Challenges and Possibilities of Archaeological Sites Virtual Tours: The Ulaca Oppidum (Central Spain) as a Case Study

Abstract

This research presents a virtual tour performed on the oppidum of Ulaca, one of the most relevant archaeological sites of the Iberian Peninsula during the Late Iron Age (ca. 400–50 BC). Beyond the clear benefits of the tool to the interpretation, dissemination, and knowledge of the mentioned archaeological site and its surroundings, the novelty of this research is the implementation of the platform in alternative scenarios and purposes. In this way, the present work verifies how the access to multi-source and spatially geolocated information in the same tool (working as a geospatial database) allows the promotion of cross-sectional investigations in which different specialists intervene. This peculiarity is also considered useful to promote tourism with an interest beyond the purely historical/archaeological side. Likewise, the possibility of storing and managing a large amount of information in different formats facilitates the investigation in the contexts of excavations and archaeological or environmental works. In this sense, the use of this kind of tool for the study of cultural landscapes is especially novel. In order to better contextualize the potential of the virtual tour presented here, an analysis about the challenges and possibilities of implementing this tool in environments such as the Ulaca oppidum is performed. The selected site stands out for: (i) being in a unique geological, environmental and ecological context, allowing us to appreciate how human beings have modified the landscape over time; (ii) presenting numerous visible archaeological remains with certain conservation problems; and (iii) not having easy access for visitors.

A Geomatic Approach to the Preservation and 3D Communication of Urban Cultural Heritage for the History of the City: The Journey of Napoleon in Venice

“…The virtual tour gives you the ability to shift between spherical images at different viewing points and allows you to make a real virtual visit, exploring the environments reproduced in their entirety, thanks to this immersive digital tool, which was created by interconnecting a series of spherical images obtained from the digital model [62]. This virtual space, which can be accessed via an internet connection, allows you to incorporate other multimedia elements into the spherical images, as well as gather information about the sources used to create them and the objects represented.…”

“…These images, which are displayed in a spherical projection on the platform, have their own coordinate system. Through the angles θ and ϕ (Figure 23), it is possible to place a button (known as hotspots) in coordinates and associate it with multi-source and multidisciplinary information in a specific position of a panorama [62].…”

“…It is created by combining a number of panoramic images in order to ble representation of the space you want to make accessible. These images, played in a spherical projection on the platform, have their own coor Through the angles θ and φ (Figure 23), it is possible to place a button (know in coordinates and associate it with multi-source and multidisciplinary in specific position of a panorama [62]. This tool provides an addicting e-experience that can be accessed via computer, tablet, or smartphone.…”

“…The difficulty of coherently integrating data from various sources and fields, as well as the selection of information to display on the platform, are the challenges to overcome when creating a virtual tour [62]. Virtual tours are fascinating tools because they provide users with numerous options (Figure 24).…”

Si-VirPraJa: Using an Immersive Technology to Learn Prehistoric Sites in Indonesia

“…This effort aims to create extensive archives that can be studied by local communities [24]. Additionally, researchers have tried to create a virtual tour of the late Iron Age prehistoric site at Ulaca Oppidum in Spain [25]. More recently, an application based on Virtual Reality (VR) has been developed, which allows interactive access to a 6000-year-old Neolithic cemetery in Lenzburg [26].…”