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Department of Archaeology
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Wolfson Digital Archaeology and Heritage Laboratory

The Wolfson Digital Archaeology and Heritage Laboratory serves as a teaching and research space for applying digital technologies to the investigation and interpretation of archaeological and heritage data.

Our interdisciplinary research into immersive storytelling embraces hi-tech and low-tech approaches to bringing the past to life. We experiment with virtual reality, photogrammetry, photography, video games, RTI and more. 

We've collaborated with the Department of Computer Science, the School of Arts and Creative Technologies, YorRobots and the Centre for Digital Creativity. We're also closely affiliated with the Centre for Digital Heritage, Archaeology Data Service and Internet Archaeology.

With generous support of £700,000 from the Wolfson Foundation, our lab will be moving to its new home in the Berrick Saul Building on Campus West from September 2026.

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Adam Parker, Archaeology Curator at the Yorkshire Museum, trying out the virtual reality experience that allows immersion into a Roman dining room
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Colleen, working on digitising the important, historic archive at Avebury
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Guy Schofield, teaching a student how to create a virtual reality experience
Lab specifications
  • Handheld scanners: Can create 3D scans of artefacts in minute detail.
  • Visualisation suite: An augmented Virtual Reality projection screen which can recreate immersive environments from the past.
  • Virtual reality headsets: Headsets that create interactive, lifelike experiences for the wearer.
  • State of the art 3D modelling workstations: These computers utilise gaming technology to render digital models and landscapes.
  • A mix of augmented reality devices and haptic technologies that will allow users to experience virtual environments with multiple senses.
  • A photography space, cameras, 360 cameras, tripods and other accessories and photogrammetry
  • Audio recording equipment
  • Imaging software including:
    • 3D Studio Max
    • Agisoft Metashape
    • ArcGIS
    • AutoCAD
    • Blender
    • Davinci Resolve
    • Unity

Our research

Our research makes links between all aspects of cultural heritage, theory and practice, spanning many disciplines. 

Our focus is on how research questions within cultural heritage can be better explored, answered and communicated through the use of digital technology, and what impact this can have.

Explore our research

Partnerships

The Bristol Digital Game Lab is a research group based in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Bristol. Launched in September 2022, the Lab brings together researchers and practitioners from a radically diverse range of perspectives. This includes translation and accessibility, history, comparative literature, law, computer science, AI, game design, and beyond. The Lab is coordinated by Dr Xiaochun Zhang and Dr Richard Cole.

Student work

Digital undergraduate and postgraduate work is an incredibly important part of what we do. We are continually surprised and excited by what they create.

Some of our past student projects include board games, reconstructing castles, landscapes, villages, and artefacts, immersive worlds, interfaces for museums, 3D printed artefacts and more.

Explore our student projects

Study with us

The Digital Archaeology and Heritage Lab is uniquely positioned to support students at York with an interest in digital heritage: 

Study with us
Discover our courses
Our research
Explore our research
People
Meet our staff