There is a great post over on the blog for ASOR (American Schools of Oriental Research) which drew my attention to the Virtual World Project.
VWP has filmed and organized hundreds of archaeological sites in 360 degree panorama. All of this is augmented with maps, additional photos and navigation tools so that you can move around an archaeological site quite smoothly. It is also well organized. You can search regions, sites or archaeological features, such as gates and temples.
The site lists its own goals as explicitly directed toward education:
Pedagogical: Provide a resource for scholars and teachers across a variety of disciplines related to the ancient world
Technological: Create interactive virtual tours of the ancient world using the best available computer technologies
Conservational: Provide a visual database of the material remains of the ancient world as they presently exist
I have spent hours on this site since finding it yesterday. I find myself teaching more and more about the ancient world and archaeology in my classes, and there is no doubt that I will use this site. For example, I can very easily see how I could use the site to explore Qumran when teaching about sectarian Judaism and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
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| Screen capture from the Virtual World Project |
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