A Virtual Reality Platform for Analyzing Remote Archaeological Sites

Abstract

This paper describes a virtual reality prototype developed to help archaeologists and other stakeholders explore and analyse archaeological data in a more immersive context. We describe a VR reconstruction of Pleito Cave, a fragile world class rock art site with accessibility limitation. Key stakeholders are identified and a prototype is described that provides a VR platform for visualising and interacting with complex archaeological data (gathered from techniques such as decorrelation stretch and x-ray fluorescence) virtually ‘in situ’, in a way that would not be possible at the real site. The prototype allows multiple remote users to interact with the cave together simultaneously providing opportunities for collaborative interpretation and analysis of archaeological data.