Press Release
April 23, 2019
Contact: Dennis Peterson
Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 918-962-2062
dpeterson@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/spiromounds
Explore Spiro Mounds in Virtual Reality on April 27
SPIRO, Okla. — Saturday, April 27, from 1–4 p.m. at Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center, visitors can experience three-dimensional (3-D) immersive virtual reality storytelling of the Spiro Mounds story. The University of Arkansas’s Arkansas Stories series, funded by the Chancellor’s Innovation and Collaboration Grant, utilizes objects and places along with unique 3-D virtual reality to tell a part of the history of this unique, prehistoric American Indian site. This was a collaborative effort of the Arkansas Archeological Survey, the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences Department of Anthropology and Humanities Program, and the Tesseract Center for Immersive Environments and Game Design.
The project unveiling will take place on Friday, April 26, at the University of Arkansas Giffels Auditorium in Fayetteville, Arkansas, from 5–9 p.m. with presentations and a demonstration, and then on Saturday, April 27, with the demonstration at the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center near Spiro from 1–4 p.m. Admission to the center will be free for this program. Dr. George Sebo, director of the Arkansas Archeological Survey and the Tesseract Team, will unveil and demonstrate the story of Spiro Mounds, especially the “Sacred Chamber,” through the artifacts and ceremonies depicted in the presentation. The use of 3-D imagery and technology will allow visitors to enter into a unique part of this 1,200-year-old society and manipulate the artifacts they see.
“While much of the Spiro culture is still a mystery, the 3-D immersive environment will give participants the chance to see what a ceremony may have been like, in a very immediate and interactive way,” said David Fredrick, director of the Tesseract Center. “Creating this experience allows us to bring the past into the present in a very tangible and meaningful way.”
The Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center is the only prehistoric site in Oklahoma open to visitors. The interpretive center and trails regularly are open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m. The center is located three miles east of Spiro on Highway 9/271 and four miles north on Lock and Dam Road. If you need further information about the event or the center, please call 918-962-2062 or email spiro@okhistory.org.
Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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