Archaeology and augmented reality: applications and advice

Summary

Digital technology has made archaeological sites and artifacts much more accessible to the general public. Augmented reality (AR) allows visitors to "handle" artifacts and view archaeological features in their exact locations even after the units have been backfilled. Implementation of AR comes at a cost; not just in the planning process but long after the site has been backfilled, the artifacts analyzed and conserved, and the site report written.

The discussion will focus on an archaeological project in south central Georgia. Camp Lawton (aka Millen) was a Civil War prison camp built in mid-1864 to relieve overcrowding at the infamous Andersonville. The prison – from conception to abandonment – existed for just 6 months. Despite the short occupation, excavations have turned up many unique artifacts. Additionally, there are diary accounts and illustrations of Camp Lawton, drawn by a soldier imprisoned there. At the site’s museum, visitors can handle 3D artifacts and see a drawing of the fort stockade in its exact location via the use of augmented reality.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14474