Earth science incursions with 6 classes at Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School. Students will be learning about fossils from the Northern Territory and about the properties of light.
Topic: Archaeology and Antiquity
Earth Science Incursion at Leanyer Primary School
Earth Science incursion with 5 classes at Leanyer Primary School. Students will be learning about fossils from the Northern Territory.
Explore Science in the Museum: A free participatory workshop on science and cultural heritage
Join us at the Chau Chak Wing Museum to explore the world of colours in art, various types of film & plastics, liquids in museums and plants. Scientists from Sydney Analytical and the School of Physics from the University of Sydney will be showing live demonstrations of scientific equipment and how different techniques can provide…
Megafauna at Yulara School
Two staff members (Drs Adam Yates and Sam Arman) will present at Yulara school on the morning of 16 August on the topic of megafauna and the science of uncovering the ancient past. Two sessions will be held, the first from 8.40 – 9.20AM for secondary learners, and 9.30 – 10.30 AM for primary school….
Wollongong University’s Design a T-shirt Competition
The University of Wollongong is delighted to announce that entries for the Design a T-shirt Competition are open. The competition is for children in Years 3-8 (Stages 2, 3 & 4) to help celebrate the National Science Week theme of Innovation: Powering Future Industries. The theme incorporates the advancement in technology in all industries, especially…
Time Detectives: Cold Case
Archaeologists are time travellers. We use the everyday items of the past to build portals through time and space; windows through which we can view landscapes thousands of years old and the people and cultures that they supported. We analyse these everyday items through an ever-increasing array of scientific techniques to explore questions such as…
Collaborative Conservation – Case studies in the shared care of museum objects
Successful conservation requires the effort of a collaborative team working to meet both the technical and ethical needs of culturally significant objects. Collaboration among conservators, scientists, engineers and a range of other professionals is illustrated in a selection of case studies from the Australian National Maritime Museum. They include the investigation beneath the surface of…
Up Close and Personal with the Past: Nanoscale analysis of artefacts
Not all artefacts tell their full story at first glance. Scanning electron microscopy allows us to reveal information down to the nanoscale, providing a perspective unachievable with standard optical techniques. A closer look at surfaces and materials of historical tools or artwork uncovers manufacturing methods of the past. Near-invisible particles of pollen or dust become…
Non-invasive Analysis of Ancient Papyri: A museum floor talk
Papyrus is the first flexible writing support that was used from 3100 BC until the 11th century AD. While primarily produced in Egypt and then southern Italy, it was exported throughout the Mediterranean and Roman empire. The last two decades have witnessed great progress in the investigation and analysis of archaeological papyri. My work focuses…
A Splash of Colour – Identification of pigments in the collections
Colour is found on a wide range of ancient objects, such as coffins, papyri, ceramics and paintings, and also in cosmetic materials for body and hair. Colourants can from a range of natural sources including minerals, plants, insects, lay and soot from oil lamps or by charring ivory or bones. The use of specific colours is often…