How virtual reality is opening up some of the world’s most inaccessible archaeological sites
Just over an hour’s drive north from Los Angeles is the Wind Wolves Preserve. At nearly 100,000 acres, the preserve protects a wide range of endangered and threatened species in the heart of the most populous state in the US.
It also hosts two remote archaeological sites situated in the San Emigdio Hills. Pleito, one of the most elaborately painted rock-art sites in the world, and Cache Cave, with one of the most significant in-situ collections of perishable objects, including baskets, ever discovered in the American West. The oldest of the rock paintings and baskets appear to be over 2,000-years-old. However, exploring it is problematic. The paintings at Pleito, found on exfoliating sandstone, are extremely fragile. Meanwhile, the Cache Cave is a complex, narrow cave system.
Now our team of researchers from the University of Central Lancashire in the UK has created a VR model of the sites.
See the full story here: http://theconversation.com/how-virtual-reality-is-opening-up-some-of-the-worlds-most-inaccessible-archaeological-sites-88286