Prototype of virtual reality and CAVE installation for transdisciplinary archeology

Archaeological excavation, interpretation, and dis-semination benefit on imaging for the several tasks at hand. However, these aspects are usually tackled in diverse and disconnected methods by the interdisciplinary teams that compose an archaeological project. This paper describes the methodological approach carried out by the BeArchaeo project in the realization of the BeA-ViR system, a virtual reality installation for an archaeological investigation on the Kofun era in Japan, also in connection with adjacent periods. The system is deployed into several devices and, in particular, here we focus on the CAVE installation, where abstract and physical metaphors are merged to provide access to heterogenous materials and provide a global view on the transdisciplinary investigations concerning archaeology at large.

I. Introduction

Imaging, coupled with virtual reality techniques, is very attractive for the archaeological domain. On the one hand, photogrammetry and laser scanning support the recording of the archaeological sites during the destructive processes of excavation as well as the recording of the artifacts encountered and subsequently analysed for conservation and restoration purposes [1] On the other hand, 3D models are embedded into VR systems for mainly dissemination purposes, though a number of tools have been appearing for research communication between archaeologists, because of their capabilities of immersive interactive visualization of the archaeological data [2].