Multimedia in Three Dimensions for Archaeology; Information Retrieval With Interactive Models

An interactive three-dimensional model is an effective tool for the display of archeological data. Spatial data from a site can be directly visualized as the central model, while much of the non-spatial information can be presented with text, sound, animations or other such tools. The close relationship between the spatial and non-spatial data (i.e. an artifact and its name) allows tight coupling between the model and other displays, to the point where they may blend into the model itself. The resulting application makes the data easy to reference, understand and remember. We discuss the structural and cognitive (learning) advantages of this approach and present our three examples: The Temple of Isis, The Temple of Horus and the Tomb of Lady Hao.