Robert M Chapple, Archaeologist

It should come as no surprise that if our first Archaeology 360 video was to be about Nendrum , the next would be about the delightful ruin of Mahee Castle, just a few hundred metres from the monastic site. I’ve written before about Mahee Castle and even created some 3D images of the site. Rather than paraphrase all that again, allow me to direct you to the original blog posts [ here | 3D photos ].       Rather than being a conventional archaeological tour of the site, consider this immersive 360 video to be just as much about an open-eyed meditation on the place – a mindfulness experience, if you will. Look at the ruin, but also listen to the winds blow, the birds sing, and the leaves gently flutter on the breeze.  You can view it on an ordinary browser, but for best results we recommend the immersive experience that comes with an Oculus/Google Cardboard headset. Please feel free to  Like  and  Share  the video and  Subscribe  to the...

I know this blog has been quiet for a while. The realities of the Covid-19 lockdown meant I ended up focusing more on other priorities for a while. When the restrictions in Northern Ireland eased slightly and we were allowed to invite other people to come sit in our garden we invited a couple of our neighbours around for gin and elderflower champagne. In the course of a delightful evening the conversation turned to things of a tech nature and a revelation was made – our neighbours had a lovely Oculus Go headset that they didn’t use and wondered if the Chapples Minor would care for it? Never being known to look a gift horse in the mouth, I enthusiastically agreed. I had to bide my time until the children got over their first flurry of fervour and I got a look in. When I did, I was struck by a number of things, not the least of which is that I’m terrified of rollercoasters, both real and digital! It further reaffirmed my belief in the work of trailblazers such as Howard Goldbaum’s Voices...