Immersive Archaeology

We propose a system which integrates a high-fidelity immersive virtual environment based on ground-truth 3D scanning data from archaeological sites augmented with ethnohistoric data in the form of archival records, photos, models of artifacts, prior publications and reports, etc. for in virtuo analysis of corroborating evidence and the results of fieldwork. The post-excavation analysis phase is typically the most time-consuming aspect of the archaeology process. The proposed Immersive Archaeology System would primarily contribute to this post-excavation phase, connecting to and drawing together potentially relevant ethnohistoric data from archival stores that can be rapidly identified and presented to the archaeologist for analysis and interpretation of a site and its artifacts. This in turn could enable more reflexive archaeological practices wherein both field- and lab-based scientists are in close and regular collaboration via the immersive environment. Additional benefits of the adoption a system could include the development of curated virtual environments that could be employed in K-20 learning environments to engage learners in the analytical component of archaeology.