Behind the Scenes | Modelling our Archaeological Artefacts

The archaeological artefacts found on our worksites are hugely popular in our Experience Centre! So much so, that we've created resin-cast replicas of some of the key finds, which allows visitors to get hands-on with history, at no risk to the original artefact. Check out the modelling magic in this behind the scenes video!
A text description of the visual information in this video is available in the comments for accessibility.
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We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this Country and the locations shown, and recognise the continuing connection to lands, waters and their communities.
We wish to pay our respects to the culture of our First Nations Peoples and to Elders past and present.

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Accessible description of visual information in this video
A person wearing white gloves unlocks a glass cabinet with a set of keys. They jangle against the door as they twist.
While the newsreader’s voice is heard, the person takes a green glass perfume bottle from the cabinet and brings it closer to the camera, so the embossing on the bottle can be read: Crown Perfumery Company London. The bottle stopper is shaped like a crown.
We see a pink rubber mold, opened to reveal a mold for the perfume bottle. The mold is closed up, secured with rubber bands and hard plastic sheets to keep it tightly closed.
A person places a clear plastic cup on a table. Clear liquids and drops of green colouring are dripped into the cup. The green colouring swirls and like tiny threads suspended in the liquid.
A hand takes a wooden stirring stick from a container, and stirs the liquid until the green colour is even throughout the cup.
The green liquid is poured from the cup into small holes at the top of the pink mold, slowly and steadily.
The lid is released from a pressure cooker, complete with clamps and a valve fitted to make it air-tight. Unseen, the filled mold is placed in the pressure cooker for many hours to cure.
The mold is removed, rubber bands come off and it’s opened up to reveal a resin model of the perfume bottle. The model is removed, sanded, cleaned and dusted with various craft implements to make it completely smooth and shiny.
The latest model is placed with five identical perfume bottles on a shelf.
People hold the model and feel the shapes and indentations all over the bottle. One person is vision impaired, and wears dark glasses and carries a white cane. The other person is guiding his hands to identify features on the bottle.
The bottle sits on a table strewn with the wood stirrer sticks, which are now being used by children for a craft or engineering game. Two girls build a two story tower from wooden pegs and stirrer sticks, then carefully place the model bottle on the top. It balances there while they measure how tall the structure is, all waiting expectantly for the whole thing to topple over… but it holds.
Final image is two of the perfume bottles side by side, back in their display cabinet.