The convent, the mortar piece and the building site: An incredible adventure through geology, history and archaeology

The monastery of Saint John at Müstair is an important Medieval monument, part of UNESCO World Heritage since 1983. The convent was the object of study for a multidisciplinary team of experts who collaborated in a SNSF supported project titled “Mortar Technology and Construction History at Müstair Monastery”. The project studied part of 5’000 mortar pieces collected during archaeological investigations at the convent, in order to retrace its construction phases as well as to understand the evolution of building technologies and methods over time. This Agorà project proposal intends to communicate the way the team of experts worked, how they reached their conclusions, by highlighting discussions and margins of uncertainty to show how the interpretation of data can be determined by cultural models. During the development of an interdisciplinary study, the integration of different pieces of information and communication across subject boundaries is not easily achieved. The process through which archaeologists, geologists and historians create their visions of ancient times is characterized by unsolved questions, as it often happens in science. The archaeometric reconstruction of past events and practices is provisional and is influenced by several variables; it is the result of an inductive reasoning rather than of Aristotelian deduction. In this process, different interpretations might be accepted. The multiplication of diagnostic tools and the adoption of the natural sciences’ method in the humanities field (i.e. formulation of hypotheses, publication of data and reviews by the academic community) create controversies, which indeed represent a prerequisite for the advancement of knowledge. Digital technologies can help scientists in making sense of data, exchanging and integrating information, creating meaningful models, as well as communicating the results of their studies to the general public. An interactive exhibition on the construction of the monastery of Müstair will use transmedia storytelling methods to engage the attention of the public. The visitor is guided to discover the journey of a 'humble' mortar piece, which starts in the world of geology, from a marriage between lime and sand, then enters that of technology, passing through the teeth of a mixer, to end up in the world of art, thanks to the creative genius of Medieval architects, artists and artisans, who were able to shape magnificent buildings. Reconstructing this complex story is not easy, like completing a puzzle with missing pieces. The researchers' interpretation fills in the gaps: this Agorà project aims exactly at communicating how such ‘gaps’ are filled in. Different communication methods are combined, leveraging on the visualization and reconstruction affordances given by digital technologies. Scientists’ work is explained by their own voice through short videos, where controversies are represented in the form of discussions. Quiz-style activities follow each video, challenging visitors to participate in the conversation. Augmented reality applications allow to see 3D reconstructions of the medieval building site and make the past relive, while a digital installation facilitates an immersive experience in the history of the convent, giving visitors the possibility to ‘navigate’ across time periods using body gestures. The exhibition is intended to be itinerant, starting in Müstair, being displayed at the Bellinzona Castles as a second stop and then remaining available to be hosted by whichever cultural site or organization in Switzerland. Two main audiences are foreseen: tourists, who are able to access the stand-alone exhibition; and secondary and high-school students, who are accompanied by a guide and participate in hands-on workshops, organized by the hosting museum. On special occasions, during the exhibition period, visitors also have the opportunity to meet scientists in person and engage in a dialogue with them. The materials developed for the interactive exhibition are collected in a dedicated website, so to ensure access and sustainability over time. In addition, materials prepared for the local hands-on workshops are left to the hosting museum to be reused for educational purposes.