Expedition Overview
Geometria conducted digital documentation work for Antarctica New Zealand Event K021, a scientific collaboration between conservation architects Archifact, the University of Minnesota, the University of Waikato, Bath University, Hong Kong University, and Western Cape University. Through this collaboration, researchers have been able to monitor deterioration of the huts over time, combining different methodologies such as laser scanning with scientific approaches in biology and chemistry. Geometria donated data from three Antarctic Expedition Huts to CyArk in 2010.
Introducing the Antarctic Expedition Huts
Constructed on the last continent of human exploration, the Antarctic Exploration Huts remind us of the significant physical and mental challenges early explorers endured throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ten different countries launched seventeen major expeditions throughout this time, and the huts provided necessary shelter for life in one of the coldest places on the planet. Reflecting human ingenuity and drive during the age of exploration, these structures are a testament to the power of the unknown and what is possible when people are determined to understand it.
"Not exactly a palatial residence"
Located at Cape Royds on Ross Island, the structure known today as Shackleton’s Hut functioned as a home base for multiple expedition teams led by Anglo-Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton between 1908 and 1914. Surviving numerous near-death experiences, Shackleton’s explorations captured the world’s imagination. The recent discovery of five crates of century-old whiskey under the Shackleton's hut provide insight into how the teams coped with freezing temperatures in the shelters. Upon departure from Cape Royds in 1909, Shackleton reflected, “We all turned out to give three cheers and to take a last look at the place where we had spent so many happy days. The hut was not exactly a palatial residence, and during our period of residence in it we had suffered many discomforts, not to say hardships, but, on the other hand, it had been our home for a year that would always live in our memories.”
Open Heritage 3D by CyArkCyArk
Data from this project is now freely available through Open Heritage 3D.
Download the data from:
Scott's Discovery Hut.
Shackleton's Hut.
Scott's Terra Nova Hut.
About Open Heritage 3D
The mission of the Open Heritage 3D project is to:
● Provide open access to 3D cultural heritage datasets for education, research and other
non-commercial uses.
● Minimize the technical, financial and legal barriers for publishers of 3D heritage data.
● Promote discovery and re-use of datasets through standardized metadata and data formats.
● Foster community collaboration and knowledge sharing in the 3D cultural heritage community.
● Share best practices and methodologies for the capture, processing and storage of 3D cultural heritage data
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This data was made possible by Geometria
