Digitizing the Neolithic Hypogeum

The Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni is a 6000 year old Neolithic burial place whose microclimate is threatened by the presence of thousands of visitors all year round. Beyond digital preservation and accessibility, this project aims to provide a highly accessible experience to the virtual tourist or academic. This short paper reports on progress in faithful illumination and acoustics together with navigation aids supported by a real motion platform towards a mixed reali-ty immersive experience. Lightweight variations such as a 360˚ VR film and a 360˚ still-based gaze-driven navigation mobile app further make such precious cultural heritage available to the wider public and serve as a basis for future en-hancements towards a more immersive virtual cultural heritage experience.