Session Chair: Onno Boonstra, the Netherlands

Generation of virtual models of historical tapial walls in Seville (Spain)
José Antonio Barrera Vera
Escuela Universitaria de Arquitectura Técnica. Departamento Ingeniería Gráfica.
Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

Virtual reality interactive representation of heritage is a very efficient means of dissemination and underlining the importance since it enables visualization in multiple formats via the Internet or on specially established devices available in information centres or exhibitions. This work is presented as an indication of the possibilities of behaviour by applying innovative technology. As an integral part of a more ambitious project, this work consists of the development of a GIS of the tapial walls of the Spanish province of Seville together with links which permit a virtual reality visualization of the most significant indexed elements.

Roman Theatre and Frescoes: Intermedial Research Enabled by Applied Digital Visualisation Technologies
R.C. Beacham and H. Denard
3D Visualisation Group, Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King’s College,UK

This paper provides a brief overview of the authors' current research into connections between Roman theatre, Roman frescoes, and their spatial contexts. It proposes an intermedial research methodology that employs three-dimensional computer visualisation to assist in interpreting the complex interplays of 2D and 3D space in these ancient Roman art forms.

Evaluating Artificial Life-based Vegetation Dynamics in the context of a Virtual Reality Representation of Ancient Landscapes
Eugene Ch’ng, Robert J. Stone, Theodoros N. Arvanitis
Department of Electronic, Electrical & Computer Engineering, School of Engineering
The University of Birmingham, UK

Virtual Reality as applied to heritage representation has become an important technological development in the support of education, site/artefact preservation and investigative research for the 21st century. VR technology, coupled with Artificial Life, an emerging field in science, promises to enhance these areas of endeavour even further by introducing an element of naturalistic dynamics and historical realism into an otherwise “sterile” and unengaging 3D reconstruction. Our evaluation of the merits of introducing Artificial Life-based software of simulated complex adaptive systems (focusing on the generation of plant life) has shown viability in that vegetation dynamics and behaviour can, using additional knowledge from subject matter experts in other scientific fields (geography, geology, archaeology), reproduce a credible historical representation of an ancient landscape, in this case the Mesolithic basin of the North Sea.

Virtual Reality in underwater archaeology: First results on the case study L'Anse des Catalans, Marseille
*Pierre Drap, *Anne Durand, **Remi Provin, ***Luc Long
*Ecole d’Architecture de Marseille, France
**Instituut Géographique National, Saint Mandé, France
***Ministrère de la Culture, Marseille, France

We present the first stage of an interdisciplinary project devoted to the survey and the documentation of underwater archaeological excavation. The case study is the excavation driven by the DRASSM at the beach of the Catalans in Marseille. The excavation and peripheral work are sponsored by the city of Marseille in coordination with DRASSM and 2ASM association (Association Archeologie Sous-Marine). This paper is structured in three parts: The eccentric archaeological context: at 200 meters from the beach, in Marseilles downtown, we found the remain of an ancient Greek city probably due to dredging from the old harbour. Sculpture, architectonic pieces, amphorae, vessel, etc. have been close to beach for centuries and were discoverered only last year by Pierre Giustiniani, president of the 2ASM. The extent of this excavation (on about 500m by 300m) makes it impossible to carry out a simple photogrammetric survey. The survey process was done merging several 3D sources. In this project we use multibeam sonar data to produce bathymetric data and sonar with signal penetration into the seabed. These two acoustic approaches allow to make a seabed map and to locate important architectonic blocs even yet under the seabed. In this area we chose some place to make a standard archaeological excavation with an underwater photogrammetric survey. One of the main objectives of this work is the artefact analysis and documentation. The survey produces two data types : artefacts registration and 3D models used generally as an interface to the archaeological data. We show to what extent virtual models of such underwater environnments is of high interest to archaeologists as well as to a general public. We developed a web-based information system, fully XML (SVG and X3D for the graphic part, and XML for the database) in order to manage the objects, strongly heterogeneous, carried out of the water during this excavation. ISA-PX (for Information System for Archaeology using Photogrammetry and XML) allows archaeologists to update the database on the web with a visual 2D or 3D control of the artefact position in the site. The first results of a campaign led in last fall will soon be available on the website.