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I've mentioned my love of Ancient Egypt as a school topic before and have shared this in VR form through one of my Nearpod Virtual Field Trip lessons (find it here). Like an archaeologist, I was scouring the App Store today looking for treasures when I cam across a real gem in the form of "Tutankhamen – Journey of Howard Carter" (aka King Tut VR 2) from Eon Reality.
I'd actually tried the original King Tut VR experience early last year whilst working with Year 3 at JESS Primary. This app offers a single VR view of Tutankhamen's burial chamber. Here the narration explains the hieroglyphics on the walls and importance of his famous golden mask.
It's described as an audio experience and is like a tech demo, even highlighting how technology was used to build the model of Tutankhamen's mask. A second similar app is also available focusing on Queen Nefertiti. Both apps are a little limited but they are free and contain some valuable information on their subjects. They could easily be added to a bank of Egypt apps for student use.
Tutankhamen – Journey of Howard Carter is a much more engaging and immersive experience. (It is also free!)
Stepping into the shoes of famed archaeologist Howard Carter, you uncover the tomb of the great pharaoh to explore its hidden treasures.
The experience is framed by actual photographs and accounts from Carter's own journal which add a wonderful level of authenticity to proceedings. The music and sound effects are also excellent and enrich the experience (it's especially worth wearing headphones for this one!)
Here's a clip -
As you can see, it's an active experience too. The user gets to select from a simple bank of tools and actually dig away the rocks that block the route as well as light the way and identify artefacts. You can find out more about the app and find download links for iOS and Android here.
If you're looking for a web-based Egyptian experience in VR then I really recommend the Describing Egypt website. Here you can find a growing bank of stunning 360 tours showcasing some fantastic historical sites from Egypt. Each of these has multiple locations and is accompanied by detailed information.
Within each location, focal points of interest are highlighted and can be selected to bring up additional information. It really is thorough and the quality of the panoramic images is amongst the best I've seen.
Describing Egypt is free to access and currently offers seven distinct tours.
You can find the here: https://describingegypt.com
If you're a Vive user and want something even more immersive, then Great Pyramid VR is what you want to take a look at. This app is a virtual walk through The Great Pyramid in Giza- probably the most famous of all the pyramids and the last surviving monument of the original Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.
In full VR you can explore the exterior and interior of the pyramid as you listen to the story of this magnificent structure. As you freely wander, torch in hand, through this representation of the pyramid, you really get a sense of the scale and importance of this legendary place.
Access Great Pyramid VR on Steam here.