The Atlantic Wall. Digital Heritage Approaches to Twentieth Century Conflict

Description

- Start and end date are adjusted, please make sure to check this before applying - 

Explore the history and archaeology of the Second World War with us! Help design an interactive digital heritage model. Take part online or on the front line!

This bespoke course marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the Netherlands. All students will join online sessions from September 2024 to March 2025 and can choose to also spend a weekend in the Netherlands on fieldwork.  Students only joining online receive a 50% discount on the stated fee. 

Optional data collection in the Netherlands -  4th and 6th of October 2024. 

Eighty years after the liberation of the Netherlands began in Zeeland, many sections of the Atlantic Wall are yet to be fully recorded and understood. Participants in this project will digitally record and recreate a coastal battery using the latest digital heritage technologies. Team members will come from diverse backgrounds including active and veteran military personnel bringing a range of perspectives and insights to this part of the story of Battle of the Scheldt.

1. Participants will form a team working to explore, digitally record, and virtually recreate a Second World War coastal battery in Zeeland the Netherlands. This structure formed part of the famous Atlantic wall. The project aims to utilise the latest heritage recording techniques to map the standing remains in their environment. This will be contexualized through archaeological and historical research and by engaging with the perspective of active and veteran military personnel.

2. The team will produce an open access interactive map of the Coastal Battery to be launched to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Scheldt. 

3. The course will have a blended format to create an inclusive environment that welcomes international participants, specifically veterans of conflict and their family members in Canada, The United States, The United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany. 

Target audience

- Undergraduate students of archaeology, history, geography, media and digital humanities.

- Serving and veteran military personnel.

Aim of the course

Develop skills in:

• Researching and contextualising modern conflict archaeology in the Netherlands with a focus on the Atlantic Wall
• Recording standing heritage structures in the landscape 
• Developing understanding of standing heritage biography
• Digital reconstructions and mapping of standing heritage
• Where possible identify and record any remaining eye witness testimony of the Battle of the Scheldt
• Creating an open access digital heritage platform 
• Working in a diverse group with international backgrounds including serving and veteran military personnel. 

Study load

Approximately 70 hours total for the online and in person team.

35 hours will be spent on the in-person mapping in Zeeland.

Approximately 35 hours will be spent on online activities such as research and processing which will be done by the whole team.