Virtual Archaeology

This page was based on a post made during the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020 – given that travel restrictions are in place globally for some time to come, virtual archaeology is one way to experience archaeological sites and artefacts from the comfort of your computer, and even your phone. From Google Street View to digitised museum collections, here is a list of virtual archaeological sites and artefact collections related to Southeast Asia.

3D scanning and virtual reconstructions are fast becoming popular in archaeology and conservation.  More expensive physical scanners using emitted lasers provide high scanning resolutions ideal for architectural and conservation applications. However 3D scanning from photogrammetry is another viable and lower-cost option: software such as Agisoft Metashape (formerly Photoscan) is a popular and I use an iOS app called Trnio that does quick photogrammetry scans using a mobile phone and cloud computing (check out my collection here). 

The links below come from a number of different sources and allow you to enjoy archaeology virtually. I will update this list periodically, as more sites and collections become available. Let me know in the comments if there are other sites worth including in this list.

Virtual Archaeological Sites

• 3xvivr.com – Professional Virtual Reality Production company in Myanmar with a number of Myanmar temples in their showcase.
• 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.
• Ayutthaya Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Borobudur on Project Jigsaw – by the Australian National University
• Ban Tan Khun, Nakhon Si Thammarat – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• Borobudur on Google Street View – Take a virtual tour in this giant Javanese stupa
• 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
• Hoi An – 3D virtual model by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism

• Hue – 3D virtual model by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
• Intramuros – The walled Spanish city of Manila has a section in Google Arts and Culture featuring online exhibits of sculpture collections and street views of various areas inside the city
• Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Khum Jao Luang, Phrae – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• King Narai’s Palace, Lopburi – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• Manila Cathedral on Google Street View – Located in Intramuros and also known as the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Founded in 1571.
• Muang Sing Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• My Son Sanctuary – 3D virtual model by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
• Our Lady of the Gate Parish, Daraga Church on Google Street View – National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines and established in 1772.

• Phanom Rung Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Phimai Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Phimai Historical Park – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Phu Phra Bat Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Prasat Sdok Kok Thom, Sa Kaeo – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• San Agustin Church, Manila on Google Street View – Another historic church located in Intramuros and the oldest stone church in the Philippines.
• San Pedro Cathedral, Davao on Google Street View – Established in 1847 and the oldest church in Davao
• Santa Ana Church, Manila on Google Street View – Established in 1720 and designated as a National Shrine in the Philippines and houses two National Cultural Treasures.
• Sahul Time – An interactive map showing the sea levels and land mass size of Sahul (Australia and Papua New Guinea) and island Southeast Asia.
• Sdok Kok Thom Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Si Satchanalai Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Si Thep Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• St Gregory the Great Church, Majayjay on Google Street View – Declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines, and founded in 1571.
• St James the Apostle Church, Pampanga on Google Street View – Baroque style church established in 1607. National Cultural Treasure
• Sukhothai Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Temple Site at Phimai – A computer reconstruction of the Khmer temple site of Phimai.

• Phanom Rung Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Phimai Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Phimai Historical Park – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Phu Phra Bat Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Prasat Sdok Kok Thom, Sa Kaeo – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• San Agustin Church, Manila on Google Street View – Another historic church located in Intramuros and the oldest stone church in the Philippines.
• San Pedro Cathedral, Davao on Google Street View – Established in 1847 and the oldest church in Davao
• Santa Ana Church, Manila on Google Street View – Established in 1720 and designated as a National Shrine in the Philippines and houses two National Cultural Treasures.
• Sahul Time – An interactive map showing the sea levels and land mass size of Sahul (Australia and Papua New Guinea) and island Southeast Asia.
• Sdok Kok Thom Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Si Satchanalai Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Si Thep Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• St Gregory the Great Church, Majayjay on Google Street View – Declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines, and founded in 1571.
• St James the Apostle Church, Pampanga on Google Street View – Baroque style church established in 1607. National Cultural Treasure
• Sukhothai Historical Park – Virtual tour site by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
• Temple Site at Phimai – A computer reconstruction of the Khmer temple site of Phimai.

• 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’
• Wang Jao Mueng Pattalung, Pattalung – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• Wat Bang Kung, Samut Songkhram – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• Wat Nan Ta Ram, Phayao – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• Wat Phra Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand

Digital Object Collections and Virtual Museums

• 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.
• 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
• Bangkok National Museum – Virtual tour by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand
• British Museum collections – Browse over 4.5 million objects and 1.9 million images from the collection of the British Museum, which include items from Southeast Asia
• Ceramics in Mainland Southeast Asia – Collections of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthuer M. Sackler Gallery
• East Burma Collection, The Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon – Collection of Dr. Erik Hjalmar East, a medical missionary who worked in the Chin Highlands of Myanmar.
• Intramuros – The walled Spanish city of Manila has a section in Google Arts and Culture featuring online exhibits of sculpture collections and street views of various areas inside the city
• King Narai National Museum, Lopburi (Part 1) – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• King Narai National Museum, Lopburi (Part 2) – 3D virtual model by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
• Museum Maritim Indonesia – The Maritime Museum in Jakarta.
• Sangiran Museum Virtual Tour – By the Directorate-General of Culture, Republic of Indonesia
• 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.
• 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.

Beyond Southeast Asia

• 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