Update from the Digital Manager

Issue 124Articles

11 Jul

Written By KAS

Work on the website over the past 6 months has focused on expansion of the Publications sections and recording and development of a growing collection of 3D Virtual Tours from sites across Kent.

The Books, Papers and Reports sections are soon to include all items from the KAS Library & Archive catalogue in addition to the items from the Kentish Bibliography. Further work in this direction will see the publications section serve as a comprehensive bibliography of Kent history and archaeology.

[fg]jpg|Fig 1: exterior of Allington Castle.|Image[/fg]

[fg]jpg|Fig 2: Medieval timber chest St Margarets church, Rainham.|Image[/fg]

Issue 114 of the KAS Magazine featured an article by the present author on the production of the Rochester Cathedral Virtual Tour.[fn1] This tour and its thousands of elements recorded in 3D using photogrammetry (models processed from series of photographs), completed with aerial imagery of the exterior by Geoff Watkins of Aerial Imaging South East[fn2], provides a comprehensive record of architectural features of the site, as well as serving as an online interpretation tool for archaeologists and the general public around the world[fn3]. Continuing this 3D recording and interpretation project now with the KAS is rapidly producing virtual tours and 3D records of sites and artefacts from around Kent, from excavations to churches and everything in between.

Models from the past few years of excavations at the prehistoric monuments at Lees Court Estate[fn4], the Roman bathhouse at Trottiscliffe[fn5], and the Roman villa at Otford[fn6] are available alongside records of the recent community excavations at Front Brents, Faversham[fn7]. We have continued working with Geoff in the recording of churches and other sites requiring aerial imagery, with virtual tours now available of St Margaret’s, Rainham and its remarkable medieval furnishings (Fig. 2)[fn8], St Thomas Becket, Capel and its exceptional mural paintings[fn9], and St Peter & St Paul, Upper Hardres (Fig. 3 & Fig. 4)[fn10] which is now available alongside the previously conducted historic graffiti survey[fn11]. Imagery from Geoff’s previous recording at Rochester Castle has been reprocessed into a complete model of the site and supplemented with models of architectural features of the interior and excavations conducted by Keevill Heritage over the past few years[fn12]. New records have produced virtual tours of Cooling Castle[fn13] and Allington Castle (Fig. 1)[fn14]. Work has also now begun in earnest on 3D recording of the Society’s collections of artefacts, including those of the Ozengell Anglo-Saxon cemetery (Fig. 6), many items with long histories in the KAS collections at Maidstone Museum as well as more recent additions and loaned items such as the loom weight and handaxe from Lees Court Estate, and items of Romano-British ceramics from the items donated by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit (KARU).[fn15]

[fg]jpg|Fig 3: Medieval corbel head, St Peter and St Paul church, Upper Hardres.|Image[/fg]

[fg]jpg|Fig 4: Exterior of St Peter and St Paul church, Upper Hardres.|Image[/fg]

These tours are made freely available in the Models section of the KAS website[fn16] and elsewhere, and we extend our thanks to the owners, administrators and contributors of all sites on which we have worked to date, as well as to Geoff for his exceptional aerial photography in often challenging conditions. This project is taking place within the wider recording of heritage sites throughout Kent by professionals, volunteers and hobbyists, with models also featured from dozens of recorders over the past 10 years. We will continue this work at as many sites as possible and aim to become a hub of 3D heritage recording in the county. As ever, get in touch to get involved!

jacob.scott@kentarchaeology.org.uk

[fn]1|www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/magazine/114/07-rochester-cathedral-a-virtual-tour[/fn]

[fn]2|www.aerialimagingse.co.uk[/fn]

[fn]3|Available at www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/models/rochester-cathedral and www.rochestercathedral.org/virtual[/fn]

[fn]4|www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/models/lees-court-estate[/fn]

[fn]5|www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/models/romano-british-bath-house-trosley-court[/fn]

[fn]6|www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/models/otford-roman-villa-hypocaust[/fn]

[fn]7|www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/models/front-brents-faversham[/fn]

[fn]8|www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/models/st-margarets-church-rainham[/fn]

[fn]9|www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/models/st-thomas-a-becket-capel[/fn]

[fn]10|www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/models/upper-hardres-church[/fn]

[fn]11|www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/images/upper-hardres-church-graffiti[/fn]