Paper short abstract:

Our curated piece is two-part: a cabinet of curiosity including tools and fragments of limestone and chalk, and a film of the processes involved in quarry excavations and barrow building. The exhibition animates the material life of quarrying and construction in contemporary and Neolithic Dorset.

Paper long abstract:

Archaeological drawing conventions for architectural recording follow a formulaic and standardized approach across different sites, landscapes and periods of time. Plan and section drawings focus on a static structure, but miss the nuances of process and material interactions. These drawings miss the sound and smell of making, the weight of materials, the feel of things on hand and body, and the other human interactions intermingled with them.

Our curated piece in A Museum of Architecture will be two-part: a cabinet of curiosity including tools and fragments of limestone and chalk materials, and a film of the processes involved in quarry excavations and barrow building. How will an understanding of architecture change if we lead with the sensory? The exhibition animates the material life of quarrying and construction practices in contemporary and Neolithic Dorset.