Defying the British Museum to scan the Parthenon Marbles

They asked for permission. Permission was denied... but they did it anyway. That’s the predicament that Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Digital Archaeology, Roger Michel, and Director of Technology, Alexy Karenowska found themselves in during 2022. Believing strongly that the British Museum didn’t have the right to deny their request to scan the Parthenon Marbles, both Roger and Alexy hatched a plan to scan the Marbles anyway, using only smartphones and iPads, and in full view of Museum staff. Not only did they manage to do it, the resulting copy of the Selene Horse in Pentelic Marble is an incredible example of what can be done by digital archaeologists, and the challenges it poses to traditional museums, committed to maintaining their collections. Roger and Alexy join Tom and Nick to re-tell the story, and discuss the 200+ year dispute between the UK and Greece, including the loud calls for the restitution of the Marbles to Athens.