Immersive virtual interactive archaeology teaching laboratory built in Xi'an

China’s first immersive virtual interactive teaching laboratory for archaeology was recently built by the Northwest University headquartered in Xi’an, Shaanxi province in Northwest China, in its campus and put into operation.

A part of the laboratory.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The laboratory was founded with the support of Tang Zhongying Foundation. This is the first archaeological teaching laboratory in domestic universities using VR technology to reproduce archaeological scenes and provide users with immersive and interactive experience.

Archaeology is a discipline that emphasizes the combination of theory and practice. Practice teaching plays a key role. However, the opportunities for students to participate in practical training and go to archaeological sites, museums or sites are relatively limited. The traditional two-dimensional classroom teaching method of assisting pictures and words also makes it difficult for students to get an intuitive experience of the situation.

"In the immersive virtual interactive teaching laboratory of archaeology, we can model the actual data collected from ancient sites and tombs allowing students to experience them personally. This can help students intuitively understand the characteristics of these different types of relics and relics, describe the texts and pictures in the books more vividly, and allow students to gain a more detailed, more intuitive and three-dimensional feeling about them,” said Ma Jian, vice dean of the School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University.

Through virtual reality archaeology teaching system, teachers can vividly explain archaeological or historical knowledge in virtual space without being restricted by time and space. They can also use field archaeological excavation practice scenes for virtual operation and experience on-site archaeology.

In addition, one of the advantages of virtual reality in the application of ancient education is its absolute security, which does not cause damage to cultural relics or even personal safety accidents due to operational errors. "This is a major innovation in the teaching methods, methods and concepts of archaeology,” Ma said.

Xi Tongyuan, the head of the laboratory and a teacher of the School of Cultural Heritage of Northwest University, said that his school planned to introduce the teaching of archaeology, cultural relics protection and other courses into the system, making teaching from plane to three-dimensional, forming a set of virtual teaching materials.

"In fact, not only archaeology, geology, history and other disciplines can also make good use of this method to further enrich teaching means," Xi said.

The laboratory makes full use of the advantages of Northwest University in the fields of archaeology, geographic information and computer science, extracts and condenses the existing technologies and achievements, extensively draws on the latest research results of digital cultural heritage protection at home and abroad, and further improves the level of Northwest University in the field of cultural heritage protection and research.