How did visitors experience the domestic space in Pompeii?
Date:
April 6, 2022
Source:
Lund University
Summary:
Researchers have used virtual reality and 3D eye-tracking technology
to examine what drew the attention of the visitors when entering the
stunning environment of an ancient Roman house. The team recreated
the House of Greek Epigrams in 3D and tracked the gaze of study
participants as they viewed the home.
FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have used virtual reality and
3D eye- tracking technology to examine what drew the attention of the
visitors when entering the stunning environment of an ancient Roman
house. The team recreated the House of Greek Epigrams in 3D and tracked
the gaze of study participants as they viewed the home.
========================================================================== Unlike today, Roman houses were not a place of refuge from work. Work
and daily activities were intermingled during the day. Houses were
designed to communicate the personal power and status of the owner and
his family. The visual impression was so important that architects moved architectural elements such as columns to frame views, added fountains as
focal points, or simply decorated the space by imitating those elements
when it was not possible to build them.
"By tracking how people view the house, we can get closer to unlock
what was in the mind of those that designed it. What messages are
being conveyed, even in the smallest detail? We found many ways in
which the owner was conveying a sense of power and wealth to visitors,"
says Giacomo Landeschi, researcher at the Department of Archaeology and
Ancient History, Lund University.
The House of Greek Epigrams was destroyed in the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius in AD 79. It had a room completely covered with wall paintings accompanied by Greek inscriptions that gave the house its name.
The house was elaborately designed and featured wall paintings that were partially visible from the outside, but with details that only close
visitors could see, for example. There was also erotic art where natural
light illuminated the work primarily at appropriate times. Certain
visual and architectural elements echoed a tension between Greek and
Roman cultures at the time.
A follow-up study will analyse the results in more detail.
The researchers say that the unique nature of the research could be
further enhanced by adding other sensory experiences, such as auditory involvement, in the future.
"This study shows that we can now not only recreate the physical space
but also understand the actual experience of the people at the time. This
is an entirely new field of research for archaeology, that opens up new possibilities," concludes Danilo Marco Campanaro, PhD candidate at the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University.
About the Study The study marks a significant advance in the use
of Virtual Reality in archaeology, where its heuristic potential is
employed to make more advanced spatial analysis. It set out to establish
a methodology to accurately record information about participants'
gaze and attention and analyse it. To do this, the researchers used a
3D eye-tracker, a game engine, and Geographic Information Systems.
Video:
https://youtu.be/sNcAkkNR-qU
========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Lund_University. Note: Content may
be edited for style and length.
========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Danilo M. Campanaro, Giacomo Landeschi. Re-viewing Pompeian domestic
space through combined virtual reality-based eye tracking and
3D GIS.
Antiquity, 2022; 1 DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2022.12 ==========================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220406095328.htm
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