In a project spearheaded by Somerset County Museums Service, an interactive and searchable digital archive system for users of all ages has been created via the World Wide Web. The interface for the web site allows objects and themes to be searched in traditional ways, like using google.com, or by time, place or person.

But the search is not only text based: objects can be linked to hotspots so that at a glance the viewer is able to locate a find by zooming in on maps both modern and old.

The Somerset Time Line scheme allows young and old alike to access a wealth of objects, such as ancient documents, maps, paintings, and items from exhibitions, so they can learn more about the county's fascinating history. With the help of new technology visitors to the web site are able to carry out virtual tours of places of interest as if they are really there and zoom in and out of digital objects inspecting them much closer than they would be able to even if they visited the museum.

This is only possible by the digitisation of real objects into virtual ones by the use of extremely high-resolution cameras and scanners allowing great detail to be viewed on the web site, which utilises Geographic Information System GIS software in a new and fun way.

Over 5,000 digital objects are online.

The website also allows visitors to take a 'virtual tour' through collections from the County Museums Service, Blake Museum, Glastonbury Abbey and Somerset Record Office as well as visit places of interest such as Glastonbury Abbey, the Peat Moors Visitor Centre at Shapwick and Somerset Rural Life Museum.

And there are also maps, images, and objects as well as interactive themed multi-media journeys to ensure your visit is an engaging and fun voyage of discovery.

Somerset Time Line brings together historical, archaeological and architectural treasures, which are normally distributed across the county, onto a single accessible website to help visitors learn more about the rich culture of the county. Some of the County's leading experts have helped to create digital collections and text to bring the site to life.

The website focuses initially on three main themes: the Monmouth Rebellion which resulted in the last full-scale battle fought on English soil; Historical Glastonbury, a fascinating town of national and international interest and the mark left by the Romans in Somerset.

Somerset Time Line is a dynamic digitization project funded by the Big Lottery Fund, a government scheme to make the nation's heritage available via the World Wide Web, and is being lead by Somerset County Museums Service in conjunction with Architectural & Historic Heritage Service, Archives & Records Service, Education Service, Libraries, Arts and Information Service, Victoria County History, Glastonbury Abbey and Blake Museum, Bridgwater.

For further information contact:
Tom Mayberry, Head of Heritage Service
Tel: 01823 320200
Email: tmayberry@somerset.gov.uk
WWW: http://www.somersettimeline.org.uk