The Deputation of Ourense shows through a virtual reconstruction the Roman camp of Aquis Querquennis
The Deputation of Ourense awarded at the time to the UTE Mystic Design, S.L. and Vsion Studio Interactive, S.L. the contract, signed on November 6, 2018, for the realization of a virtualization project of the Roman archaeological complex of Aquis Querquennis, in Puerto Quintela (Bande). The amount of the same amounted to a total of 46,449.48€. The objective is to enhance the value of this tourist resource, within the activities to be carried out by the Deputation of Ourense for the revitalization of the Gerês-Xurés Cross-Border Biosphere Reserve (RBTGX), through the Gerês-Xurês Dynamic project, a project co-financed at 75% by the INTERREG V A Spain-Portugal Program (POCTEP) 2014-2020.
The project, which included the development of six videos combining real actors with a detailed 3D recreation of the Roman fort at the time of its use by a Roman military contingent and located next to the Via Nova, the Roman road that connected Bracara (Braga) with Asturica (Astorga).
The objective is to disseminate through a video format adapted to the Internet the knowledge of the archaeological site, the road and the environment of Gerês-Xurés to an international visitor, as well as to strengthen the understanding of the archaeological site through the technologies most used by visitors. Videos and digital media are already available through the website, application and social networks (YouTube, etc.).
The videos are distributed on the Internet in Galician, Spanish, Portuguese and English, through publication on a website and on the main video platforms, as well as in an application for Android and iOS that users can download for free. This application allows, through a self-guided tour, to know the original state of the Roman structures at the time of maximum activity of the fortification, exploring spaces such as the gates, the tullas, the barracks, or the commander’s facilities. The system will detect the user’s position inside the camp and will automatically display its virtual recreation.
The 3D recreation also delves into the relationship between the local population and the Roman military contingent, bringing a new vision to the usual presentation of tourist information of these camps, which traditionally present them as archaeological sites isolated from their surroundings. In this way, the videos will show the Roman fort as a space of power inserted in a territory with previous social and political structures. Likewise, the key of the videos is the human and social story, going beyond an architectural recreation to help to know the people who lived in the fort or in the nearby towns.
At the same time, the project included a dissemination plan that allowed and allows those interested to follow the process of development and virtual reconstruction of the camp, helping to promote scientific culture among users and creating a community around the project.
Aquis3D project website: http://www.aquisquerquennis.es/gl/829-2/
Videos about Aquis3D in Galician, Spanish, Portuguese and English on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbP8_jaJ-ldOItcKTd784yw/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=0
