Virtual Museum of Archaeology: museum space architectonics

Abstract

The article covers researching the virtual museum as a form of archaeological heritage digital museumification. Based on the Russian experience in creating archaeological information resources on the Internet, new opportunities to preserve and update archaeological heritage through digital museumification are presented. The authors consider modern approaches to define the notion of “virtual museum” and raise the question of criteria applied to assign an information resource to the virtual museum. Axiological, social and media spaces are identified within the structure of cultural space of the virtual museum. Based on the criterion of dominance of certain hypertext properties – fragmentarily or integrity – the most popular current patterns of virtual museum space arrangement (architectonics) are identified: virtual collection and virtual tour. It is noted that virtual museum space reflects the changes occurring in museum space as a whole and at the same time manifests them most vividly due to its capabilities. Virtual museums become self-sufficient.

Keywords

• archaeological heritage
• museumification
• digital heritage
• virtual museum
• museum space architectonics
• virtual exposition
• virtual collection
• virtual tour