ANCIENT GONE DIGITAL : Visualization technologies like the CAVE , or “ cave automated virtual environment ,” developed at UC San Diego ’ s Qualcomm Institute , allow for virtual immersion into an archaeological site as it was excavated , from start to finish . The CAVE is made from 70 4K flat panel displays with a top and bottom inward tilt to create a spherelike appearance . Put on a pair of 3-D glasses and grab a controller , and you can explore at-risk sites in Egypt , Greece , Turkey and more without ever leaving campus . The data is available for researchers at other institutions to explore as well . Here , Levy stands in a recreation of the Temple of Apollo at the site of ancient Corinth in Greece ' s Aegean region .
LEVY , WHO HAS BEEN INTERESTED in the possibilities of digital archaeology since computers relied on Fortran cards , is on the leading edge of his field thanks in part to data collection and visualization tools developed at UC San Diego ’ s Qualcomm Institute , where he heads the Center for Cyber-Archaeology and Sustainability . Digital tools allow for exploration in ways not possible before . At Khirbat en-Nahas , for example , Levy ’ s team has been able to capture a wealth of data about the site with GPS , ground-penetrating radar , LiDAR laser scanning , aerial drones and even rapid 3-D scanning by helium balloon .
These new types of recording equipment and analytical methods not only enable greater precision , Levy says , but also bring an invaluable level of objectivity to the field . “ It ’ s especially important when the archaeological record grapples with sacred texts — whether the Bible , the Mahabharata in India or the Sagas of Iceland ,” says Levy . “ These are arenas of fierce ideological and cultural debates , where an objective , dispassionate methodology really helps .” For example , instead of relying on sketches of the dig site and uncovered artifacts , which can be prone to human error , Levy and his team gather multilayered data in the field , which are later rendered with custom-designed software and visualized in 3-D virtual reality .
Digital documentation also helps to preserve at-risk sites , at least virtually , at a time when wars and looting , pollution and climate change are threatening or destroying monuments like never before . Levy works closely with the UC San Diego Library , which he believes can serve as a model for digital data curation , enabling collaboration at research universities around the world , and in his view , diplomacy , too .
The preservation of the past for future generations is critical for Levy , and not just for his own two sons , Ben and Gil , but also for the legions of UC San Diego students who have joined him on almost all of his field projects . “ Working with students is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my job ,” says Levy .
And students , it seems , are as excited about the possibilities of technology in archaeology as Levy is . In April 2017 , the student-run Virtual Reality Club partnered with the center for the first cyber-archaeology hackathon , challenging participants to create an engaging virtual reality experience of at-risk ruins . Students were given access to raw data from several UC San Diego excavation sites in Jordan , Greece and Guatemala , including 3-D models , thousands of photographs and laser scans . They then had a weekend to weave the data into something that would help draw more people to the sites ’ stories and lessons .
“ Virtual reality is a multidisciplinary field , and a great medium for preserving the past ,” says computer science major Connor Smith , president of the Virtual Reality Club and the event ’ s organizer .
The winning project — produced by a team that included students majoring in cognitive science , religion and computer science — ended up being a re-creation of the Iron Age mines at Khirbat en-Nahas , immersing people in the site and letting them take part in the different stages of copper production at the time .
Levy is pleased by this . It assures him that some of his preservation goals for the Jordanian site are on track . It also makes for a nice arc to his own story , a little bit like a Hollywood ending .
34 TRITON | SPRING 2018