Interdisciplinary Workflow for Virtual Archaeology

Abstract

There is an increasing trend to present cultural heritage with the help of virtual visualisation. It offers a unique level of understanding of the heritage in question. Moreover, depending on the precision of the virtual model, it can be used for scientific research, and it can inspire new ideas and conclusions about the actual looks of the visualised objects. Over the years, companies and institutions have specialized in this field of work, creating new demands on the CG artists of the involved teams, as well as establishing a new kind of archaeological methodology that seeks to research and develop ways of using computer-based visualisation for the comprehensive management of archaeological heritage. However, the interpretation of archaeological datasets and their subsequent transformation into 3D representations of the interpretation usually requires a timeconsuming process of re-evaluation and discussion. Very often, a discrepancy between scientific architectural interpretation that is normally presented in a 2D plane and its realisation in a 3D space occurs, because the 2D representation is not able to show the physical laws of the third dimension. To overcome these difficulties, we propose alternative solutions that lessen the disconnection between the parties. Our software solution enables the archaeologist to perform an interpretative work-flow that places ideas within a customizable 3D environment, therefore resulting in a more direct involvement throughout the reconstructive or representative process. On a broader scale, CGI artists would benefit greatly if they could follow the project evolving and gain a deeper understanding of the specific cultural heritage.