Prehistoric Stone Sculptures at the Gregorio Aguilar Barea Museum, Nicaragua: Photogrammetry Practices and Digital Immersive Virtual Environment Applications for Archaeology

During the summer of 2016, photogrammetric acquisition was completed on a corpus of more than fifty pre-Columbian stone sculptures idols on display at the Gregorio Aguilar Barea Archaeological Museum (MAGAB) in Juigalpa, Nicaragua in order to create digital three-dimensional copies. Using computer vision, the goal is to analyse and compare these monumental objects and come to new observations on indigenous clothing, body adornment, weaponry, and possible post-funerary customs, in combination with an increased understanding of sculpting technology. This particular
practice of sculpting large stone human and animal-like figures represents a unique case in the pre-Hispanic Americas, in light of the presumed absence of institutional political hierarchy in this region and the high volume of sculpture production. The MAGAB houses the single largest collection representative of this tradition. However, hardly any data on the context of these igneous rock sculptures was available until recently. These lacunae provided impetus for some of the research questions of the Central Nicaragua Archaeological Project (PACEN), initiated in 2007 and directed by
Dr. Alexander Geurds. This chapter reports on the particular methodological challenges of creating a photogrammetric record of large worked monoliths in a closely spaced exhibit setting, as part of the ongoing PACEN investigations in stone sculpture production and use. We also provide details of efforts to generate a digital museum reimagining of MAGAB, presenting the needed steps from data collection to data presentation, and argue for the potential of Virtual Reality for engaging with
existing and new audiences worldwide. To build a digital rendering of the original stone sculpture collection to be enjoyed and fully explored online, all 3D models were imported into the freely available Unreal Engine 4 Editor, a computer game engine tool to design virtual walkable worlds and tell new stories. In keeping with Aguilar Barea's collaborative vision, this archaeological imaging research works together with the MAGAB for purposes of knowledge exchange and exhibit improvement: the digital possibility to be able to freely rearrange massive and anchored sculptures, and redesign the museum to improve object lighting and overall visibility enables new ways to disseminate this unique but rarely exposed collection and its particular history of collecting.