April 26, 2019, by Matt Davies

Closing the Loop by Dr Natasha Harlow

This week The University of Nottingham Classics and Archaeology department’s Dr Natasha Harlow writes about a fascinating project that she has been working on and which DTH has been very pleased to support with digital capture and display equipment. 

Closing the Loop showcases research into archaeological small finds from Iron Age and Roman East Anglia by Natasha Harlow (Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Nottingham) and the photography of Ross Trevail (Lecturer, Norwich University of the Arts).

 

With the support of Midlands4Cities postdoctoral funding and audio-visual equipment loaned by the Digital Transformations Hub, Natasha and Ross are presenting a programme of talks and exhibitions at detecting clubs, conferences and public events.

Closing the Loop aims to develop more inclusive and reciprocal relationships between metal-detectorists and academics. The project shares exciting new archaeological research with local people who have contributed to public records of their finds.

I think you need to be an optimist to be a detectorist, because most days you’re not going to find anything particularly fantastic or exciting, but every now and then there’s something that takes your breath away, you’re on your knees, virtually, with just how magical something that’s come out of the ground can look.

(Detectorist, Suffolk)

 

 

“When it comes out of the earth, it’s not like potatoes or weeds, they don’t grow, it comes out just once, so…the emphasis should be…record. Full stop.”

(Detectorist, Norfolk)

In addition, participants may contribute short interviews about their metal-detecting practices and finds to Natasha, who uses one of DTH’s Zoom H4N digital audio recorders to capture the interviews. Individual portraits and object photographs are also being taken by Ross. This newly created work will be incorporated into a pop-up exhibition which will be shown at events across East Anglia and the East Midlands during 2019.

Closing the Loop will be represented at the Midlands4Cities Research Festival in Birmingham on 23 May 2019 and at the PASt Explorers conference at the British Museum on 21 June 2019.

 

 

For more information, contact Dr Natasha Harlow Natasha.harlow@nottingham.ac.uk

Natasha Harlow https://vpp.midlands3cities.ac.uk/display/bbanh2/Welcome

Ross Trevail www.rosstrevail.com

If you would like to find out more about the equipment, software or advice that DTH can offer to support your research, study or project then pop into and see us (ground floor, Humanities building) weekdays 10 – 5 during term time or email artsdigitalhub@nottingham.ac.uk

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