ucla experiential technologies center unveils qumran visualization portal page

the ucla experiential technologies center has produced a new website for its virtual modeling research projects. among the digital reconstruction projects are the egyptian site of karnak, santiago de compostela, and of course everyone's favorite, qumran, the site associated with the discovery of the dead sea scrolls. each site comes complete with a description of the project, the principal modelers and research team, and a short movie introducing the research project.

for more information regarding the etc,including a complete listing of the research technologies available to researchers, visit http://www.etc.ucla.edu.

Virtual Qumran Site Now Offers Free Images, Videos

The www.virtualqumran.com website now offers for download free images of the reconstructed remains of Khirbet Qumran, the site associated with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The images were generated by the UCLA Qumran Visualization Project Chief Architect and Designer Dr. Robert R. Cargill. The site has also made available for download in high definition several short video clips highlighting key reconstructed areas.

UCLA Digital Model of Qumran Featured in National Geographic Israel

The UCLA digital model of Qumran was recently featured in an article in National Geographic Israel. The article includes photos from the reconstruction of Qumran and a brief summary of Robert R. Cargill's doctoral research. The digital model of Qumran is a fully-reconstructed, 3D realtime reconstruction of the settlement at Khirbet Qumran and its surrounding environment. Qumran is the site nearest to the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The Qumran digital model includes switches that can be toggled to show different interpretations of various contested loci at Qumran, as well as different periods of construction and expansion. The Qumran digital model is on display at the UCLA visualization portal on UCLA's Westwood, CA campus. For more information, visit www.virtualqumran.com.

New Qumran Article in the Jerusalem Post

Ziv Hellman has written an interesting piece in the Jerusalem Post about Qumran entitled "The Qumran Quandry." Make sure to check it out.

DSS Now on Exhibition in Raleigh, NC

The Dead Sea Scrolls are now on display at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. The exhibit will run through Dec. 28, 2008. The exhibition features 12 scrolls – four of which have never been publicly displayed – and more than a hundred artifacts from the Qumran ruins.

The exhibit also features videos of the reconstructed settlement at Qumran taken from version 2.0 of the UCLA Qumran Digital Model. The new version of the Qumran model has an improved texture palate, improved terrain geometry, and updated interpretations of several archaeological loci. The new model also displays multiple phases of construction within the site over time.

Be sure to catch the new Qumran Digital Model and the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition if you are in the Raleigh area!

Digital Model of Qumran Enters Final Preparations for Release to Public

The Qumran Digital Model is currently in its final testing stages before its release to the public. The Qumran Digital Model is a 3D, realtime, virtual reconstruction of the archaeological remains of Khirbet Qumran, the site associated with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Educators and enthusiasts will be able to download the virtual reality navigation software and the Qumran Digital Model to their Mac or PC and tour the ancient site during different phases of its existence. The model is being made available to the public free of charge.

The Qumran Digital Model is the product of a UCLA research project at the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, which has been working to digitally reconstruct the archaeological remains at Qumran since 2005. This project has already produced high definition movies and digital reconstructions for lectures, university courses, and museum exhibitions, including the 2007 Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

Once the Qumran Digital Model completes its online testing, it will be released to the public. An announcement will be made informing users where they may download the model and instructions for its installation and navigation. Viewers may visit the Virtual Qumran website for more information.

Announcements from VirtualQumran.com

A couple of exciting new things are about to be made available from the Qumran Visualization Project. Here are a few details:


The Virtual Qumran Model on Your Desktop
The Qumran Visualization Project is preparing to launch the latest version of its digital reconstruction of Qumran. In addition, VirtualQumran.com will make this latest version of the Virtual Qumran model available to the public for download to your computer. You’ll be able to navigate the reconstructed settlement from the comfort of your own home, office, or classroom. Please check back after Jan. 1, 2008 to download the Virtual Qumran model and navigation software.



Ancient Qumran: A Virtual Reality Tour (the movie)
The digital movie Ancient Qumran: A Virtual Reality Tour is nearing completion. The original, unpublished script is almost complete, and the high-definition graphics are re-rendered and optimized for viewing in HD. The movie is based upon the UCLA Qumran Visualization Project’s digital model of Qumran, and takes the viewer on a tour of the reconstructed settlement of Khirbet Qumran. It offers a history of the archaeological excavation of the site and the surrounding caves, and discusses the different theories concerning the nature and expansion of Qumran. This film is an updated and expanded version of the live-narration movie playing at the San Diego Natural History Museum as a part of their exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Stay tuned for information about the Spring 2008 release date and availability.

Magen and Peleg's Qumran Preliminary Report is Now Available

An offprint of "The Qumran Excavations 1993-2004: Preliminary Report" by Yitzhak Magen and Yuval Peleg is now available for download on the IAA website in .pdf format. Magen and Peleg provide an excellent description of their renewed excavations at Qumran. Everyone is encouraged to read the report, as it is sure to add to the discussion concerning the archaeology of Qumran.

- Robert Cargill

Upcoming Events Involving the UCLA Qumran Visualization Project

The following are some coming events involving the Qumran Visualization Project and the Virtual Qumran digital reconstruction.

October 23, 2007 - Qumran Visualization Project Chief Architect and Designer Robert R. Cargill will present a paper entitled "The UCLA Qumran Visualization Project: Reconstructing Ancient Qumran" to the UCLA Alumni Club at the San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, CA.

November 14, 2007 - Robert R. Cargill has accepted an invitation to present a virtual tour of the digitally reconstructed settlement at Qumran at the ASOR Plenary Session entitled, "The Current State of Qumran Archaeology". The keynote speaker for the evening is Dr. Jodi Magness.

November 17, 2007 - Robert R. Cargill will present a paper entitled "The Archaeology of Qumran: The Digitally Reconstructed Settlement and a Proposed Occupation Model" to the 'Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, and Archaeology' section at the American Schools of Oriental Research Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.

November 18, 2007 - Qumran Visualization Project Chief Architect and Designer Robert R. Cargill will present a paper entitled "The Archaeology of Qumran: The Digitally Reconstructed Settlement and a Proposed Occupation Model" to the 'Computer Assisted Research' section at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in San Diego, CA.

November 19, 2007 - UCLA alum and DePauw University professor Dr. Russell Arnold will present a paper entitled "'And They Answered and Said': Reading Ritual Practice at Qumran" to the 'Ritual in the Biblical World' section section at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in San Diego, CA.

December 3 , 2007 - Qumran Visualization Project Director, William M. Schniedewind, will present a lecture at the San Diego Natural History Museum entitled, "Interpreting the 'Word of God' in the Dead Sea Scrolls" as a part of the museum's Distinguished Lecture Series.

NEWS: New look at Dead Sea scrolls discovery site (Spero News)

Here's another article from Spero news. Read the link here.

NEWS: Qumran Settlement Shows Evidence of Fortress (Archaeologica MP3 podcast)

Here is the link to the Archaeologica podcast of the news story about Virtual Qumran. (I personally liked the part about 'a band of mighty warriors called the Hasmoneans'.)

NEWS: Armchair Archeologists Can Explore Qumran Virtually (JewishJournal)

Here is the link to one of the first articles about the completed Qumran Visualization Project from the Jewish Journal.

NEWS: Virtual Qumran Sheds New Light On Dead Sea Scrolls Discovery Site (ScienceDaily)

Here is the link to the Science Daily article about the Qumran Visualization Project.

Virtual Qumran Movie Trailers #1 & #2 posted on YouTube

I've posted the first two trailers for the "Ancient Qumran: A Virtual Reality Tour" movie. I wrote and produced the film for the San Diego Natural History Museum's exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls. THE ACTUAL SHOW IN SAN DIEGO IS IN HD.

Trailer 1 | Trailer 2

NEWS: Warriors May Have Occupied Dead Sea Scrolls Site (FoxNews)

Here's the link to the Live Science article by Heather Whipps.