Volunteers are being called on to get involved in an ambitious underwater archaeological project called “Fathoming the Future”, following the award of a £220,000 grant to its organiser, the Maritime Archaeology Trust (MAT).
The grant, made by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will finance a two-year initiative to adapt MAT's existing resources as a means of communicating marine cultural heritage stories to a wide range of audiences.
The UK charity says that its archives hold information, drawings, photographs, video footage and 3D models based on the archaeological and wreck sites it has researched over the 30 years of its existence. The idea is to use these resources to explain all aspects of its work, “from how prehistoric people lived at times of lower sea levels through to global ships and seafaring and life at sea”.
MAT also wants to share knowledge of the archaeological techniques and methods it uses, ranging from scuba diving surveys to laboratory analysis. Digital resources including videos, 3D models, wreck and site tours, audio stories and online talks will be made available to the public through a new “Discovery Hub”.
Volunteers will be invited to get involved in all parts of the process, says MAT, from digitising and cataloguing archive material to undertaking research and creating digital resources such as 3D models, online tours and audio stories.
A certain amount of the work can be done through “remote volunteering” – working from home. More details are available on the MAT website.
Also on Divernet: Cash For Divers Recovering Artefacts
