Digital Storytelling and 3D Technologies for Visitor Experience and Contested Heritage Preservation

Introduction

Exploring the past helps to make sense of the future, emphasising the need to preserve heritage. Innovative 3D technologies enable the creation of digital immersive experiences indistinguishable from the real world, providing immense potential for heritage preservation. Immersive technologies including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality represent the latest forms through which “historical narratives can be told, and heritage experienced” (Swords et al., 2021, p. 186).

Narration and storytelling have many forms and play a central role in how experiences are remembered and disseminated (Tivers & Rakić, 2012). The earliest forms of narration were usually oral, combined with gestures and expressions. Additionally, many ancient cultures used rock art and religious rituals for the purpose of storytelling (Yılmaz & Ciğerci, 2019). For instance, in Australian Indigenous culture painted symbols appear in stories on cave walls as a means of helping the storyteller to remember/document the story. The painted symbols are frequently accompanied by a combination of oral narrative, music, rock art and dance to assist telling the stories (Barton & Barton, 2014; Geia, Hayes & Usher, 2013). In Indigenous and many other cultures, storytelling is a critical tool for making, storing, and conveying historical legacy and culture (Barrett & Cocq, 2019).

Willandra Lakes Region is a unique landmark in the study of human evolution in Australia and represents an important legacy for Indigenous culture. Willandra Lakes Region is home to ancient Indigenous footprints known as the Willandra trackways in outback New South Wales at Mungo National Park. The footprints are the oldest ever found in Australia and have been placed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO (Macgregor, 2022; UNESCO World Heritage Centre, n.d.). In 2003, Indigenous Ranger Mary Pappin Jr discovered the early Aboriginal fossil trackways which had been unearthed due to erosion. Excavation and archaeological analysis revealed that the footprints are 20,000 years old. To minimise the risk of future damage of this Indigenous heritage, the location at Mungo National Park remains a secret. The footprints were also preserved under sand and shade cloth to stabilise against sand shifts and wind erosion (Little et al., 2018). The protective actions have limited access to the footprints and the stories they hold for the broader audience. However, growth of immersive technologies offers new opportunities for visitors to have memorable encounters with heritage, such as Willandra trackways, without the risk of physical damage for the vulnerable cultural artefacts.

Current literature suggests that incorporation of cutting-edge technologies into the design of visitor experiences has significant benefits for tourism stakeholders, communities, and tourism destinations. Incorporation of digital layers into the tourism experiences enhances competitiveness of tourism destinations, increases tourists’ satisfaction, as well as encourages community pride and reaffirms a sense of identity (Murzyn-Kupisz, 2012). Furthermore, technologies allow interaction with vulnerable cultural heritage without causing damage, which is critical for preserving cultural heritage for future generations (Tscheu & Buhalis, 2016).

Despite there being significant benefit for utilising technologies for visitor experiences, limited studies have assessed the intricate connection between the use of 3D scanning and storytelling for immersive heritage tourism. Subsequently, this chapter explores the possibilities to re-create unique and vulnerable heritage sites. The Willandra trackways will be used as a case study for using innovative 3D technologies as a means of enabling memorable virtual experiences to share Indigenous stories and heritage.