MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA—Archaeologists have produced a virtual-reality re-creation of the Plain of Jars site in Laos, according to a report by Live Science. The re-creation is based on video captured by drones and geophysical data and records from archaeological excavations of a portion of the site, which includes hundreds of carved stone jars measuring up to 11 feet tall and weighing many tons. They range across a landscape that is riddled with unexploded bombs dating to the Vietnam War, and researchers hope the 3-D video simulation of the site, based at Monash University in Australia, will aid in study of areas that are otherwise inaccessible. The virtual-reality project will create a step-by-step record of a five-year archaeological investigation of the Plain of Jars that began in February 2016 and has uncovered the remains of dozens of people buried near the largest jars, establishing that they were linked to an ancient burial practice. “Long after we leave the field,” said Monash University archaeologist Louise Shewan, “we can continue researching, and we can actually be there with all our team members and go through the excavation again, and pick up on things that we've missed.” The virtual-reality version of the dig will also be valuable for teaching students, as it allows one to view the excavation unfolding in fast motion, with the trench deepening in 4-inch increments. To read in-depth about the Plain of Jars, go to “Letter from Laos: A Singular Landscape.”
