Welcome to the University of Arkansas Virtual Museum, created and maintained by the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST), and featuring 3D models and summary information from collections of the Arkansas Archeological Survey (ARAS) and the University of Arkansas Museum. Together, these collections cover the fields of archeology, art and material culture, ethnography, geology, paleontology, zoology, and University of Arkansas history. Further information about ARAS can be found here, and about the University Museum here.
Artifact scanning is accomplished using equipment provided by ARAS and CAST. CAST equipment includes a Brueckmann smartScan HE 5 Megapixel Color system, and a photogrammetry rig consisting of 16 Nikon DSLR cameras mounted in a 4 x 4 array on a movable rack system. ARAS equipment, funded by grants from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Heritage Council and The Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust, includes a Brueckmann smartScan HE 8 Megapixel Color system and an Artec Space Spider portable 3D scanner system.
This website provides access to the core collection of 3D object models. This collection is organized by Accession Number, but you may search by cultural affiliation, physiographic region, time period, and object type.
The object viewer provides several functions, including adjusting lighting perspective, zooming in/out, rotating, and measuring.
Planned modifications to this website include developing subsidiary project pages incorporating select objects from the database relative to specific research and educational outreach initiatives, accompanied by ancillary presentation materials.
Many objects displayed on this website are included with the permission of descendant communities to whom these objects have been repatriated. Copying or downloading object files is prohibited unless specific permission is requested and granted.
We welcome queries concerning research and educational applications based on materials available on this website.
