IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO EXPLORE THE CYRENE TREASURY AT DELPHI

Abstract

The Ashes2Art project, an interdisciplinary undergraduate seminar offered every spring at Coastal Carolina University, has developed digital 3D models and other webbased resources related to the ancient site of Delphi, Greece since 2007. In 2012, the focus was on an archaeometric reconstruction of the 4th century Cyrene Treasury in the Sanctuary of Apollo. The following year the program expanded to explore the development of a comprehensive platform for synthesizing and integrating these disparate sources through an enhanced immersive landscape that leverages geospatial information, state-of-the-art consumer graphics, and gesture-based and audio navigation and interaction. A prototype for this natural user interface driven interactive platform was recently developed by students and faculty in the Ashes2Art program, utilizing a student-constructed 3D digital model of the Cyrene Treasury at Delphi as a test case. Using a virtual reconstruction of the Delphi landscape as a jumping-off point, users can explore the 4th century BCE site and its reconstructed monuments and cultural features. As a user approaches individual models, options allow them to explore the interiors and access interactive features to delve further into related media, scholarly primary and secondary sources, and additional high-detail models. The platform's natural user interfaces also allows for multiple users to interact with the platform simultaneously, allowing for instructor-student interaction and collaboration.