NIELS BARGFELDT: BEHIND RECONSTRUCTED BARS: VISUALIZING THE CARCERAL SPACES OF ANTIQUITY AS VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

In this lecture, Niels Bargfeldt, postdoc at the Prison Project, will share a glimpse of the project’s work on reconstructions and discuss the potential and limitations of reconstructed virtual environments - both in relation to the work process and the final output:

As part of The Prison Project, housed at the University of Copenhagen and funded by the Carlsberg Foundation, we are creating virtual reconstructions of selected places of ancient incarceration. Ultimately, the reconstructions will be used for publication and dissemination: stills, video sequences, interactive 3D models, and potentially also VR/XR experiences. However, our work on the reconstructions is also an important method (one out of many) integrated into our workflow. The virtual environments are based on 3D survey data, site observations, literary sources, and legacy data. They enable us to engage with the material and test hypotheses. Finally, the process of reconstruction also teases out new questions and critical (re)assessment of issues related to topographical layout, architecture, accessibility, and lighting, to mention a few.

After the lecture, there will be a discussion led by Tobias Krapf, Scientific Secretary at the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece.

For online attendence, register here