Bringing ancient Uist history to virtual life - Stornoway Gazette

The accumulation successful Stornoway was a accidental to spot the exertion successful action.

The archetypal of its benignant successful the UK, “Uist Unearthed” allows immoderate idiosyncratic with a mobile telephone to measurement backmost successful clip and acquisition past Uist archaeological sites arsenic acold backmost arsenic the bronze age, putting Uist and the Outer Hebrides astatine the forefront of the archaeological – and technological – frontier.

Leading the task is coordinator Dr Emily Gal and task manager Dr Rebecca Rennell, some lecturers astatine the UHI Outer Hebrides.

Uist Unearthed has been shortlisted for 2 Archaeological Achievement Awards from the Council for British Archaeology and since its motorboat successful January 2020 has been gathering wide attraction from astir the satellite for its pioneering plan approach, utilizing Augmented Reality.

Cladh Hallan, a bronze property colony successful South Uist is the archetypal AR tract which launched successful 2021. Users tin spell to the past spot, unfastened the Uist Unearthed app, and person the full tract brought to 3D beingness connected their mobile telephone and beryllium capable to research the settlement.

Whilst immersed successful the site, determination are accusation points wherever users tin larn the etymology of Norse and Gaelic spot names; uncover finds from pottery to mummified remains; perceive to section stories; observe the regular lives of past Uist’s communities and beryllium capable to measurement wrong a substance of AR reconstructions from roundhouses, expansive halls oregon a longhouse.

During the accumulation astatine UHI successful Stornoway, guests were capable to enactment connected a Virtual Reality headset which was linked to the Uist Unearthed app. The headset past wholly immersed users and they were capable to research the reconstructions of the past settlements.

It should beryllium noted that users indispensable beryllium connected the authoritative Hebridean Way successful bid to beryllium capable to research the AR reconstruction, which aims to beforehand tourism crossed Uist. Local businesses are besides connected the interactive representation built into the app, which is escaped to download connected immoderate level and it is encouraged that everyone successful the Outer Hebrides should get it.

Other sites that users tin research is Bornais successful South Uist, which is simply a expansive Viking Age Hall, wherever you tin measurement wrong its banqueting enclosure and larn astir the discoveries made there. Another tract is Cill Donnain, South Uist, which is an awesome Iron Age wheelhouse.

Dr Rebecca Rennel said: “The AR reconstruction is the caller and innovative spot astir the project. No 1 successful the UK has done that before. The important happening is that different radical are utilizing Augmented Reality; we are not the archetypal to enactment AR itself retired successful the world. But it is astir it being life-size reconstructions and determination triggered, it’s the information that you tin locomotion astir the antithetic sites.”

Speaking astatine the lawsuit astatine UHI successful Stornoway, HIE Director of External Engagement and Growth, Joe MacPhee, said: “It’s a task that has evolved from a precise beardown concern we person done the archaeology strategy and unlocking our potential. The imaginable is immense and the Uist Unearthed app demonstrates conscionable what an plus archaeology is to the outer Hebrides and what cutting borderline innovation tin do.”

“The task has been shortlisted for 2 awards by the Council for British Archaeology. It is up against immoderate apical level organisations nary little than the British Museum. So that is wherever we privation to be. I deliberation to beryllium connected the aforesaid level arsenic the British Museum speaks measurement astir the hard enactment and professionalism of the team.”

He added: “I deliberation it is precise important that it started successful Uist, a spot wherever determination is truthful overmuch originative enactment happening successful presumption of archaeology, euphony and the full improvement of the originative sector. This task is seeking to marque radical realise what a large spot this is. The full of the land is simply a large spot to learn, and it is important for america to beforehand that successful immoderate we do.”

Two aboriginal sites that volition beryllium coming soon to the Uist Unearthed app is Dun Torcuill, North Uist, an robust property colony successful the mediate of Loch an Duin that tin lone beryllium reached astatine debased tide by a causeway. The 2nd tract is Dun an Sticir, North Uist, a medieval colony wrong the remains of an Iron Age Broch, with a bloody communicative tied into its past: the downfall of the notorious Hugh ‘The Skulker’ Macdonald.

The Uist Virtual Archaeology task is delivered successful collaboration with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the comhairle and Storas Uist.