and their locations. Saving the data in the HER provides long-term sustainability of the data. Focusing on photogrammetry rather than laser scanning enables the co-production of the heritage archive and a broader coverage of the heritage: more objects to be scanned than would be ever possible without the community involvement, and at low cost.

We will research and develop a 'wikipedia' style moderation structure, enabling experienced users to become moderators, to authenticate and moderate the content, to create a self-moderating and self-sustaining and enduring process. This model will create "heritage-pedians".

We will create alternative views: use 3D-printing (rapid prototyping) to generate 3D physical models of the data, and will research how to create a novel multi-touch and tangible tabletop display, that uses the 3d-printed objects as tangible input devices to manipulate and explore the table-top interaction along with multi-touch. I.e., using augmented reality code, the table will notice the presence of a tangible object and alter the content of the visualization based on the object placed on the table.

The tangible table will form the centrepiece of our exhibition, and enable the public to view and manipulate the information in a novel and exciting way, and enable researchers to discuss and explore different interpretations of the past.

As the major stakeholder in the project, the potential public impact is particularly significant, and is held to be a major aim of the programme. Beneficiaries can be divided into a series of important sub-groups, all of whom will experience potentially transformational impacts. Schoolchildren partaking in outreach activities will benefit from the educational impact of an increased or entirely new understanding of local and regional prehistoric heritage, teaching them to value their heritage, and laying the foundations for increased engagement in the future. This will be of particular importance for children from socio-economic backgrounds traditionally associated with low educational attainment and lower take-up of further education opportunities in history and the humanities. Given the community-sourced nature of the data collected for the project, it represents an opportunity for the public to engage in a truly democratic manner with their prehistoric past. Through the online sourcing of imagery and artefacts scanning workshops, individuals can decide which sites are to be recorded and digitally preserved, on the basis of what is important to them personally. Volunteers will also benefit from learning new skills and practices in heritage recording. This will foster greater engagement with the heritage of their region, with future benefits for positive stewardship of monuments by their local communities. Benefits therefore accrue for the archaeological resource as a whole. In terms of quality-of-life, through the revolutionary 3D presentation of prehistory, the project represents a unique opportunity for older people or those with mobility-based disabilities to experience heritage that is often rendered inaccessible to them, due to landscape or physical location. On the international stage, the website offers the opportunity for those of any nation to learn about the prehistoric heritage of the UK, and will present a technologically innovative and forward-looking vision of Welsh heritage, with potential impacts on regional tourism.

Public bodies involved in heritage preservation and policymaking will experience significant positive impacts from the project. The RCHMW/Cadw databases will be enhanced with important 3-dimensional information on the preservation of sites for future management, in addition to the knowledge transfer potential of the photographic recording method itself, for future research or monitoring activities through the rapid recording of threatened sites. The Gwynedd Archaeological Trust (GAT) will receive a more comprehensive record of local prehistoric monuments and sites, enabling more informed local planning decisions, and a better understanding of the safety of the monuments under their oversight. The Welsh Finds scheme (run through GAT), and the public as a whole, has the potential to benefit through the 3D recording of prehistoric artefacts held by individuals, but which would otherwise remain in private collections. There is also the potential for knowledge transfer, to all these bodies, of cutting-edge online search and recording tools, and digital interoperability with their existing online databases.
Museums and Museum Professionals
There will also be significant impact and knowledge transfer with the museum sector. Obviously Pontio Bangor will benefit from a permanent display as an outcome of the project. The innovation centre will benefit from expert knowledge on cutting-edge interactive presentation techniques, and experience higher visitor footfall overall due to public interest in the project and the sites on display. Additional visitors attracted to local museums stand a much greater chance of visiting the same or other museums in the future, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the entire sector, and of engagement with heritage more generally.