Where imagination fails: New possibilities of presenting the unexcavated
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2018-12-20

Italian “cultural heritage” legislation identifies valorisation of sites as one of the pillars of archaeological research. This results in the rising importance of creating proficient public archaeology plans that will engage the public on a multitude of levels. The Aeclanum excavation, which was born from a partnership between the University of Edinburgh and the Apolline Project, recognises the necessity of including and engaging the public in its newest discoveries. A major part of the ancient town remains unexcavated, however, there is a large amount of new data on the site obtained from a vast geophysical survey carried out over the last two years. Results from this survey are difficult to communicate to the public, but new technology can dramatically improve this situation by employing GPS-based augmented reality. The aim is to create a series of 3D reconstructive models based on the geophysical results. These models will then be input into a system that will allow the public access to these models, when triggered by GPS coordinates or by detecting a predefined image. In this way the visitors will be able to see a rough interpretation and volume of structures on the spot where they used to stand. All of this will offset the need for further extensive excavations that could put the archaeological remains at the risk of deterioration.

Josef Souček, Lucia Michielin