“Enlarge virtual reality” as a new tool for research, conservation and tansmission support: The case of the northern sector of the Roman City Wall of Cordoba

Christopher COURAULT / Rafael ORTIZ CORDERO
(University of Cordoba, Archaeology Department; Engineer Department; Spain)

Keywords: City Wall, Enlarge virtual reality, 3D, research, Patrimony

Abstract:
Cordoba is a unique archaeology emplacement recognized by the most powerful international organism at the mercy of its titles: The Patrimony of the Humanity. Paradogically, the City Wall is the first element which allows us to define the urban World and its population; however, this construction contains a strong potential which has not actually been exploted so as to know better the urbanistic pulse of the city. We have to accept the archaeology limits inside an urban sector from three main points of view: practice, conservation and access to the information.
Basing us on archaeological research, we have identified the strong impact when using 3D performance, being our main objetive, not only to constitute a virtual vision of the northern sector of the city, but also to understand better the material and literature problematics. In conclusion, to figure out whether the relationship between facts and sources is right or not.
In this sense, we propose to create an exhaustive basis of data and associate them with the first archaelogy reports in Cordoba in the 70’s. We consider the 3D as an essential tool which extends the methodology of analysis, since thorugh it the antique drawing could be used to recover its scientific interest. In other words, this technique offer the possibility to regain the historical memory.
The northern City Wall of Cordoba presents an excellent laboratory. In fact,  since the 70’s until the present time successive archaeological works were practiced around this zone. Our investigation focuses on a diachronical perspective about the structure and technique of construction in each historical period, being our final objective to create a model that we could use within different dissemination fields. We think computer trace opens a new way about the conservation of patrimony, so we propose to develop the enlarged virtual reality in order to offer an accurate comparaison between the inherited patrimony and its virtual reality as a new form to musealize.
Ultimately, the use of enlarged virtual reality should be considered as a natural approach within archaeological research in the most enlarged sense.