Bringing Sound into the Picture: Experiencing Ancient Maya Landscapes with GIS & 3D Modeling
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2019-11-19

For the past few decades, researchers have been applying Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to examine the roles of visibility and movement in archaeological landscapes. However, few studies have investigated the role sound potentially played in structuring experience in ancient landscapes. To begin to fill this gap, this paper builds on our initial investigations into Sensory GIS to develop new geospatial and virtual reality (VR) methods to examine ancient acoustics in conjunction with vision. For the ancient Maya, sight and sound worked in concert to create synesthetic experiences that influenced daily life and shaped society. To explore this sensory interaction, we apply a combination of GIS modeling: viewshed analysis, soundshed analysis, and an Urban Digital Elevation Model (Urban DEM) generated from airborne LiDAR and 3D modeling data. This approach provides an opportunity to perform computational analysis on a simulated ancient landscape rather than the contemporary landscape. To allow a deeper engagement with Copan's past landscape, we then use these GIS-derived computational data to design a VR experience that combines sound and vision.

(Graham Goodwin, Heather Richards-Rissetto, Kristy Primeau, David Witt)