5 Ideas for Archaeological Sites to Attract New Visitors with 3D & Augmented Reality
France's archaeological sites are brimming with treasures from the past, fascinating both history buffs and the curious in search of new discoveries. Today, immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and 3D are transforming visits to these historic sites into captivating, interactive adventures. In this article, we take a look at five innovative projects that combine augmented reality applications and augmented heritage to offer innovative tourism experiences.
1. La Villa: an enhanced museum and archaeological site
Alsace Bossue is a region at the gateway to the Vosges mountains, rich in history and archaeological remains. La Villa, which groups together a museum of archaeology and three archaeological sites in Alsace Bossue, uses augmented reality to offer visitors enhanced tours. With the Alsace Bossue Tourisme application, based on OHRIZON's tour companion, visitors can explore exhibits in 3D, view virtually restored vases and statues, and discover archaeological sites through immersive, contextualized content.
In addition, a tour application for groups enables guides to integrate games and interactive puzzles into school visits. This fun, digital approach not only engages young visitors, but also enhances the value of local heritage.
2. MuséoParc d'Alésia: an immersion in history
Located in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, the MuséoParc d'Alésia uses augmented reality to discover the city of Alesia, built on the very site of the siege of Alesia in 52 BC. The "4 Seasons of Alesia" application offers several types ofaugmented reality experiences:
- Scenes of life contextualized to the seasons
- An interactive game for children, "The Little Archaeologist", to discover 7 archaeological techniques.
- Snapchat-style filters to take on the appearance of an Emperor, an archaeologist or even a Gallo-Roman actor!
This family immersion is organized around 3D reconstructions of the Gallo-Roman city and fun activities to captivate all audiences.
3. Temple de Mars du Haut Bécherel, Dinan
In collaboration with OHRIZON, the Coriosolis Interpretation Center offers an augmented reality application to explore the Haut Bécherel sanctuary. Visitors can :
- Discover the remains with animated AR characters.
- Solve riddles linked to ancient ceremonies.
- Enjoy guided tours enhanced by immersive 3D reconstructions.
This unique experience plunges visitors back into the Gallo-Roman era while promoting immersive tourism.
4. Application of Gergovie and Puy-de-Dôme archaeological sites
The Musée de Gergovie and the Plateau de Gergovie, located in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, use the "Puy-de-Dôme Terre d'Archéologie" application to offer virtual and augmented tours, games and audio guides. The app also manages content for the Corent and Temple de Mercure archaeology sites, enabling educational and digital exploration of Arverne structures. Since its creation in 2022, this application has transformed the way people discover these historic sites, and continues to add new archaeological sites on a regular basis.
5. Alesia: the "ancient punk" escape game in augmented reality
The Alesia archaeological site offers "FURIE D'ALÉSIA", an immersive escape game aimed at teenagers and young adults. Using augmented reality, players must solve enigmas to reconstruct a Gallo-Roman story based on the beliefs of the period. This fun activity diversifies the tourist offer, adding new revenue streams and attracting a younger audience.
Enhancing archaeological sites with augmented reality
These initiatives highlight the potential of immersive technologies and augmented reality applications to transform archaeological sites. By combining innovation and digitalization, these projects create unique user experiences, making heritage accessible to all.