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Short Abstract

Through co-creation, the Next Generation Lab engages high school students in ZooMS analysis of Medieval Danish artefacts, generating taxonomic data that reveal material choices and cultural dissonance related to the use of horsehides in Medieval and Renaissance Copenhagen.

Abstract

Developer-led urban excavations generate more archaeological material than museums can effectively store, conserve, or analyse. The citizen science project Next Generation Lab (NGL), in a co-creation approach with Danish museums and high school teachers, addresses this challenge by transforming underutilised heritage collections into educational and scientific resources. Since 2021, approx. 3,000 high school students have participated in one-day workshops where they process Medieval and Renaissance leather and bone artefacts using ZooArchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS). The workflow is designed to engage mainly high schoolers in authentic research aligned with school curricula, ensuring both meaningful learning and robust scientific outcomes. To date, NGL has produced over 4,000 taxonomic identifications, accumulating big data. A key case study examines the complex role of horses in Scandinavian Medieval and Renaissance societies. Despite Christian prohibitions against horse meat and social stigma surrounding horsehide work, ZooMS analyses of approx. 1,000 artefacts from Copenhagen reveal an unexpectedly high number of Equus sp. identifications. This suggests a dissonance between aspirational norms and material practices, offering new insights into resource use and craft traditions. By engaging students directly in the production of scientific knowledge, NGL demonstrates how citizen science can democratise archaeological research. It opens collections to public participation, fosters critical engagement with the past, and transforms dormant materials into shared resources that enhance access, collaboration, and collective ownership of cultural heritage.