Recording type of archeology in Korea with reports as major methods could revitalize the
vivid sense of realism with the rising importance of visual archive. The fact that photos
attached to the report are not separate in pieces to be understood by fitting them together, but
they can deliver the overall onsite view in various angles correctly was the key characteristic
of visual archive. The process of excavating, dismantling and moving cultural assets at the
construction site of new Seoul City Hall was made. Agreeing to make a visual archive for the
sequential process, each institute had the visual work from November, 2009 to March, 2010.
Having a value for permanent preservation and its own value as information as a core
material for the national and cultural identify, cultural heritage is the community outcome at
national level. It is a valuable cultural asset displaying the national identity and having high
spiritual value as well as displaying the historicity, artistry and academic value of a nation.
Record using image which is effective in delivering information by stimulating the visual
and hearing sense is used as a major method in recording cultural heritage along with photo and report. Visual archive is useful in delivering record effectively by having visual image
and audio stimulation like onsite sounds, narrations with story and commentary and
background music.
The whole process of excavating cultural assets must be recorded as a video, and must
deliver the sense of realism and feeling of movement only video could have unlike reports.
We know it from the fact that most researchers who initially thought visual archive would be
a roadblock to the fast moving excavation site of cultural asset now keenly realized the
necessity of visual archive. The necessity of visual archive will be more pressing in the
future.
The context becomes important after the content when producing the visual archive, and we examined the methods to realize the context of visual archive production above.
The context is the element comprising every environment influencing users or audiences during the process of watching visual archive. Lastly, I would like to examine why this context is important.
First, we can revive the sense of realism. Having only persons, relics and events which should be included in the record and no surrounding background sound or onsite feeling of movement, we might miss the critical information which can have various onsite sounds an human voices.
Second, we can give prominence to the local cultural characteristics. The overall picture for relics, events and scenery shows the special culture of the region. Including cultural characteristics when you record cultural heritage would help you understand the cultural heritage better.
Third, we can abundantly have relevant contents. It is important to preserve and succeed the rapidly disappearing cultural heritage. We need to record the contents in details for this. Having cultural heritage itself and surrounding environment along with detailed contents will be the material for restoration and reproduction later.
Fourth, it could be the criteria at the utilization stage of various applications like multimedia production. Visual archive could be applied variously, and the material with enough information would become the basic material at the next application stage. In addition to the characteristics of archive which has a collection of information, the contextualization of visual archive is important. Contextualization makes the material have a role of informationand gives more experiences.
Recognizing the importance of visual archive in archeology, archeology record is developed to another form. Various types of visual archives are expected in the future. It will be common that most ordinary people would be anxious and want to see the working process of researchers through visual archive. Video which realizes the contextualization along with more intimate communication and cooperation between archeologist and video expert will add the expertise and depth in each area