Dublinia-Science Week 2017

Science Week Ireland, coordinated by Science Foundation Ireland, will take place from the 12th to the 19th of November and once again Dublinia is taking part. It will be running over two consecutive weekends, the 11th/12th and 18th/19th of November from 11am to 4pm each day.

What’s going on?

Virtual Reality!
Our tech experts will allow visitors to experience virtual realities from the confines of Dublinia! You can walk into a Viking house, or experience a walk down O’Connell Street with a passage tomb in the middle! We will allow visitors to go beyond the experiential ‘museum’ experience to engage with arts/engineering and technology to bridge the gap between the ancient past and the modern world.
Noho, an Irish company who create captivating digital experiences and design historically accurate and authentic virtual reality experiences and games, are our demonstrators of the virtual reality experience.

3D modelling technology in weapons and warfare.
Taking place in the Lab, the archaeology of warfare and weapons will be discussed by using and demonstrating 3D modelling technology. There will be examples of various experimental archaeological techniques, such as exploring how an objects story can be enhanced using science to expand on our knowledge and understanding of what it means. See an example of this from the wear and tear of a sword to show how much it may have been used in battle, but also how it was crafted.
This demonstration will be conducted by a research fellow from University College Dublin’s Archaeology Department.

Reflectance Transformation Imaging and 3D printing.
Hear about the role of digital tools and other methods in deciphering the past and making cultural heritage accessible.
Two methods will be focused on. Reflectance Transformation Imaging which is a technique used to reveal surface features not visible by naked eye. Also, 3D printing, a powerful method for replicating cultural heritage artefacts, thus providing access and enabling multisensory engagements with material culture, as well as serving conservation and preservation needs. Hear about various case studies from Ireland and beyond and get a glimpse into the facets of lives and objects of the past.

Our demonstrators here include a Lecturer in Digital Heritage specialising in prehistoric archaeology and computational methods, and a PhD candidate researching Irish rock art from Maynooth University.