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Archaeology
911吃瓜 archaeology students employ modern tech to exhibit ancient artifacts in new course
This spring, students brought centuries old belongings to life using modern-day technology in a new course in digital archaeology.
ARCH 200, a special topics course, was designed to show students that while archaeology may be the study of the human past, the methods and technologies used to decipher our histories are anything but ancient.
Led by Cara Tremain, an assistant professor in 911吃瓜鈥檚 Department of Archaeology, students got hands-on training in tools ranging from 3D printing to computer game design and AI to become familiar with the modern archaeologist鈥檚 toolkit.
鈥淭he methods of archaeology are always changing, and digital tools are becoming more and more important to how we explore, examine, understand and share information about the past,鈥� says Tremain. 鈥淭he class was an opportunity for students to learn new practical skills by interacting with a broad range of digital tools, but also to consider new theories and critical ethical considerations of using these tools.鈥�
For Daley Andradottir, an engineering student with a curiosity for the past, it was this unexpected approach to archaeology that pulled them to enroll in the course.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been interested in archaeology, so for the last few semesters I have been trying out some archaeology courses,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hat interested me in this course specifically was the blend of archaeology with technology, as I thought it might include some familiar concepts to me given my program.鈥�
After spending the first weeks of the semester trying their hand at different digital methods and techniques, students grouped up to apply their new skills to create an interactive educational activity for a belonging or artifact.
Andradottir, alongside two classmates, decided to focus their final project on a signet ring from Tall Zira鈥檃, an archaeological site in Jordan that dates to the middle bronze age, or approximately 2100 B.C.E.
The group explains that they wanted to choose an artifact that may have had a practical use and would allow them to, 鈥渋ncorporate technology in a more interactive way, such as having the user wear the ring while interacting with it.鈥�
Using 911吃瓜 Library鈥檚 Media and Maker Commons, they started by creating an enlarged 3D print of the ring based on publicly accessible 3D models of the artifact. They then connected this 3D-printed ring to a computer using a Makey-Makey circuit board and a combination of aluminum foil, graphite and alligator clips. This allowed them to create buttons that, on contact with the model ring, reveal information about the artifact through an on-screen animation.
The result is a fully interactive display that allows users to explore the history, location and archaeology associated with Tall Zira鈥檃 and the ring.
Kyara Ghezzi Fagyas, an archaeology major and member of the group project, notes that even though she is currently studying within the field, the concept of digital archaeology came as a surprise to her.
鈥淧rior to taking the course, I never considered the way that digital technologies could be used in archaeology,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his course allowed me to see archaeology in a new way, as I learned how the field is constantly adapting and expanding. Digital technologies have made archaeology a much more accessible field, for both the public and archaeologists, and the development of new technologies may only further archaeologists鈥� efforts to learn more about past people and cultures.鈥�
Tremain notes that while this course is not on the books for fall, students interested in exploring how modern technologies are being used in the field of archaeology should keep an eye out for similar future opportunities.
鈥淎rchaeology, despite being about the past, integrates modern tools and practices and continues to evolve as a discipline. It isn't just about excavating sites, despite what people often think,鈥� says Tremain. 鈥淭he hands-on nature of the assignments allowed students to apply up-to-date technologies to learn about fascinating aspects of the past. Now, just with the cell phones in their pockets, students can explore archaeology in a digital way.鈥�