In Small Things Eroding: Mitigating Climate Crisis Impacts on Collections through 3D Digital Heritage

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Methods for Monitoring Heritage at Risk Sites in a Rapidly Changing Environment", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Impacts from the climate crisis extend past site boundaries and into their material collections. Artifacts are being washed away before sites can be properly documented and collected. Meanwhile, curation facilities, already under duress from the curation crisis, are experiencing more pressure from climate impacts such as increased temperatures and storm events. Photogrammetry and other 3D digital heritage techniques can help mitigate some of these impacts by creating a digital record of the objects. These models not only allow the objects to be safely curated more efficiently, but they also allow researchers to share collections in novel ways with colleagues and public audiences alike. This paper will highlight several strategies for artifact documentation including utilizing “catch and release” methods in the field and digitizing existing legacy collections, as well as explore ways to use potential products such as using 3D printed replicas in exhibits in areas prone to disaster.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Methods for Monitoring Heritage at Risk Sites in a Rapidly Changing Environment   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow