Archaeological Visualizations

[Virgil Johnson]

I have been searching for a new drawing challenge since my winding down the visual impact business and have decided to explore an area that has intrigued me for about ten years -- archaeological visualizations.

 

I was wondering if anyone else here has been attracted to this challenge.

 

Virgil

[Ernest Burden III]

Attracted, yes. Done anything about it...well, no.

 

You already have the exacting practices ingrained, you should be a natural. To get started, find an archaeologist you like and offer to vis up a site. Just be prepared for some oddly formatted input documents from them.

 

I did a re-construction of a typical living room of Egyptian nobility once, though the reason was to show it to the Las Vegas casino known for using High Classical Egyptian for their theme, so I don't consider the piece a scientific work. I did the picture for the Brooklyn Museum, and worked with one of their Egyptologists. When it came to getting details on how the people would be dressed, and the room decorated, he actually gave me copies of hieroglyphics to work from. The background is that the casino was thinking of installing some 'real art' exhibit space and was looking for a museum to work with.

 

[Virgil Johnson]

Ernest

 

You seemed to captured the colors and flavor of ancient Egypt quite well.

 

You know I never did have the talent for being an artist so I am falling back on the technician in me.

 

What got me going (putting this in for others who might be interested) was first the old stirrings of the anthropology minor I had in college forty years ago.

But the trigger was Bob Brier's (Egyptologist - Long Island U.) series of lectures on videotape about ancient Egypt. (Find them at The Teaching Company>)

I had too much time on my hands and watched 48 lectures in a marathon session

Could not leave it alone.

 

Another trigger was opening a book (Virtual Archaeology,

ISBN 0-8109-3943-6) I had sitting on my shelf since 1997.

 

And the bug bit me.

 

Looks very technical and so it appeals to me.

Lots of AutoCAD and GIS and learning about cultures and ancient designs and construction techniques.

I think it is about more than the usual make-a-pciture.

I think it would be a great learning tool for archaeologists.

 

Did a goggle search and found lots of places to contact.

Some emails went off early this morning.

 

Virgil