Le temple de Karnak et les publications numériques

Résumé En

The one-day workshops on ‘The Archaeological Publication in the Digital Environment', organized by Nanterre University in 2021, was the opportunity to discuss the work carried out by the Franco-Egyptian Centre for the Study of the Temples of Karnak in the years 2000. The use of digital photography in an archaeological site has allowed the creation of virtual images that modify our perception of the real world and require a digital publication form. Digital technologies, such as 3D and photogrammetry, generate new scientific imagery. Photomontages and orthomosaic photographs are similar in general appearance to reality but they are completely virtual images. The real object is virtually transformed and, at the same time, the generated virtual object strives to be as close as possible to reality. The digital edition of Paul Barguet’s work on Karnak temple was an example of a paperless approach and an attempt to dematerialize the traditional information media. Nevertheless, virtuality is anchored to the materiality of the computer world to ensure its durability and it is constrained by IT media and software obsolescence. System upgrades and hardware developments may appear the death-knell for these achievements. These images and software are products of a new discipline called ‘virtual archaeology’, ‘digital archaeology’ or ‘cyber-archaeology’, but is that the right terminology? If there is to be a cyber-archaeologist, what should be his function? In the near future, when many machines and software are no longer executable or consigned to the scrapheap, cyber-archaeology will become the science of our digital past and no longer the science of the graphic representation of our past.