A virtual exploration of art and architecture at the prehispanic capital of Monte Alban through edify’s VR learning platform

Our goal is to create a VR environment, accessible via computer or headset, where students can explore, manipulate, reconfigure, and annotate large stone slabs bearing hieroglyphic texts and iconography from the Prehispanic capital of Monte Alban. Located in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, Monte Alban is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Monte Alban was initially founded around 500 BC and is widely recognized as one of Mesoamerica’s first urban centers. For decades, archaeologists have debated a host of questions regarding Monte Alban’s initial founding, political growth, and the role of warfare and religion in these development. Interpretation of the site’s hundreds of carved stone monuments is critical to this scholarly work. Prior to engaging in the VR experience, students will be primed with a set of scholarly articles presenting the major debates concerning Monte Alban's origins and the role that carved inscriptions from Building L play in these debates. Then, students will engage in a VR lesson, either teacher- or student-led, that transports them to Monte Alban where they can virtually experience and interact with the site’s monumental center.