science

Virtual archaeology

Virtual archaeology is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Virtual archaeology rather than just read about it. In short: Virtual archaeology is a subfield of digital archeology that creates and use virtual models and simulations of archaeological sites, artifacts, and processes. It makes use of 3D modeling, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other technologies to recreate or visualize archaeological findings.

Key takeaways

Virtual archaeology belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Virtual archaeology to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Virtual archaeology from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Virtual archaeology is a subfield of digital archeology that creates and use virtual models and simulations of archaeological sites, artifacts, and processes. It makes use of 3D modeling, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other technologies to recreate or visualize archaeological findings.

Etymology It is a term introduced in 1990 by archaeologist and computer scientist Paul Reilly to describe the use of computer based simulations of archaeological excavations. Since that time, scientific results related to virtual archaeology were annually discussed, among others, at Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA). The keyword "visualization" defined the aim of the virtual archaeology in the London Charter Initiative:

It should be made clear to users what a computer-based visualization seeks to represent, for example the existing state, an evidence-based restoration or an hypothetical reconstruction of a cultural heritage object or site, and the extent and nature of any factual uncertainty. Since its introduction, the focus of the term has been extended to explore methods that increase the visibility and accessibility of archaeology. Today it serves as an integration paradigm that allows many modern three-dimensional datasets to be analysed together, taking account preliminary reconstructions of archaeological sites and guiding further investigations, for example through archaeological prospection, historical research or excavation. In this iterative and incremental process, the interpretation and virtual representation of results is only one, albeit important, outcome. Consequently, by using 3D printing technologies, results may even be created as physical reality. Such a development was discussed at the first international conference on virtual archaeology, organized by the Department of Eastern Europe and Siberian Archaeology of the State Hermitage Museum, which took place in Saint Petersburg in 2012. A second meeting was held at the State Hermitage Museum in 2015, resulting in a new edited volume, and then in 2018. Next meeting with motto "Revealing the Past, Enriching the Present and Shaping the Future Languages in 2021 was transferred to the Siberian Federal University in Krasnoyarsk.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Virtual archaeology

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Virtual archaeology claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Virtual archaeology before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Virtual archaeology ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Virtual archaeology

In research: Virtual archaeology appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Virtual archaeology in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Virtual archaeology is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Archaeological terminology, Methods in archaeology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Virtual archaeology outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Virtual archaeology in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Virtual archaeology means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Virtual archaeology out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Virtual archaeology in simple terms?

Why does Virtual archaeology matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Virtual archaeology?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Virtual archaeology.