The road to Valhalla: can the application of 3D printing technologies benefit the interpretation of museum archaeology?

Museum artefacts are usually kept behind special glass cases for protection and preservation with access confined to experts; essentially creating a barrier between visitor and priceless artefact. However, only well-funded museums have been able to circumvent these barriers through expensive reproductions, reaping benefits that offer visitors the luxury of touch and the advantages of tactile interaction. These include positive developments in attention, spatial awareness, memory, and in some cases, even healing.To date, little attention has been given to new and inexpensive technologies such as three-dimensional printing technologies as generative tools and as vehicles for interpretation. It is possible with application of Three-dimensional printing technologies that this will benefit the conceptual/methodological growth of the museum where it is applied in the discipline of Archaeology: breaking down barriers between the visitor and the artefact in museums.Data for this thesis is obtained through a mixed-methodology of two separate surveys on museum curators, and general visitors at two museums, and an experiment on object handling with three-dimensional replicas. Results of these areas of analyses also include discussions on copyright laws, the ethics of three-dimensional replicas of artefacts for museums, as well as research from psychology on the effects of sensory and haptic interaction in various fields of study. With the consideration of application, accessibility, and interpretation, this thesis expands upon the overlapping benefits that Three-dimensional printing can bring to artefact interaction in a museum.The implications on both the viability and the benefit of haptic interaction for museum object interpretation and sensory reaffirmation suggest its application as a possible new standard for object handling in museums that offer focus on participatory experiences for the general visitor. This thesis, therefore, presents from a functionalist perspective, new strategies on 21st century museology for the display of artefacts through three dimensional replicas as complementary to the exhibits. As a multi-sensory norm in museum exhibition, this will not only encourage greater immersion and interaction by non-specialist visitors, but eliminate barriers to accessibility, while incorporating deeper appreciation for the object, and greater interaction with handle-able replicas, in tandem with developments and application of accessible and affordable technologies across multiple fields