Museologist Vinod Daniel on how the past can have a better future

Machines are helping rewrite our history, peering into the ancient past with greater accuracy. There are robots exploring sea beds in search of lost cities, light-detection radar creating maps of ruins hidden beneath forests, and 3D modelling techniques that are helping conserve ancient temples. But it is not enough for technology to march forward. “We have the tools and the scientific knowledge, but we’re struggling to apply them to questions about our past,” says museologist Vinod Daniel, 60, member of the Board of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and chair of AusHeritage, a network of cultural heritage management organisations established by the Australian government. Daniel talks to HT Wknd’s Anesha George on staying up to date with global conservation projects and using new-age tools to make ancient history accessible to all.