This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Imagine walking through a World War I excavation site—not wading through mud-filled trenches, but navigating a digital landscape rich with history, artifacts and human stories. The Applied Research in Immersive Experiences and Simulations (ARIES) team in University Libraries at Virginia Tech created an immersive digital experience that allows researchers and the public to explore Hill 80, a German stronghold and trench fortress near Wijtschate, Belgium, captured during the 1917 Battle of Messines.
Dig Hill 80 was a rescue archaeology project prompted by plans to build a housing development on the site. For generations, local residents had repeated the saying that "there is an army buried there," sparking interest in what might lie beneath the ground. Flemish archaeologist Simon Verdegem led the project, which was crowdfunded beginning in late 2017.
Enough funding was secured for the excavation to take place from mid-April to early June 2018. Archaeologists uncovered trench systems, dugouts, artifacts and soldier remains. "The ground was fought over for nearly the entirety of the First World War," said Todd Ogle, executive director of ARIES.
"Evidence in the form of equipment and human remains was found from fighting during the very first months of the war all the way through the final German offensive in 1918. The volume of remains, combined with the level of preservation of the finds and the complex nature of the site, made it important to investigate and preserve the site before construction of the housing development in late 2018." The ARIES team, along with experts in digital cultural preservation and history, visited Dig Hill 80 for a week in June 2018. They documented the excavation and began developing ways to preserve its artifacts, layout, context and human stories.
Today, the housing development covers the former excavation area. Its history, however, will remain available through an extensive digital archive. Rather than remaining a collection of digital records, the excavation became the starting point for something far more dynamic.
ARIES became involved with the Dig Hill 80 project through Ogle's scholarly work in cultural preservation and visualization of the past. It was a unique opportunity for Virginia Tech students to engage in authentic project-based, experiential learning work with real-world partners. "The same skills that students use to develop simulations and entertainment are used in preservation projects like this one," said Ogle.
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