New Approaches to Old Problems: Using Modern Technology to Investigate Medieval Material Culture

Sponsoring Organization(s)

AVISTA: The Association Villard de Honnecourt for the Interdisciplinary Study of Medieval Technology, Science, and Art

Organizer Name

Vibeke Olson

Organizer Affiliation

Univ. of North Carolina-Wilmington

Presider Name

Vibeke Olson

Paper Title 1

From the Square to the Scanner: Revisiting the Geometries of Reims and Metz Cathedrals Using LiDAR

Presenter 1 Name

Rebecca Smith; Robert Bork

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Wake Technical Community College; Univ. of Iowa

Paper Title 2

3-D Modeling and GIS Mapping of the Towers and Bell Towers of Medieval Rome

Presenter 2 Name

Nicola Camerlenghi

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Dartmouth College

Paper Title 3

To Divide the Light from Darkness: Architecture and Liturgy in the Churches of Norse Greenland

Presenter 3 Name

Jess A. McCullough

Presenter 3 Affiliation

College of St. Scholastica

Start Date

9-5-2019 10:00 AM

Session Location

Bernhard 209

Description

This interdisciplinary session investigates the ways in which modern technology can be applied to further our knowledge and understanding of Medieval material culture. From remote sensing, modeling, lasers, drones and radar, to infrared reflectography, gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), long-wave ultra-violet light, and beyond, technology assists in our understanding of medieval objects, their materials, and makers, often revealing important clues that would otherwise remain obscured. The application of modern technology allows scholars to revisit old questions in new ways or address new questions framed by technological innovations. The applications are broad, and can be used in conservation practices, understanding design processes and materials, questions of attribution and dating, or mapping the movement of objects, to name a few. This session aims to consider a range of technological approaches, Medieval periods, geographical regions, and media. Maile S. Hutterer