VR takes you on a stroll through Queen Nefertari’s beautiful tomb

Few parts of the ancient world still survive to us today, and what has made it through the passage of time, is by no means safe just because we have found it. Attempts at preservation are of course important, and help protect against natural deterioration over time, but with rediscovery also comes new threats, as much of what survives today has done so precisely because it has not been touched.

Enduring ancient landmarks now have to survive through the bracing sea of tourists that, understandably, want to chance to see it first hand. The most stringent rules can be put around tourism in ancient landmarks, but a steady stream of visitors is still going to eventually take its toll, as even the humidity of your breath can damage ancient artworks.

Furthermore, another concern is that no amount of preservation can protect these landmarks from natural disaster, and despite surviving so long, many find themselves in precarious locations. 

One of the most well-preserved landmarks of the ancient world today, is the tomb of Queen Nefertari, built some 3,000 years ago. The tomb was raided and robbed in ancient times, but the artwork inside the tomb remains remarkably in-tact, to the extent that it has been dubbed the ‘Sistine Chapel of Egypt’. Queen Nefertari’s tomb has also been frequently restricted to visitors since the 1950’s, with it going through spells of total closure and extremely limited access. Today you can only physically see the tomb if you are able to afford and access a very expensive, very rare ticket.

However, there is now another way that you can experience the wonder of the tomb of Nefertari, without posing any risk to the preservation of the site, as a VR experience of the tomb has been created.

To preserve the tomb should anything happen to it, and give back access to the beautiful tomb, ExperiusVR and Curiosity Stream travelled to the Valley of the Queens where they were given unprecedented access to film for a virtual reality tour of Queen Nefertari’s tomb, using photogrammetry. The team began by mapping the layout of the tomb using a Leica 3D scanner before taking thousands of photos of the tomb, which were then sewn together to recreate the tomb within a reported millimetre of accuracy.

ExperiusVR also stated that they have made no artificial touch-ups to their film, the tomb appears exactly as they captured it, the lighting done in real time and using 90 frames per second, to make it optimal for VR, while keeping the lighting consistent throughout. 

Elliott Mizroch, Co-Founder at ExperiusVR, commented: “The visual quality of the photogrammetric model is better than anything I’ve seen before. It creates a sense of ‘presence’ that really makes you feel like you’re there.”

The film comes with immersive 360° video experience, complete with a guide’s voice to give the viewer the complete tour experience of learning and seeing first-hand. 

This VR experience, not only reopens the tomb to the world, but also will preserve the tomb forever, should natural disaster strike the site. 

This new way of exploring vulnerable ancient sites breaks new ground in the dilemma of preservation versus knowledge, in much the same way using an MRI to scan a sarcophagus for the first time did. Hopefully with this new technology allowing us to delve as often as we wish into these ancient sites, then historical knowledge, human curiosity and ancient preservation, will all be winners.