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Developments at Avebury
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Resonox
604 posts

Re: Developments at Avebury
Feb 17, 2011, 10:45
Littlestone wrote:
There was a sculpture exhibition at the British Museum some years ago called Please Touch. In a world where we’re so often told not to touch this was a refreshing change... the exhibition was principally for the visually impaired.

The BM is very "anti-touching"...usually as a preservation for the artefacts....but on a school trip(as an assistant..not a pupil) some years back....students were often told off for leaning against exhibit cases.
I one of the ancient Greek statue rooms...the surly curator was like a stuck recording just intoning over and over "Don't touch!"...without any explanation.....so I gathered my group to explain the damage that touching, even lightly, can inflict on these marbles./..so I got them to do a little experiment(I even got Mizz Surly Curator to join in...you can try it yourself....and use it to impress young relatives...)
Lick the back of your hand.
Wave it about a bit till it dries naturally.
Then smell the dried area.
It doesn't smell nice(and no-one is immune)...

It's due to various bacteria on the skin and in saliva interacting...but just mention to kids it's "Horrible germs and that these germs can damage old statues"...and hey presto...a highly effective deterrent...with the "yuk" factor that youngsters appreciate.
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