Article

Research on Developing Metaverse-based Sangiran Early Man Site Gallery

By Ariesto Hadi Sutopo
October 15, 2023

Solotech University plans to conduct a research project to develop a metaverse experience that provides a comprehensive and immersive understanding of human evolution at the Sangiran Early Man Site in Central Java, Indonesia. The site is renowned for its rich archaeological and paleontological findings, including Homo erectus remains, faunal elements, and stone artifacts, spanning a remarkable 2.4 million years of history.

By leveraging metaverse technology, this project seeks to offer a unique educational tool that allows users to explore the site's geological sequence, archaeological occupation floors, and the evolution of Homo sapiens from the Lower Pleistocene to the present day. According to Luther, the research method uses a Metaverse Development Life Cycle, an adaptation from the Multimedia Development Life Cycle that consists of six phases: concept, design, obtaining content material, assembly, testing, and distribution.

This metaverse journey will showcase outstanding human and animal fossils and artefactual materials in their unbroken stratigraphical layers, making Sangiran's significance in studying human evolution accessible to a broader audience. Implementing the metaverse gallery will increase the number of local and foreign tourists interested in ancient human sites in Solo. Once tourists grow, income from tourism can support the regional economy.