There, we had the chance to visit some narrow but wonderful caves and see cave paintings that date back more than 14,000 years – an unforgettable experience to take back home with us. Even so, beginning in November of 2006 these nice day trips had to be replaced by ones to the Oma Forest, Basondo, the Guggenheim Museum, or a guided tour of San Mamés Stadium, because the Santimamiñe Cave closed its doors to visitors.

BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE

The cave was closed because the experts were worried about this heritage site being degraded. This cave and the wonders within it were found between 1918 and 1962. Since then, work was done so that everyone could enjoy these treasures. As the years went by, however, researchers realized that the state of the cave paintings was deteriorating. The reasons for that deterioration were the following: firstly, the experts said that the resources used so that the public could see the pieces were very detrimental to their condition, especially the lighting. According to them, the lit-up areas (especially those that were continuously lit up) were beginning to develop microorganisms, and vegetation. In addition, the lighting changed the natural temperature inside the cave, altering the conditions that had preserved the paintings so well for all those years. The metal infrastructure also caused rust and condensation, hampering preservation of the heritage site.

What’s more, the human factor also had a lot to do with the closure of Santimamiñe, since daily visits to the cave produced a lot of CO2. Also detrimental was the dust that got kicked up by all the movement, and the dirt that was brought in from outside. Precautions were taken in 1997, when the number of visitors allowed to enter at once was reduced, and some galleries were closed. These measures, however, were not enough to avert further damage, so they proceeded to close the cave.

This left two options on the table: either they let young people learn about the history of the cave through photos and stories, transmitted orally, or they could do something different and innovative so that everyone had the opportunity to see this piece of our cultural heritage first-hand. Can you guess which option was decided on?

PRECURSORS OF THE METAVERSE

You hit the nail on the head. The Government of Biscay, with the help of Virtualware, got to work on something new to give this piece of cultural heritage a new lease on life. This project was carried out in 2008, believe it or not, shortly after the cave was closed to visitors.

To begin with, they used a laser scanner to scan the entire cave in 3D. They did this by taking more than 1,500 photos and identifying more than 6 billion data points. In addition to scanning the physical space, they also had to capture other features that made up the cave; for example, the outlines of the paintings, the sounds heard within the cave walls, and videos of the visit’s path.

After gathering all this data, it was time to create the virtual model. First, they had to process all the information they had collected, focusing a lot on the colors and the lighting. When they got that just right, they put photorealistic textures in the model, aiming to make the visitors feel like they were inside the cave. After this, the virtual cave was ready (just like that…). Creating the application was the next step, in which they had to design the path that people would follow: camera movements, multimedia points, etc. When finished, all that remained was to create the space where the experience would take place; that is, the production.

And voilà! Ready for visitors! If we want to go there (after making a reservation, of course), a guide will take us to the entrance of the cave, where the visit begins. After a brief explanation providing a bit of context, we set off to the room where the experience is had, where we don the famous VR headset. This headset will transport us directly to the Santimamiñe Cave, giving us the chance to visit all the important parts we want to learn about, all the while hearing the story of our ancestors. Visits usually last an hour and a half, and there are four languages available so that everyone can feel part of the experience: Basque, Spanish, English, and French.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

We know that the project to convert Santimamiñe into a virtual replica was very innovative, and, together with other similar projects (virtual Cádiz, virtual Rome), it brought the use of technology to promote culture to the fore. Even so, a lot of time has passed since then. Ignorance towards technology has become an excuse, and the concepts of the metaverse and digital twins have never been as popular as they are today. Could we take advantage of this conversation to promote and learn more about our own culture?

You may be thinking… “All this is great, but… it’s always much better to see historical sites with your own eyes. Why would I want to wear a headset to see the Eiffel Tower? Besides that... I can just Google it and see photos whenever I want.” Luckily, in most cases, one thing is not going to replace the other. Virtual Reality and the metaverse can be the ideal complement when it comes to promoting culture. Can’t take your class of 30 students to London so they can see Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers?” Bam! Through a virtual museum they’ll be able to see even the painting’s most detailed brushstrokes. Can’t walk the streets of Rome to see all it has to offer? Bam! Through a virtual guided tour you’ll be able to visit every corner of this magical city.

This can also be a way to prevent the kind of damage that mass tourism has done in recent years. It’s nice to have deep pockets, but the price we pay for cultural heritage is very, very high.

Apart from this, in cases like the Santimamiñe Cave, this technology helps us to protect something that is so much ours, and that we love so much, all the while teaching our culture and history to future generations. The cave’s closure has also helped us to learn more about our history, as it has made it possible for researchers to explore the cave without any problem.

Thanks to technology, the Santimamiñe Cave has had a second chance to show everyone one of the most beautiful gems that Biscay has to offer. Let’s take this opportunity to learn a little more about where we came from.