Project Member Jessica Johnson Gives Presentation About our Project at ASOR 2021

Project member and UC Berkeley Graduate Student Jessica Johnson gave a presentation entitled "Secrets Revealed: Using 3D Models to Discern Origins and Treatment of Sarcophagi and the Virtual Rejoining of a Sarcophagus and its Burial in 26th Dynasty Saqqara" at the in-person section of the ASOR 2021 Annual Meeting. The talk discussed the Book of the Dead in 3D project, and our concurrent project, which recreates the tomb of Psamtik in Saqqara with the sarcophagus in-situ as a Virtual Reality experience.

Abstract: 

The Book of the Dead in 3D project was conceived in order to study the way that texts and vignettes on Ancient Egyptian coffins function with each other and with the surfaces on which they are written. The project website features 3D models of Egyptian coffins, along with research on their backgrounds, and interactive translations of their texts. 3D models provide ease of access and the ability to quickly consult iconography and text. This ability provides valuable insight into the origins of the pieces and their treatment over time. Expansion of the corpus includes pieces in more regional museums in the U.S. and the inclusion of Arabic-speaking audiences. One such model, a Late Period inner sarcophagus of “chief physician” and “overseer of the Temehu,” Psamtek, found in 1900 south of the Unas pyramid at Saqqara, serves as the basis for building a digitally accessible elaboration on its archaeological context -- a deep rock-cut shaft tomb. A joint team from UC Berkeley and Santa Cruz is developing a VR-headset experience that combines a 3D reconstruction of Saqqara with a photogrammetric model of the sarcophagus. Virtually re-placing the sarcophagus in its original context highlights historical accuracy and virtual preservation.  Both projects mentioned aim to continue to shed light on the “secret lives” of Egyptian coffins, their texts, and contexts.