In ‘Back to the Future – Archaeology meets Technology’, Producer Noel Murphy discovers how futuristic technologies are causing us to re-write our history.
Documentary Maker Noel Murphy has been travelling through time to discover how futuristic technologies are reaching deeper into our past than ever before and redefining our understanding of history and archaeology.
This weekend, Documentary on Newstalk joins Noel as he meets the people working with these new technologies. The documentary begins at the Discovery Programme, Irelands leading archaeological research institution based in Dublin. In this somewhat antiquated building, Dr. Edel Breathnach and her team are using cutting edge technologies to record monuments in astonishing 3D detail using lazer surveying technology.
Noel travels to Killarney in search of archaeological treasure, meeting there with Gary Devlin from the Discovery Programme and Dr.Nora White of the School of Celtic Studies. But mysteriously they’ve arranged to meet him after dark at an old church ruins to look at an ancient Ogham stone. Their nocturnal adventure results in the recording of this stone in minutest detail for all eternity and for all the world to see, creating better opportunities to decipher its linguistics.
Next to Queens University Belfast, to see technology that can reach back 50,000 years. Here Professor Paula J.Reimer demonstrates how advanced equipment shooting particles at 0.3% of the speed of light can give us information from our past to help us with our future.
The journey continues to the Ancient Royal Citadel of Connaught, Rathcroghan, in the heart of Roscommon. Here, an entire world has been discovered underneath the surface without any digging. Joe Fenwick Archaeological Field Officer from NUI Galway has brought many students into this archaeological field……. and now he’s got a new one. They are joined by Dr Paul Nassens who demonstrates precision drone surveying using a quadcopter controlled by iphone.
Noel sets off to meet some future archaeologists at the Museum of Country Life in Mayo with students from Parke and Mayo Abbey Primary Schools who are learning kite photography aided by Geophysics Archaeologist Kevin Barton and Community Archaeologist Christy Lawless.
The journey North, South, East and West discovers how futuristic technologies are uncovering secrets which have lain like slumbering giants for thousands of years. Our past will never be the same again!
‘’Back to the Future – Archaeology meets Technology’’ will be broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm this weekend, Saturday 14th November from 7-8am and repeated that evening at 11pm.
BROADCAST DETAILS: ‘’Back to the Future – Archaeology meets Technology’’ is part of the Winter Season of Documentary on Newstalk.
BROADCAST TIMES: ‘’Back to the Future – Archaeology meets Technology’’ will be broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm this weekend, Saturday 14th November from 7-8am and repeated at 11pm.
‘’Back to the Future – Archaeology meets Technology’’ can also be listened to online at: www.newstalk.com
Podcast available at: www.newstalk.com/documentaryonnewstalk after the broadcast.
‘’Back to the Future – Archaeology meets Technology’’ was written, produced, presented and edited by Noel Murphy. Mastering by John Davis.
The project was supported by a grant from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, as part of the Sound and Vision Scheme.
QUOTES FROM 'BACK TO THE FUTURE-ARCHAEOLOGY MEETS TECHNOLOGY':
‘This is really a quantum leap forward in terms of our understanding of previous monuments that were once on the hill (of Tara).’ Ger Dowling –The Discovery Programme.
‘We’re actually building a whole research framework of knowledge and resources far more than we ever could have thought 20 or 25 years ago.’ Dr. Edel Breathnach–The Discovery Programme.
‘Within the next few years anyone with a smartphone will be able to produce (digital 3d) models like this’. Gary Devlin–The Discovery Programme.
‘Some skeletons can look pretty recent and may be 1,000 years old’. Professor Paula J.Reimer –Queens University.
‘What we’re looking at (have discovered) here was the ritual focus for a major ceremonial complex prior to the coming of Christianity.’ Joe Fenwick Archaeological Field Officer from NUI Galway.
‘A lot of nations or peoples understand the value of something like this as the rooting of identity. I think we need to think that about that far more in Ireland, we have an enormous amount of history and archaeology and I don’t think we realise how much we have.’ Dr. Edel Breathnach–The Discovery Programme.
