Virtual Museums
Underwater cultural heritage sites, such as shipwrecks, offer great opportunities for archeologists. However, these sites cannot be visited easily by the public, and are often endangered by activities such as deep trawling. Virtual imagery allows us to explore those shipwrecks without getting wet, and preserve digitally endangered sites for future research.
Here you can find a compilation of some examples of virtual reality, photogrammetry, 3D tours, 2D shipwrecks, video reconstruction, etc. With which you can approach from the comfort of your computer to the underwater archeology.
Bermudas 100 project, Bermudas
The Bermuda 100 Challenge aims to document 100 or more historic shipwrecks and distinct natural habitats in the waters surrounding Bermuda in order to enhance conservation efforts and open the sites to both real and ‘virtual’ tourism from interested students, researchers and travelers from around the world
In 2004, the project goals were build accurate and detailed 3D computer models of the excavated artifacts, build accurate and precise 3D computer models of the surviving timbers of the ship, build an accurate and precise virtual re-creation of the ship and its cargo and test various scenarios to establish the most likely methods whereby the ancient mariners could have secured their contents from breakage under conditions of voyage.
The Pavlopetri Project started in 2009 and finalized in 2014. The project permitted the study of the history and development of the submerged ancient town of Pavlopetri in southern Laconia, Greece. The data extracted from the excavation was used in collaboration with the BBC to create reconstructions of the site for the forthcoming BBC/Discovery Channel documentary.
Rendering from a virtual re-creation of the Tantura B shipwreck and a photograph of the remains.The project shows the virtual shipwreck, interactive plan, and linked database information © 2003 Institute for the Visualization of History, Inc.
Virtual Open-Air Museum of Wrecks in the Gulf of Gdańsk, Poland
This website with 3D models of wrecks from the Gulf of Gdańsk, accompanied with their descriptions, constitutes one of the achievements of the project, opened in 2015. The models represent careful copies of an actual appearance of the wrecks lying on the bottom of the Gulf of Gdańsk.
3D Reconstruction of the HMS Anne, United Kingdom
3D video tour about the process of building the HMS Anne. Viewers can use 3D glasses to watch the video and have a realistic and direct experience.
Scapa Flow Historic Wreck Site, United Kingdom
Orkney has a unique underwater environment, from vast battleships resting in the heart of Scapa Flow, to smaller blockships dotted along the rugged coastline. There is a real poignancy to seeing the wrecks on the seafloor of the Flow, an area that is teeming with a history that spans the centuries and encompasses both grievous losses and magnificent victories. For non-divers, these pages give the opportunity to experience the wrecks from afar – and without the need to don a drysuit.
German Destroyer V82 3D, United Kingdom
Of the two destroyer wrecks in Portsmouth Harbour identified by the Maritime Archaeology Trust in 2016, the eastern wreck of V82 is the more visible. The site was recorded on April 6th 2016 as part of the HLF Forgotten Wrecks of the First World War project by the Maritime Archaeology Trust.
Thunder Bay 3D shipwrecks tour, United States
Explore the Shipwrecks Beneath the Waters of Lake Huron and take a virtual dive using our interactive 3D wreck tours. The shipwrecks of Thunder Bay constitute a microcosm of Great Lakes commercial shipping industry spanning the last two hundred years. The collection reflects transitions in ship architecture and construction, from wooden schooners to early steel-hulled steamers, and several unusual vessel types
divemagazine.co.uk/travel/7836-the-thistlegorm-project
The Thistlegorm Project aims to raise awareness of the rich underwater cultural heritage of the Red Sea. The project is a collaboration between the University of Nottingham, Ain Shams (Cairo) and Alexandria University, who are using 3D and virtual reality technologies to provide greater access to various submerged sites within the region. The SS Thistlegorm was chosen to represent the project due to its wide recognition within the diving community. By providing access to a site previously only accessible to divers; public awareness of underwater heritage in Egypt may be increased regionally and internationally; and further conservation and preservation of said heritage may be achieved.
