Virtual and Rebuilt Experiences

[JGolomb]

When I first joined UNRV, I posted a question about why some of the treasures of the Roman Forum weren't rebuilt nearby to give visitors an immersive experience in addition to the experience of ruins. I receive some terrificially erudite responses, the one that stuck the most was the inevitable academic disagreement over what a building or location should actually look like.

 

At any rate, I came across this interesting article espousing the idea of live virtual experiences (in the real world as well as online).

 

Enter the Anti-museum: Why Virtual Experiences Lead to Better Learning

[caldrail]

It's occured to me that an immersive experience is a wonderful sensation, but not necessarily educational. The significance of the 'rebuilt' Arbeia for instance is rather less than it first appears. By itself, it's interesting, but to fully learn what it meant also requires a good understaning of the implications.

 

Look at it like this. If I visit a kitchen, it may be decorated in different colours and have different implements hanging on the wall, but only if I know how to cook does that assume any meaning. The immersion is limited by our own experience, and also our awareness of alternatives. Can a small child really conceive of what life was like for the Romano-British, purely on the basis of visiting that reconstructed barracks? I seriously doubt it. It might provoke a sense of wonder in some of them, but the actual learning is what they read or are told, and that in most cases is hidebound by relative ignorance and custom.

 

My appreciation of the site comes from what I understand about Roman times, about the harshness of a northern climate (less harsh in those days!), and from observing poverty in the world around me. On its own the site is a curiosity, and basing your understanding on it is to construct a world view from the visit of a house. It really is that limited. The Romans didn't just live in one place, they occupied a island. More than that, they occupied an entire empire from Italy. What can we learn from reconstructed sites?

 

My feeling is that such facilities do have value but we must be realistic about it. Reading a single book does not describe the genre.

[JGolomb]

Caldrail - all good points.

 

However...

 

Looking at the ruins in the Forum, for example, versus looking at the ruins and walking into a rebuilt full scale model of what one of the ruins might have been (with appropriate commentary and signage throughout) is an enhancement to the experience, no?

 

J

[Maladict]

might have been

 

As long as due consideration is given to this bit, then yes.

[Melvadius]

In Britain we have a number of historic sites which have had some elements recreated but the method used varies considerably.

 

Vindolanda have constructed sections of both turf and stone defensive walls as well as representations of a small temple and domestic buildings - all have been positioned on parts of the site only after the areas concerned have been fully excavated.

 

A number of reconstructions have been m ade along the wall including Arbeia again only after areasd have been excavated.

 

In London because of its size and location - buried below the modern street level a section of the arena in open to visitors with elements recreated by 'holograms' and lines in the floor rather than full size reconstruction.

 

The problem with any attempted reconstruction, as has already been indicated, is our (or the creators) conception of what the past looked and to varying degrees smelled or tasted like. Some 'Dark Rides' have been created and attempt to get over this aspect by wafting smells and sounds through an enclsoed area as visitors are transported on a ride through recreated buildings sometimes built on the location of archaeological finds (not Roman but c/f Yorvik experience).

 

One major consideration is what if the 'reconstruction' gets it wrong and has destroyed the archaeology. You just have to consider Mussolini's numerous rebuilding of Roman remains in many cases putting the 'currently' fashionable interpretation of what 'should' have been there rather than sticking stricltly to what could be 'proved' by archaeology.

 

Against this several times I have been involved in discussions on the merits or demerits of a particular archaeological interpretation where numerous caveats are raised by one party or another to one or other of the theories being discussed so there is no universal answer to when or if reconstructions should be attempted.

 

Ultimately it comes down to costs involved, availability of the location, whether a suitable area can be created without the intrusion of 'modern' distractions (think of site lines across Rome for instance), how important arcaheologically (or otherwise) it is to keep a site in an unreconstructed state and the extent of benefit which may be derived from creating such an 'attraction'/ recreation.

[Nephele]

JGolomb, I noticed in that article you linked that the author goes on to talk about experiencing the virtual reality of SPQR in Second Life. Has anyone here participated in SPQR?

 

I've never really looked into Second Life -- the first time I even heard of it was from watching an episode of The Office (Dwight Schrute has a superhero alter ego in Second Life).

 

The Roman theme of Second Life's SPQR sounds interesting, but I'd like to know if anyone here has tried it and found it entertaining (if not exactly edifying).

 

-- Nephele

[caesar novus]

Maybe not the ideal topic to plunk this in, but I don't fully understand this announcement about Pompeii and google streets view anyway:

http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/export/M..._272501365.html

 

http://maps.google.it/maps?f=q&source=...,245.17,,0,2.38

[JGolomb]

Maybe not the ideal topic to plunk this in, but I don't fully understand this announcement about Pompeii and google streets view anyway:

http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/export/M..._272501365.html

 

http://maps.google.it/maps?f=q&source=...,245.17,,0,2.38

 

Well, I couldn't read the Italian, but an announcement was made about this a few weeks ago. Google streetview has started to go "off road" into some historic sites...very up close and personal. Most of the street view is traditional city and town roads. Check out Stonehenge (drag the little icon of the dude into the rocks). It's closer that you can get even when you're there.

[JGolomb]

JGolomb, I noticed in that article you linked that the author goes on to talk about experiencing the virtual reality of SPQR in Second Life. Has anyone here participated in SPQR?

 

I've never really looked into Second Life -- the first time I even heard of it was from watching an episode of The Office (Dwight Schrute has a superhero alter ego in Second Life).

 

The Roman theme of Second Life's SPQR sounds interesting, but I'd like to know if anyone here has tried it and found it entertaining (if not exactly edifying).

 

-- Nephele

 

Neph - Second City was hot about two years ago. I'm pretty sure it's popularity has either stabilized or dropped.

 

National Geographic looked very very hard at creating a virtual world to explore, but (rightfully, in my opinion), we opted to stay away from the rather pricey proposition.

 

I don't play in virtual worlds, but I understand their appeal. Check out youtube and you can see some flyovers of the Second Life SPQR environment. I wasn't all that impressed.