Assyrian Stele, Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East

The Art of Intimidation exhibition features silicone casts of Mesopotamian stela enhanced with augmented reality. This display in the third-floor atrium gallery highlights the military triumphs and civic achievements of ancient kings through meticulously recreated relief sculptures.

These casts, developed by museum curators and Harvard students, serve as a modern interpretation of powerful royal propaganda, offering insights into ancient Mesopotamian artistry and societal structures. The exhibition leverages AR technology to bring these ancient narratives to life, providing an immersive educational experience.

Supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, this initiative represents a collaborative effort to preserve and innovate cultural heritage, blending historical preservation with interactive technology to engage contemporary audiences in the ancient world of Mesopotamia.

A huge thank you to Mark Kellogg, who built the visual effects library for Three.js used for the particles for the incense burners (https://github.com/mkkellogg/Photons2).

Credits

Professor Peter Der Manuelian, Director of the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East
Adam Aja, Chief Curator, HMANE
Donald Barkho, Ancient Assyrian Costume and Character 3d Scans
Richard Dumbrill, Archaeomusicologist and Composer
Shiyanthi Thavapalan, Assyriologist, Advised Color Reconstruction
Shady H. Nasser, Voice Acting, Associate Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Kyle McCluskey, 2d Art and Animation
Eugene Hamm, 2d Art and Animation
Luke Hollis, XR Software Development and 3d modeling