Towards a virtual environment for the Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa: Developing a georeferenced and optimised digital dataset

Michele Smith; Dominic Stratford; Oliver Bimber; Daniel Irurah

doi:10.15184/aqy.2025.10141

Towards a virtual environment for the Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa: Developing a georeferenced and optimised digital dataset

Michele Smith
, Dominic Stratford
, Oliver Bimber
, Daniel Irurah

Anatomical Sciences

University of the Witwatersrand
Johannes Kepler University Linz

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Accessibility at the Sterkfontein Caves UNESCO World Heritage Site limits public and scientific engagement. The authors digitally visualised part of the cave using laser scans and photogrammetry, geospatially integrating the digital cave and fossil datasets. This enables broader access for learners, educators and scientists and enhances scientific outreach potential.

Original language	English
Article number	e50
Journal	Antiquity
Volume	99
Issue number	407
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2025.10141
State	Published - Oct 1 2025

Keywords

accessibility
augmented reality
caves
science communication
South Africa
virtual reality

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10.15184/aqy.2025.10141

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abstract = "Accessibility at the Sterkfontein Caves UNESCO World Heritage Site limits public and scientific engagement. The authors digitally visualised part of the cave using laser scans and photogrammetry, geospatially integrating the digital cave and fossil datasets. This enables broader access for learners, educators and scientists and enhances scientific outreach potential.",

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AU - Bimber, Oliver

AU - Irurah, Daniel

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © University of the Witwatersrand, 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications Ltd.

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N2 - Accessibility at the Sterkfontein Caves UNESCO World Heritage Site limits public and scientific engagement. The authors digitally visualised part of the cave using laser scans and photogrammetry, geospatially integrating the digital cave and fossil datasets. This enables broader access for learners, educators and scientists and enhances scientific outreach potential.

AB - Accessibility at the Sterkfontein Caves UNESCO World Heritage Site limits public and scientific engagement. The authors digitally visualised part of the cave using laser scans and photogrammetry, geospatially integrating the digital cave and fossil datasets. This enables broader access for learners, educators and scientists and enhances scientific outreach potential.

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KW - augmented reality

KW - caves

KW - science communication

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KW - virtual reality

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Towards a virtual environment for the Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa: Developing a georeferenced and optimised digital dataset

Abstract

Keywords

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