Creating the Animal Mummy 3D Viewer

The Allard Pierson Animal Mummy Project aimed to study animal mummies by using high-resolution image data of the interior of the mummies. Specialists then used these data to identify the animal species and study the bones, wrapping, and any items included during the process of mummification. The 4D Research Lab (4DRL) was involved in creating a 3D viewer that allows museum visitors to interact with the scan data. The viewer aims to inform visitors about research methods and the results, applies gamification principles to stimulate deeper engagement with the information provided, and in addition allows users to make and communicate their own observations. This is a well-considered attempt to approach two challenges in current museological discourse: how to make scientific research processes transparent and insightful, and how to involve the general public with them.