Virtual Qumran designer Dr. Robert Cargill is at the forefront of a rapidly evolving discipline. He uses virtual reality as a tool to conduct archaeological research on Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in caves. An archaeologist by training, Cargill has taken it upon himself to learn how to create a virtual reality model of a site, a skill most archaeologists haven’t picked up - yet. He generously took some time off from his busy schedule to talk to me about Virtual Qumran and how virtual reality is changing archaeology.
Model Behaviour
Highlighted Quote:
"One of the things that I’m proud of is that I’ve offered the world, I’ve offered whoever’s interested, a new methodology of doing virtual reconstruction"
Qumran excavator Yuval Peleg (YP) was in Toronto last Thursday to lecture about his recent Qumran findings. Although he had to give two back to back lectures (on the same night) he generously made some time to talk with Heritage Key.
I asked him about his theory that Qumran started off as a military site. I also questioned him on his idea that the Dead Sea Scrolls were deposited in the Qumran caves by refugees who were fleeing the Roman army after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Here's a transcript of our interview:
OJ: One thing I found intriguing is that the Hasmoneans used it as a military site but it’s not a full scale fortress it seems.
had to give two back to back lectures (on the same night) he generously made some time to talk with Heritage Key.
