Update 6 September 2020: I’ve set up a dedicated page devoted to the Virtual Archaeology of Southeast Asia – you will find an updated collection of links to virtual archaeological sites and digital museums here.
Since the best advice now is to stay indoors, here is a list of Southeast Asian archaeological sites and collections that you can explore in the comfort of your own room.
- 3xvivr.com – Professional Virtual Reality Production company in Myanmar with a number of Myanmar temples in their showcase.
- Ancient Sculpture of Vietnam – 3D Virtual Museum – A virtual museum set up by Quang Tri Nguyen, which gives you an interactive close up on Vietnamese sculptures.
- Angkor on Google Street View – Explore the wonders of Angkor, Cambodia, where thousand-year-old temples lie hidden in the jungle, and ancient cities and roads trace a path to the lost kingdoms of the Khmer empire.
- ASEAN Cultural Heritage Digital Archive – The ASEAN Cultural Heritage Digital Archive (ACHDA) celebrates the rich and diverse cultural heritage of ASEAN, and showcases a veritable treasure trove of exemplary artefacts and history.
- Borobudur on Project Jigsaw – by the Australian National University.
- Borobudur on Google Street View – Take a virtual tour in this giant Javanese stupa.
- Ceramics in Mainland Southeast Asia – Collections of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthuer M. Sackler Gallery
- Google Arts and Culture Open Heritage – A collection showcase of work by CyArk to digitally record, archive and share the world’s cultural heritage. The gallery has sites from Bagan, Ayutthaya and Hue
- Sahul Time – An interactive map showing the sea levels and land mass size of Sahul (Australia and Papua New Guinea) and island Southeast Asia.
- Southeast Asian Archaeology at Sketchfab – My own personal collection of 3D models curated on Sketchfab. I occasionally record 3D models on my own, this collection is a mix of my own models and other models uploaded to the site.
- Temple Site at Phimai – A computer reconstruction of the Khmer temple site of Phimai.
- Virtual Collection of Masterpieces – Run by ASEMUS, a network of Asian and European museums, featuring some of the best offerings from the network’s collections.
- Virtual Angkor – Virtual Angkor is a groundbreaking collaboration between Virtual History Specialists, Archaeologists and Historians designed to bring the Cambodian metropolis of Angkor to life. Built for the classroom, it has been created to take students into a 3D world and to use this simulation to ask questions about Angkor’s place in larger networks of trade and diplomacy, its experience with climate variability and the structure of power and kingship that underpinned the city.
- Visualising Angkor – A selection of 3D Images, animations & 360 videos depicting daily life and cultural landscapes from Monash University’s ‘Visualising Angkor Project’
For more virtual tours and resources beyond Southeast Asia, you may also want to check out:
- The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Museum Resources, E-Learning, and Online Collections – List by the MCN (Museum Computer Network)
- Best virtual tours of landmarks and museums you can take from your sofa – Mirror Online
- The 75 Best Virtual Museum Tours Around the World [Art, History, Science, and Technology] – Upgraded Points
