Virtual heritage or cultural heritage and technology is the body of works dealing with
information and communication technologies and their application to
cultural heritage, such as ''virtual
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...
''. It aims to restore ancient cultures as real (virtual) environments where users can immerse.
Virtual heritage and cultural heritage have independent meanings: ''cultural heritage'' refers to sites, monuments, buildings and objects "with historical, aesthetic, archaeological, scientific, ethnological or anthropological value", whereas ''virtual heritage'' refers to instances of these within a technological domain, usually involving
computer visualization of artefacts or
virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...
environments.
First use
The first use of virtual heritage as a museum exhibit, and the derivation of the name
virtual tour
A virtual tour is a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of videos, still images or 360-degree images. It may also use other multimedia elements such as sound effects, music, narration, text and floor map. It is dis ...
, was in 1994 as a museum visitor interpretation, providing a 'walk-through' of a
3D reconstruction of
Dudley Castle
Dudley Castle is a ruined fortification in the town of Dudley, West Midlands, England. Originally a wooden motte and bailey castle built soon after the Norman Conquest, it was rebuilt as a stone fortification during the twelfth century but su ...
in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
as it was in 1550.
This consisted of a computer controlled laserdisc based system designed by British-based engineer Colin Johnson. It is a little-known fact that one of the first users of virtual heritage was Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
, when she officially opened the visitor centre in June 1994.
Because the Queen's officials had requested titles, descriptions and instructions of all activities, the system was named 'Virtual Tour', being a cross between
virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...
and royal tour.
Projects
One technology that is frequently employed in virtual heritage applications is
augmented reality (AR), which is used to provide on-site reconstructions of archaeological sites or artefacts. An example is the
lifeClipper project, a Swiss commercial tourism and mixed reality urban heritage project.
Using HMD technology, users walking the streets of
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
can see cultured AR video characters and objects as well as oddly-shaped stencils.
Many virtual heritage projects focus on the tangible aspects of cultural heritage, for example
3D modelling
In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based representation of any surface of an object (inanimate or living) in three dimensions via specialized software by manipulating edges, vertices, an ...
,
graphics and
animation. In doing so, they often overlook the intangible aspects of cultural heritage associated with objects and sites, such as stories, performances and dances. The tangible aspects of cultural heritage are not inseparable from the intangible and one method for combining them is the use of virtual heritage
serious game
A serious game or applied game is a game designed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment. The "serious" adjective is generally prepended to refer to video games used by industries like defense, education, scientific exploration, he ...
s, such as the 'Digital Songlines' and 'Virtual Songlines' which modified computer game technology to preserve, protect and present the
cultural heritage of
Aboriginal Australian Peoples. There have been numerous applications of digital models being used to engage the public and encourage involvement in built heritage activities and discourse.
Place-Hampi is another example of a virtual heritage project. It applies co-evolutionary systems to show a cultural presence using
stereoscopic rendering of the landscape of
Hampi
Hampi or Hampe, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Hampi town, Vijayanagara district, east-central Karnataka, India.
Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th&n ...
landscape, a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
in
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
, India.
See also
*
CyArk
CyArk (from "cyber archive") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Oakland, California, United States founded in 2003. CyArk's mission is to "digitally record, archive and share the world's most significant cultural heritage and ensure ...
*
Computational archaeology
Computational archaeology describes computer-based analytical methods for the study of long-term human behaviour and behavioural evolution. As with other sub-disciplines that have prefixed 'computational' to their name (e.g., computational biol ...
*
Digital heritage
References
Further reading
* Michael Falser, Monica Juneja (eds.). Archaeologizing' Heritage? Transcultural Entanglements between Local Social Practices and Global Virtual Realities''. Heidelberg, New York: Springer (2013), .
External links
* {{TED talk , ben_kacyra_ancient_wonders_captured_in_3d , Ben Kacyra: Ancient wonders captured in 3D
Cultural heritage
Virtual reality
Digital humanities