Exploring Çatalhöyük in Second Life

The above snapshot features the avatars of UC Berkeley anthropology professor Ruth Tringham, OKAPI staff Noah Wittman, and Undergraduate Research (URAP) Apprentice Daniel Wei in the 3d multi-user virtual environment of Second Life (www.secondlife.com). Daniel, a second-year electrical engineering and computer science major, has been researching how to facilitate navigation through a virtual excavation site and its associated documentary materials. Daniel created a 3d representation of the UC Berkeley (BACH) excavation at the archaeological site at Çatalhöyük, Turkey, which contains the remains of a 9000-year-old Neolithic village. In addition to creating the 3d structure of the site, Daniel scripted objects so that they provide audio-visual feedback and information upon touch. He is also working on a notebook where visitors can leave comments. These and other experiments will be incorporated into professor Tringham’s multimedia courses and a new website under construction that will feature excavation materials from Çatalhöyük in Second Life.