Museum 3D - A virtual exhibition space as a DigiLab for museums and teaching
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Digital technologies play a central role in both research and knowledge dissemination. They are used not only to develop tools for discovery, interpretation, and communication, but also to facilitate interactive forms of engagement. At the core of Virtual Archaeology lies 3D modelling, which enables archaeological objects to be studied and experienced as cultural artefacts within their original spatial, temporal, and three-dimensional contexts. Three-dimensional visualisations of objects and artefacts can therefore be employed in a wide range of teaching environments and museum settings. They allow students to examine and analyse objects from all perspectives within a digital environment, including artefacts that, for conservation reasons, require special storage and handling conditions. Fragmentary or incomplete objects can be virtually reconstructed, while artefacts may be recontextualised within their original architectural or installation settings. Digital visualisation also makes it possible to juxtapose different categories of objects and analyse them in direct comparison. As part of the project, a virtual exhibition space was developed as an experimental laboratory for training in object handling, method-oriented and interdisciplinary teaching formats, and the creation of student-curated exhibitions. Contact: Dr. Michaela Stark and Dr. Claudia Schmieder |
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As a learning environment, a virtual museum space not only provides an immersive experience that enables practical and exploratory engagement with often fragile objects from museum collections, but also offers a platform for developing essential skills in object-based research and museum education. Within virtual reality environments, a variety of scenarios can be created that integrate comparative observation and the spatial experience of objects into both teaching and outreach activities. Careful visual observation and the comparative analysis of objects—together with precise description—are fundamental components of archaeological interpretation. These practices provide insights into the chronological, geographical, and semantic contexts of an object and constitute core skills that students in visually oriented disciplines must acquire. A virtual learning environment creates ideal conditions for engaging with archaeological objects on multiple levels. As part of a course planned for the summer semester of 2023, students will develop tutorials and immersive learning modules designed to introduce first-year students to the principles of visual analysis as well as to the handling and interpretation of artefacts. This approach is particularly valuable in introductory modules, where students are required to acquire a substantial body of foundational knowledge alongside unfamiliar scholarly methods. By introducing essential methodological skills in an interactive and accessible way, the project aims to facilitate students’ transition into academic study and support their long-term learning process. In addition, the virtual exhibition space functions as an experimental laboratory that offers numerous opportunities for practical training in museum and cultural heritage education.
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You can currently explore three themes that students have designed in a class: Temple, Tomb and Roman House. You can access the project via this link: https://next.hessenbox.de/index.php/s/RaRPYAAyTBqFANz
Information on the content and use is available here. We hope you enjoy your journey into antiquity! Please note: The link will direct you to HessenBox, where you can download Museum 3D as a ZIP file. After downloading and extracting the ZIP archive, open the folder and run the file “Museum_Darstellung”. Depending on your system settings, Windows may display a security warning indicating that running the application could pose a risk to your PC. This warning appears because the application is not digitally signed. If you trust the source of the download, you may proceed and run the application. Updating your graphics driver is not required to run the programme and this step may be skipped.
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