Exploring Medieval Stećak Tombstones Through Virtual Reality: The StecakLand Project at the Archaeological Museum of the Dubrovnik Museums

The Archaeological Museum of the Dubrovnik Museums is making waves in the world of cultural heritage with its participation in the European project ‘StecakLand – Interpreting Art of Mysterious Medieval Stećak Tombstones through Virtual Reality.’ This groundbreaking project aims to bring the intricate world of decorations and motifs on stećaks, medieval tombstones, closer to the public through the use of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies.

Over the weekend, the project team conducted digitalization and 3D photogrammetric recording of selected stećaks at the sites of St. Luke in Brotnjice and St. George in Popovići. This process, led by project coordinator Selma Rizvić, virtual reality director Bojan Mijatović, and Dr. Domagoj Perkić from the Archaeological Museum in Dubrovnik, will contribute to the development of immersive VR and AR applications that will allow users to explore and interact with these ancient artifacts like never before.

The project, which began on November 1, 2023, and will run until October 31, 2025, is funded by the European Commission’s Creative Europe Programme. In addition to the Dubrovnik Archaeological Museum, partners in this endeavor include the Archaeological Institute from Belgrade, the Mak Dizdar Foundation, the National Museum of Montenegro, Kamerni Teatar 55, and NOHO Limited. This collaborative effort brings together experts from various fields, including archaeology, visual arts, performance arts, and software development, to create a truly interdisciplinary approach to preserving and showcasing cultural heritage.

With the innovative use of technology and the expertise of a diverse team of professionals, ‘StecakLand’ is set to revolutionize the way we experience and appreciate medieval art and history. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting project!