Understanding Speleology and Paleoanthropology Through Digital and Interactive Technologies

Abstract

The Petralona Cave, which is considered one of the most impressive and important caves throughout Europe, is located near the village of Petralona, Chalkidiki, Greece. The cave was found in 1959 and became well known all over the world in 1960 as the home of the oldest human remains ever found in Greece, when the skull of Arhanthropos was found. The cave was approximately formed a million years ago in the limestone of Katsika Hill, stretches across an area of 10,400 m2 and consists of a series of stoas, chambers, high ceilings and pools, full of stalactites, stalagmites, curtains and shields, columns and other formations. Within the proximity of the Petralona Cave, the Petralona Museum is also operating. In the framework of the Cave3 project and in collaboration with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports and Polytech S.A., the Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH) is developing innovative mechanisms and state-of-the-art, digital tools, open labs and serious games in order to provide an interactive experience to the visitors, including also people with special needs. This project presents the process of digitalization of the Petralona Cave and various paleontological findings from the Cave’s Museum, including the human skull of Arhanthropos, as well as several bones from different species lived inside the cave throughout its existence. Using different 3D scanning methods and techniques, such as photogrammetry and laser scanning, both the inner and the outer of the cave has been digitalized. Moreover, paleontological findings with special interest in their historical heritage have been selected for the implementation of a digital library. The digitalization of these findings was conducted with white light and laser 3D scanning methods, as well as state-of-the-art 3D software for photorealistic illustration. The aforementioned digital models of the Petralona Cave and the paleontological findings are merged in a virtual reality environment to interact with visitors and enrich their experience, while serious games have been developed for educational purposes.