The Virtual Reality Oracle (VRO) will draw on the ancient question tablets from the oracle of Zeus at Dodona, NW Greece, to develop a VR experience of consulting the oracle, based on stories about individual visitors.

Another reason we chose Dodona is that we wanted to explore the mystery of the oracle: how did it give its answers? In particular, we are interested in the role of the oak tree at Dodona: what kind of tree was it, and why was it considered to be so powerful? How was Zeus understood to give his answers through this tree?

Finally, we know that sound played an important part at the oracle, and we aim to explore this aspect of Dodona in more detail in the VRO.

The experience of visiting Dodona is studied at A-level in the UK, so we are developing the VRO in close collaboration with teachers and students. We are also working with museum curators, to develop museum installations of the VRO. To help a wide range of audiences view the VRO, we will be pioneering an accessible, online VR resource.

The VRO aims to enhance historical understanding of ancient Greek ritual activity and different methods of ancient divination. We will also use the VRO to explore the role of VR in classrooms, museums and cultural settings, and to better understand the role of the senses and brain activity in users of the VRO.

We hope the VRO will be a valuable resource for all those engaged in teaching and learning about the ancient world, in particular those studying the OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation syllabus, where the site of Dodona is a key focus.

Schools are also central to the project’s development, with Classics teachers and students acting as participants in the design and use of the VRO and its educational materials.

The project is partnered with several museums, whose teams will be involved in the production of the VRO and its installation and display.

We hope this will widen access to, and promote a greater appreciation of, ancient history, Dodona's legacy, and the opportunities of VR.

We hope to work with a range of organisations to publicise the VRO, ensuring that a wide range of schools and public audiences experience the simulation.

If you are interested in any aspect of our educational plans, do please get in touch.

By creating a virtual reality simulation of visiting ancient Dodona and its oracle, the VRO aims to explore the experiences of ancient historical individuals as they engaged in oracular consultation, as well as the impact this may have had on them.

By embedding participants in a realistic simulation of ancient divination, which can be manipulated, the VRO will help us to understand the brain functions that underpin cultural phenomena such as divination.

We are interested in how individual users of the VRO will respond, mentally, emotionally and physically, to being immersed in ancient Dodona, as well as whether the VRO can enhance a modern audiences’ understanding of, and empathy with, historical subjects engaged in divination.

The involvement of teachers and students in the design and use of the VRO will help us to provide proof-of-concept for the creation of compelling digital cultural experiences, especially immersive experiences, for use in museum/heritage and educational contexts.

Coming soon...