Replica artifacts

Replica artifacts allow people to see and handle “copies” of archaeological artifacts, without having to visit the museums that care for the originals. The IAP  commissioned handmade replicas and 3D prints of selected artifacts from Banks Island. These objects represent a range of tasks and come from different time periods in Banks Island history. There are eight objects from three sites: the Lagoon Site, the Nelson River Site, and De Salis Bay. 
Lagoon Site
The Lagoon Site is a Pre-Dorset site from about 2500 years ago. It is located near the mouth of the Masik River on the south coast of Banks Island. Remains found at the site included hearths (for camp fires) and a possible dwelling. Bones from seals, muskox, caribou, arctic hare and many different birds indicate that the people who lived at the Lagoon site hunted a range of animals in the spring and early summer. A wide range of well preserved tools were found in the permafrost at the site.
Nelson River Site
The Nelson River Site is an 800 year old Thule-Inuit site. It is located near the mouth of Nelson River on the south coast of Banks Island. It is one of the oldest Thule-Inuit sites east of Alaska. Archaeologists uncovered the remains of a driftwood and sod house that was occupied in the winter months, possibly over several winters. Sea mammals were especially important for the occupants of this site. They mostly hunted ringed seal, but also bowhead whales, polar bears and other marine mammals.
De Salis Bay
De Salis Bay is located on southeastern Banks Island. In Inuvialuktun, it is called Kangiqhualuk, which means 'big bay'. There are many camp sites around the bay. In Inuinnait oral histories, it is remembered as a place where groups from Victoria Island travelled to hunt in the 1800s and perhaps earlier. Beginning in the 1920s, Inuvialuit from the mainland and Victoria Island sometimes travelled by schooner to De Salis Bay, where they spent the winter trapping white fox. Several families from the Minto Inlet area on Victoria Island moved to De Salis Bay in the late 1950s where they set up winter camps and trapped. By 1960, most of these families had relocated to Sachs Harbour.

Handmade replicas

Handmade replicas are made using the same materials and similar techniques as the originals. Tim Rast crafted the handmade replicas shown in the photo above – they look and feel almost identical to the originals. Tim is a Canadian archaeologist who specializes in making reproduction artifacts. He blogged about the process of making these replicas on his website: Elfshot. See more photos of his replicas below. Although handmade artifacts are the most realistic, they are time consuming to produce. See more photos of his replicas below.

3D printed artifact replicas

 3D printing is the process of making three-dimensional objects from digital files, such as the 3D models of artifacts shown here. A 3D printer creates prints by building up layer upon layer of material. Different 3D printers use different materials. Depending on the material used, prints can look very similar to the originals, or can mimic their general shape but look quite different. Most prints feel quite different from the originals because they are made of different materials. Our models were created using two different kinds of printers: the Project 660 Pro and the Printbot Jr.
Project 660 Pro
The Project 660 Pro from 3D Systems is a high-end 3D printer housed at the Sustainable Archaeology Facility in London, Ontario. It makes powdered composite 3D prints by applying layers of a composite powder bound together with resin. It starts at the bottom of print and builds upward by adding more layers. It can print in colour, or in white. The video on the left shows the Project 660 Pro printing artifacts from Banks Island.
Printbot Jr.
The Printbot Jr. is a consumer-grade 3D printer that uses melted plastic “string” to make 3D prints. The “string” is fed through the print head, which moves around to form the melted plastic into the shape of the object being printed. It can only print in a single solid colour, though the colour can be changed by using a different colour of “string.” We  used orange filament to print our replicas. Community members often compared them to toys because of the colour and feel of the plastic. The replicas made with the Printbot Jr. are more durable than the fragile replicas made with the Project 660 Pro, and the technology is much less expensive and much easier to use.