Geomatics and metaverse for lost heritage sites documentation and dissemination: the case study of Palmyra Roman Theatre (Syria)
Highlights: • Geomaticsthree-dimensional (3D)reconstruction of lost Syrian heritage (PalmyraRoman Theatre)with spherical photogrammetry, recreating the monument’s conditions before its destruction. • Operationsof polygon decimationto optimise the geometry of the 3D model for virtual reality (VR)...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universitat Politècnica de València
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Virtual Archaeology Review |
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| Online Access: | https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/var/article/view/21662 |
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| author | Anna Forte Yara Jamil Alkhatib Gabriele Bitelli Eva Savina Malinverni Roberto Pierdicca |
| author_facet | Anna Forte Yara Jamil Alkhatib Gabriele Bitelli Eva Savina Malinverni Roberto Pierdicca |
| author_sort | Anna Forte |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Highlights:
• Geomaticsthree-dimensional (3D)reconstruction of lost Syrian heritage (PalmyraRoman Theatre)with spherical photogrammetry, recreating the monument’s conditions before its destruction.
• Operationsof polygon decimationto optimise the geometry of the 3D model for virtual reality (VR) and metaverse applications, including texturing operations to enhance realism.
• Development of a virtual environmentto be explored in a shared and immersive metaverse platform, available online to disseminate the historical significance of the Roman Theatre in Palmyra.
Abstract:
Cultural heritage encompasses both tangible and intangible aspects for each of us, and efforts must be made to safeguard this legacy for future generations. Unfortunately, in addition to natural and environmental degradation, human activities pose a significant threat to the integrity of historical sites. Monuments and architecture have frequently been intentionally destroyed in conflict zones all over the world. Three-dimensional (3D) and virtual technologies can serve as tools to digitally preserve these sites and raise awareness about the importance of historical properties to the general public, particularly when physical sites are at risk or no longer exist. This challenging field of lost heritage is the framework of this project, in which a procedure of geomatics-based techniques such as spherical photogrammetry, 3D modelling and virtual reality (VR) technologies was developed to reconstruct lost historical architecture. The Roman Theatre in Palmyra, Syria, partially destroyed during Syria’s war in 2017, serves as a case study. The methodology report starts with the description of the metrological foundation of the 3D model construction, i.e. spherical photogrammetry as developed by Prof. Fangi (Marche Polytechnic University). Then, the geometry optimisation phase carried out to accomplish the VR limitations in terms of polygon count is presented. Ultimately, the procedure for the virtual environment construction is explained, as well as the development of a metaverse scenario to be visited and shared on an online-based platform. This collective virtual experience aims to revive the destroyed architecture and communicate its significance to the public through a collective and interactive virtual exploration. This study also includes experiments to assess user response, providing insights into methodology effectiveness in conveying Palmyra’s Theatre historical relevance and shedding light on the users’ perceptions of virtual tools usage for lost heritage dissemination. The evaluation questionnaire’s results will guide the project’s future developments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c901a6f1678e4179a984e4a1aa40c58f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1989-9947 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Universitat Politècnica de València |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Virtual Archaeology Review |
| spelling | doaj-art-c901a6f1678e4179a984e4a1aa40c58f2025-01-31T12:30:34ZengUniversitat Politècnica de ValènciaVirtual Archaeology Review1989-99472024-11-011632859910.4995/var.2024.2166220856Geomatics and metaverse for lost heritage sites documentation and dissemination: the case study of Palmyra Roman Theatre (Syria)Anna Forte0https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8300-9057Yara Jamil Alkhatib1https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8799-055XGabriele Bitelli2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6118-6000Eva Savina Malinverni3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6582-2943Roberto Pierdicca4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9160-834XUniversity of BolognaUniversity of BolognaUniversity of BolognaMarche Polytechnic UniversityMarche Polytechnic UniversityHighlights: • Geomaticsthree-dimensional (3D)reconstruction of lost Syrian heritage (PalmyraRoman Theatre)with spherical photogrammetry, recreating the monument’s conditions before its destruction. • Operationsof polygon decimationto optimise the geometry of the 3D model for virtual reality (VR) and metaverse applications, including texturing operations to enhance realism. • Development of a virtual environmentto be explored in a shared and immersive metaverse platform, available online to disseminate the historical significance of the Roman Theatre in Palmyra. Abstract: Cultural heritage encompasses both tangible and intangible aspects for each of us, and efforts must be made to safeguard this legacy for future generations. Unfortunately, in addition to natural and environmental degradation, human activities pose a significant threat to the integrity of historical sites. Monuments and architecture have frequently been intentionally destroyed in conflict zones all over the world. Three-dimensional (3D) and virtual technologies can serve as tools to digitally preserve these sites and raise awareness about the importance of historical properties to the general public, particularly when physical sites are at risk or no longer exist. This challenging field of lost heritage is the framework of this project, in which a procedure of geomatics-based techniques such as spherical photogrammetry, 3D modelling and virtual reality (VR) technologies was developed to reconstruct lost historical architecture. The Roman Theatre in Palmyra, Syria, partially destroyed during Syria’s war in 2017, serves as a case study. The methodology report starts with the description of the metrological foundation of the 3D model construction, i.e. spherical photogrammetry as developed by Prof. Fangi (Marche Polytechnic University). Then, the geometry optimisation phase carried out to accomplish the VR limitations in terms of polygon count is presented. Ultimately, the procedure for the virtual environment construction is explained, as well as the development of a metaverse scenario to be visited and shared on an online-based platform. This collective virtual experience aims to revive the destroyed architecture and communicate its significance to the public through a collective and interactive virtual exploration. This study also includes experiments to assess user response, providing insights into methodology effectiveness in conveying Palmyra’s Theatre historical relevance and shedding light on the users’ perceptions of virtual tools usage for lost heritage dissemination. The evaluation questionnaire’s results will guide the project’s future developments.https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/var/article/view/21662geomaticsmetaversespherical photogrammetry3d reconstructionvirtual reality (vr) lost heritage |
| spellingShingle | Anna Forte Yara Jamil Alkhatib Gabriele Bitelli Eva Savina Malinverni Roberto Pierdicca Geomatics and metaverse for lost heritage sites documentation and dissemination: the case study of Palmyra Roman Theatre (Syria) Virtual Archaeology Review geomatics metaverse spherical photogrammetry 3d reconstruction virtual reality (vr) lost heritage |
| title | Geomatics and metaverse for lost heritage sites documentation and dissemination: the case study of Palmyra Roman Theatre (Syria) |
| title_full | Geomatics and metaverse for lost heritage sites documentation and dissemination: the case study of Palmyra Roman Theatre (Syria) |
| title_fullStr | Geomatics and metaverse for lost heritage sites documentation and dissemination: the case study of Palmyra Roman Theatre (Syria) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geomatics and metaverse for lost heritage sites documentation and dissemination: the case study of Palmyra Roman Theatre (Syria) |
| title_short | Geomatics and metaverse for lost heritage sites documentation and dissemination: the case study of Palmyra Roman Theatre (Syria) |
| title_sort | geomatics and metaverse for lost heritage sites documentation and dissemination the case study of palmyra roman theatre syria |
| topic | geomatics metaverse spherical photogrammetry 3d reconstruction virtual reality (vr) lost heritage |
| url | https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/var/article/view/21662 |
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