Virtual Egypt: 3D Teaching with Museum Collections

Hybrid Event
Virtual Egypt: 3D Teaching with Museum Collections
Wednesday, September 17, 6:00–7:00 pm ET, Advance registration recommended for online and in-person attendance
Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA

Speaker: Rita Lucarelli, Associate Professor of Egyptology, Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, University of California, Berkeley

University museums hold rich yet often underutilized resources for teaching about ancient Egypt. With the growing availability of 3D and virtual reality technologies—such as photogrammetry, 3D scanning, and immersive modeling—educators now have powerful tools to enhance object-based learning beyond the traditional classroom.

In this lecture, Rita Lucarelli will explore innovative strategies for incorporating 3D and VR technologies into teaching with university collections, using case studies from the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. She will demonstrate how digital replicas, immersive applications, and collaborative projects can deepen student engagement with Egyptian material culture, from archaeological context to artifact function and curatorial interpretation. The presentation also considers the benefits and challenges of integrating these technologies into Egyptology and Art History curricula.

Free admission. Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage starting at 4:00 pm. Presented by the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture.