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Iziko Maritime Archaeology Team Wows UCT Students

17/03/2023

From 2-3 March, Iziko’s Maritime Archaeology department organized a Remote Sensing and Recording in Archaeology workshop for the UCT Archaeology Honours class. The students heard lectures from the Iziko staff, but also had three guest lecturers.  Remote Sensing is a catch-all phrase to describe the technologies utilized by archaeologists to find sites.  We were fortunate to have Henk Steyn from PGS Heritage, a contract archaeology firm, demonstrating the mysteries of Ground Penetrating Radar. 

Caption for photo:  Henk Steyn explaining the mysteries of Ground Penetrating Radar.

GPR works by transmitting high-frequency radar pulses sent from a surface antenna into the ground. These pulses are reflected back differentially by the deposit it is sent into. The time differences between the reflected pulses are measured and that enables the operator to create profiles of the subsurface environment. The students each got a chance to use Henk’s instrument after which he showed them how to analyse the data collected.  Next up was Jaco Boshoff, delving into the mysteries of the earth’s magnetic fields and magnetometers – the instrument used to measure those fields.  If any magnetic material is buried (for example anchors or cannons), it will distort the Earth’s magnetic field and show up in the readings from a magnetometer.  Jake Harding finished the day by amazing the students with the secrets of photogrammetry and 3D recording.

Day Two started with Wilhelm van Zyl from the Council for Marine Geoscience expanding on the use of multibeam sonar and how it can be used to find shipwrecks and ancient coastlines. A multibeam echosounder is a type of sonar that is used to map the seabed. It emits acoustic waves in a fan shape beneath its transceiver. The time it takes for the sound waves to reflect off the seabed and return to the receiver is used to calculate the water depth. 

Next, Chris Keightley from Optron, a company that sells survey grade GPS units, unveiled the mysteries of high-powered differential GPS, very important for recording the position of any sites found as accurately as possible.  Jake Harding reminded the students that it was important to organise the collected data in an orderly manner by designing custom made recording forms for collecting data as diverse as surveying measurements to the descriptions of anchors and shipwreck timbers. 

Having a turn at operating the machinery

Jaco continued with an introduction to the history of shipbuilding and ship construction. He elaborated by showing some of the shipwrecks Iziko has excavated in the past.  Anna Boot finished the workshop off by inducting the participants into the art of illustration.  Accurate artwork is often used by archaeologists to illuminate special features on important artefacts.  Feedback from the students indicated that they thoroughly enjoyed the new avenues of research they’d been exposed to and that they hope to join the Iziko Maritime Archaeology team in our future fieldwork adventures.

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Iziko Museums

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Dear Visitors,

Please note that the Iziko South African Museum will close to the public at 14:00 on Thursday, 13 March 2025, in preparation for the The bicentenary of the South African Museum – a reflection on 200 years of ISAM’s existence.

Thank you for your consideration.

Looking forward to your future visits.

Iziko Management

Dear Visitors,

Please be advised that all Iziko Museums of South Africa sites will close at 13:00 on Monday, 10 March 2025, for a staff activation for the The bicentenary of the South African Museum – a reflection on 200 years of ISAM’s existence.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Iziko Management

Iziko South African National Gallery

Dear Visitor

Please be advised that the Iziko South African National Gallery, will open at 12:30 on Saturday, 22 February 2025.

We look forward to welcoming you to experience the exhibition:
Sue Williamson: There’s something I must tell you, a retrospective.

Regards
Iziko Museums of South Africa

Dear Visitors,

 

Please note that all Iziko Museums will be closed on Christmas Day, Wednesday, 25 December 2024 and

will reopen to the public on Thursday, 26 December 2024.

 

Additionally,  Iziko Bertram House and Iziko Koopmans De Wet will remain closed on Thursday,   

26 December 2024.

 

Wishing you peace and joy over the festive season.

 

Thank you

Iziko Management 

Dear Visitor

Please be advised that the Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum will be closed on Thursday, 01 August 2024 due to a power maintenance affecting the entire area.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Iziko Management

Dear Visitor 

 

Iziko Museums’ Winter Operating Hours Update. 

 

Please be advised that the weekend(SAT and SUN) operating hours have been adjusted. 

The museums will open operate from 08h30 to 16h00 on weekends during winter.

 

Saturdays from 08h30 to 16h00

Iziko South African Museum and Planetarium, Iziko South African National Gallery, 

Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum and Iziko Slave Lodge. 

 

Sundays from 08h30 to 16h00

Iziko South African Museum and Planetarium and Iziko South African National Gallery. 

 

By order 

Iziko Management. 

 
Iziko South African National Gallery

Dear Visitor

Please be advised that the Iziko South African National Gallery, will open at 12:30 on Saturday, 22 February 2025.

We look forward to welcoming you to experience the exhibition:
Sue Williamson: There’s something I must tell you, a retrospective.

Regards
Iziko Museums of South Africa