Edinburgh Earth Observatory (EEO) Seminars

Friday 8th Nov 2019, 4.30pm

Joint EEO-AGI(S)/Hutton Club Seminar

Dr. Lyn Wilson

Digital Documentation Manager, Historic Environment Scotland

Title: Delivering Digitally: Focused Applications for the Historic Environment

Abstract:

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is the lead public body established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment. Within HES, we have long championed the use of innovative digital technologies and increasingly apply these for conservation, asset management, engagement, learning, accessibility and disaster response. We gained considerable experience in digital documentation through the Scottish Ten Project (www.scottishten.org), which saw us record in 3D Scotland’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites and international heritage sites to help in their conservation and management. Currently we are undertaking the Rae Project to digitally document the 336 properties and thousands of collections objects in the care of HES on behalf of the Scottish Government. In 2017 we opened the cutting-edge Engine Shed - Scotland’s Building Conservation Centre, which is a hub for digital technologies, heritage science, traditional skills and materials (https://www.engineshed.scot/). The Engine Shed aims to raise conservation standards and be a focus for learning, inspiring and knowledge sharing.

The talk will outline these digital innovations at HES and give examples of focused applications. In particular, examples will be given of how we use digital data and digital technologies for learning, accessibility and engagement, through interactive work with school groups and the creation of digital learning resources, to sharing 3D models via Sketchfab and the creation of remote access visitor apps and immersive virtual reality experiences. Conservation and asset management examples will highlight the use of digital data for monitoring the impacts of coastal erosion and climate change, through to the application of digital technologies for rapid response in disaster situations.

About the speaker:

Dr Lyn Wilson is a heritage scientist with over 20 years’ experience in digital documentation practice and conservation/archaeological science. She has a BSc in Archaeology, MA and PhD in Archaeological Science. As Digital Documentation Manager at Historic Environment Scotland, the lead public body for established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland's historic environment, Lyn is responsible for 3D recording the properties and collections in the care of HES. This 3D data is used for conservation, asset management, interpretation, education and to improve accessibility. Based at HES’s Engine Shed (www.engineshed.org), her role involves leading and enabling the sector in the strategic development and application of innovative and cutting-edge digital technologies for the benefit of cultural heritage. Lyn is a Specialist Assessor on digital documentation to the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund, an Expert Member of the International Committee for Documentation of Cultural Heritage (CIPA) and a Board Member of the ICOMOS-UK Scientific Committee on Digital Heritage Technologies. Her research interests focus on the intersection of heritage science and digital documentation in the historic environment, and the application of emerging technologies for conservation. She is a passionate advocate for the integration of science and technology within cultural heritage practice.