Retelling the Ancient Times: A UHI student exhibition, 2023

Each year the module Displaying the Past: Museum Studies offers students the opportunity to study museums in greater depth and introduce them to the myriad ways in which different museums operate. As part of the assessment process students are tasked with creating an online exhibition, and then as a group to create the press release for their exhibition. This year they created both a short movie and the following press release

Students at the University of the Highlands & Islands have come together to create an online exhibition featuring items that showcase an aspect of history that fascinates them. Pulling together the passions of students scattered across Scotland from such various places as Orkney, Mull, Edinburgh and the Black Isle, in this exhibit you will find a wide range of objects ranging from a Green Man to teapots, ancient societies and cemeteries, and the captivating stories about their backgrounds. From 15th May 2023 you will be able to view the exhibition from the comfort of your home.   

The exhibitions:  

• The Green Men of St Magnus Cathedral. What is the meaning behind these enigmatic figures, so often found in churches? And what role did they play in ritual protection?  
• Staffordshire flatback pottery: from mass production to collectors' items- a retrospective 
• Ancient Societal Influences: how have the ideas of Rome and Greece influenced our society? Food, currency, movement, design, entertainment.
• Stamps: confronting challenging German family histories through personal collections. 
• Grave memorials at Old Cullicudden Cemetery on the Black Isle: illustrating how the designs changed over the span of 600 years to reflect the change in religious beliefs.
• The history of the teapot: how it has served different cultures over time.
• An active service Royal Navy bible: an essential part of equipment during the Second World War. 
• Face masks: how they have evolved over the years dealing with different illnesses. 
• Shop and drop: telling the story of changing shopping habits and the environmental impact of single-sheet plastic bags. 

You can view this virtual exhibit via this link.

For more information about the module contact Lynn Campbell, lynn.campbell@uhi.ac.uk.