Analysing the use of light and space in Neolithic Malta through the use of custom Unity3D scripting
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2018-12-15

Gaming software can offer many advantages to archaeologists. Game engines like Unity3D provide simple structures and interfaces that can enhance archaeological analysis, often combined with scripting software that allows for the creation of custom built investigative tools. The flexibility of Unity3D is ideal to simulate virtual environments and answer specific research questions. However, the application of gaming software in archaeology is fairly recent, and more work has to be done in assessing the advantages and risks of this methodology.

The focus of this paper is to present examples of gaming software analysis carried out at sites in the Neolithic Maltese landscape. The Ggantija temples and the Xaghra Brochtorff Circle funerary complex are reconstructed in Google Sketchup and imported into Unity3D. Solar alignment at Ggantija is tested using a custom script that calculates solar position throughout the year, demonstrating an intentional positioning of the temples to align with the winter solstice. At the Brochtorff Circle, a tailor-made viewshed script simulates the use of megalithic screens to control sight and lighting within the cave system. These results highlight the similarities between hypogea and temples, providing further insight into the use of light and space in Maltese ritual.

The Maltese examples also show the potential of using game engines in archaeological analysis. The ability to customise software to answer specific questions, and the possibility to explore virtual reconstructed environments are amongst the benefits. On the other hand, issues with inaccuracies and inaccessibility of resources can cause problems for the dissemination of research.

Robert Peter Barratt