Why do people deliberately destroy cultural heritage? By doing so, do they believe they're erasing our history? Our cultural memory? It's true that we are losing cultural heritage to erosion and natural disasters, but this is something that is simply difficult to avoid. I'm here to show you today how we can use pictures -- your pictures -- to reclaim the history that is being lost using innovative technology and the effort of volunteers.
為什麼人們會蓄意破壞文化遺產? 他們是否認為, 這麼做就能抹滅我們的歷史? 抹滅我們的文化記憶? 的確,造成我們失去 文化遺產的原因包括侵蝕 以及天災, 但這些原因是很難避免的。 我今天在這裡要呈現給各位看的, 是我們如何能用照── 你們的照片── 透過創新科技、 以及志願者的努力, 來試圖恢復失去的歷史。
In the early 20th century, archaeologists discovered hundreds of statues and artifacts at the ancient city of Hatra, in northern Iraq. Statues like this one were found in fragments, some of them missing their heads or arms, yet the clothing that they are wearing and their pose can still tell us their story. For example, we believe that by wearing a knee-length tunic and open bare feet, this was representative of a priest. However, with a closer look at this particular piece, we can see that this tunic being worn was elaborately decorated, which has led many researchers to believe this was actually a statue of a king performing his religious functions.
在二十世紀初, 考古學家在北伊拉克的 哈特拉古城發現了 數以百計的雕像 及工藝品。 像這樣的雕像,被找到時都已破損, 有些少了頭或是手臂, 但它們的穿著 以及它們的姿勢, 仍然能將它們的故事告訴我們。 比如, 我們相信,穿著長達膝蓋的 短袖束腰外衣, 且赤腳的裝扮, 代表的是祭師。 然而,如果更仔細地看這片碎片, 我們能看到,它穿的這件 短袖束腰外衣有被精心裝飾過, 這點讓許多研究者相信, 這雕像其實是個國王, 在履行其宗教相關的職責。
When the Mosul Cultural Museum opened in 1952 in northern Iraq, this statue, as well as others, were placed there to preserve them for future generations. Following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, a few statues and artifacts were relocated to Baghdad, but this statue remained. Then in February of last year, a video was released, and it instantly went viral. Maybe some of you remember seeing it. Here's a short clip.
當北伊拉克的摩蘇爾 文化博物館於 1952 年開張, 這座雕像,以及其他雕像, 保存進了該博物館中, 為了下一代。 在 2003 年美國攻打伊拉克之後, 少部份的雕像及工藝品 被重新安置到巴格達, 但這座雕像還留著。 去年二月,一支影片被釋出, 且馬上被瘋傳。 也許在座有些人還記得看過它。 這裡是一小段影片。
(Video) (Singing in Arabic)
(影片)(阿拉伯語歌聲)
(Singing ends)
(歌聲結束)
Not a very pleasant sight, right? Did you notice anything familiar in the video? There it is. There is that very statue, as it was toppled over, breaking into pieces.
不是很令人愉快的景象,對吧? 在影片中,你們是否有 注意到什麼熟悉的東西? 就是它。 就是這座雕像, 它被人推倒, 摔成碎片。
When Matthew Vincent and I saw this video, we were shocked. Since we are archaeologists using innovative technology for digital preservation, an idea sprung to mind. Maybe we can crowdsource the images that were taken of these artifacts before they were destroyed, to create digital reconstructions. If we can do that, maybe we can put them into a virtual museum to tell that story. And so two weeks after we saw this video, we started the project called Project Mosul.
當馬修文森和我看到這支影片, 我們十分震驚。 因為我們是使用創新技術 來做數位保存的考古學家, 我們想到了一個點子。 也許我們可以針對這些工藝品 被摧毀之前拍下的影片 做群眾外包, 來創造數位重建。 如果我們能那麼做, 也許就能把它們放到虛擬博物館中, 來訴說那故事。 於是,在我們看到 那支影片的兩週後, 我們開始了一個專案, 稱為摩蘇爾計畫。
Remember the pictures of the statue I showed you before? This is actually the crowdsourced reconstruction of it before it was destroyed. Now, many of you may be wondering, how exactly does this work? Well, the key to this technology is called photogrammetry, and it was invented here, in Germany. It is the technology that allows us to use two-dimensional images taken of the same object from different angles to create a 3D model. I know you may be thinking this sounds like magic -- but it's not. Let me show you how it works. Here are two crowdsourced images of the same statue. What the computer can do is it can detect similar features between the photographs -- similar features of the object. Then, by using multiple photos, in this case, it can begin to reconstruct the object in 3D. In this case, you have the position of the cameras when each image was taken, shown in blue.
還記得我先前展示的雕像照片嗎? 這其實是它在被摧毀之前的 群眾外包重建成果。 很多人可能會想知道, 這是怎麼做到的? 這項技術的關鍵,叫做攝影測量法, 它是在這裡,在德國被發明出來的。 正是這項技術,讓我們 可以用同一件物品 從不同角度拍攝的二維圖像, 來建立一個三維模型。 我知道你們可能會心想, 這聽起來像魔術,但並不是。 讓我來展示一下怎麼做。 這是同一座雕像的 兩張群眾外包影像。 電腦能夠做的是, 偵測兩張照片間的相似特徵── 這件物品的相似特徵。 然後,使用多張照片, 在這個例子中,就能開始 進行這個物件的三維重建。 在這個例子中, 每張影像在拍攝時的照相機位置 用藍色來標示。
Now, this is a partial reconstruction, I admit, but why would I say partial? Well, simply because the statue was positioned against a wall. We don't have photographs taken of it from the back. If I wanted to complete a full digital reconstruction of this statue, I would need a proper camera, tripods, proper lighting, but we simply can't do that with crowdsourced images. Think about it: How many of you, when you visit a museum, take photographs of all parts of the statue, even the back side of it? Well, maybe if some of you find Michelangelo's David interesting, I guess --
我承認,這是部份重建, 但我為什麼會說是部份? 很簡單,因為該雕像是靠牆擺放的。 我們沒有它背後的照片。 如果我想要完成這座雕像的 完整數位重建, 我會需要一台適當的照相機、 三腳架、適當的燈光, 但用群眾外包影像時, 就無法這麼做。 想想看: 在座有多少人, 在造訪一間博物館時, 會去拍一座雕像的每個部份, 甚至它的背面? 嗯,也許有些人會覺得 米開朗基羅的大衛像蠻有趣的, 我猜是吧……
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
But the thing is, if we can find more images of this object, we can improve the 3D model.
但重點是, 如果我們能找到 越多這個物品的影像, 我們就能改善它的三維模型。
When we started the project, we started it with the Mosul Museum in mind. We figured we may get a few images, some people interested, make one or two virtual reconstructions, but we had no idea that we had sparked something that would grow so quickly. Before we knew it, we realized it was obvious: we could apply this same idea to lost heritage anywhere. And so, we decided to change the name of the project to Rekrei. Then, in the summer of last year, "The Economist" magazine's media lab reached out to us. They asked us, "Hey, would you like us to build a virtual museum to put the reconstructions back inside, to tell the story?" Can you imagine us saying no? Of course not. We said yes! We were so excited. This was exactly the initial dream of that project. And so now, any of you can experience RecoVR Mosul on your phone, using Google Cardboard or a tablet or even YouTube 360.
當我們開始這個專案時, 我們心中想的是摩蘇爾博物館, 心想也許能得到幾張影像, 讓幾個人感興趣, 完成一、兩個虛擬重建, 我們完全沒料到我們 點燃了某種快速燃燒的火花。 在我們知道之前, 我們了解到,很顯然: 我們能把這個點子應用到 任何地方的失落遺產。 所以,我們決定把專案 改名為 Rekrei(重建)。 接著,去年夏天, 「經濟人」雜誌的 媒體實驗室來找我們。 他們問我們: 「嘿,你們要不要我們 建立一座虛擬博物館, 把重建的文物放回到裡面, 讓它們來說故事?」 你們覺得我們會拒絕嗎? 當然不能。 我們說好! 我們好興奮。 這正是這個專案最初的夢想。 所以,現在, 每個人都可以用手機 來體驗「重建摩蘇爾虛擬實境」, 也可以用 Google Cardboard 3D虛擬實境裝置, 平板電腦、甚至 YouTube 360。
Here is a screenshot from the virtual museum. And there it is ... the partial reconstruction of the statue, as well as the Lion of Mosul, the first reconstruction completed by our project. Although the video doesn't explicitly show the Lion of Mosul being destroyed, we have many other examples of large artifacts being destroyed that were simply too large to have been stolen. For example, the Gate of Nimrud in northern Iraq. This is a digital reconstruction from before, and this is actually during the destruction. Or the Lion of Al-Lāt, in Palmyra, Syria: before ... and after.
這是虛擬博物館的一張截圖, 它就在這裡…… 那座雕像的部份重建, 還有摩蘇爾之獅, 它是我們的專案 第一個完成的重建作品。 雖然那支影片並沒有明確顯示 摩蘇爾之獅被摧毀, 但有許多例子都是 大型工藝品被摧毀, 只因為它們太大,無法被偷走。 比如, 北伊拉克的尼姆魯德門, 這是用它以前的樣子 進行的數位重建, 這是它實際被摧毀的樣子。 或是敘利亞帕邁拉的 阿拉伯獅子神像: 摧毀之前…… 及摧毀之後。
Although virtual reconstructions are primarily the main focus of our project, some people have been asking the question: Can we print them in 3D? We believe 3D printing doesn't offer a straightforward solution to lost heritage. Once an object is destroyed, it's gone. But 3D printing does offer an addition to tell that story. For example, I can show you here ... There is the statue from Hatra and the Lion of Mosul.
雖然虛擬重建 是我們專案的主要重心, 有些人一直在問這個問題: 我們能用 3D 列印 把它們印出來嗎? 我們認為,3D 列印 並非失落遺產的 直接解決方案。 一旦一件物品被摧毀, 它就不在了。 但 3D 列印的確能夠幫助 說出其背後的故事。 比如,我可以給各位看…… 這是哈特拉的雕像, 以及摩蘇爾之獅。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
Thank you.
謝謝。
Now, if you look closely, you'll notice that there are some parts that have been printed in color, and some parts that are in white or gray. This part was added simply to hold the statues up. This works the same way if you visit a museum, and a statue is found in fragments; it's put together for the people to see it. This makes sense, right? However, we're much more interested in what virtual reality has to offer for lost heritage.
如果你靠近看, 你會注意到有些部份是用彩色列印, 有些部份則是白色或灰色。 加上這部份的目的 只是要保持雕像的完好。 當你參觀博物館時,它們也同樣 這樣處理找到時已是碎片的雕像; 雕像會被重組起來給人們觀賞。 這樣是合理的,對吧? 然而,我們更感興趣的是, 虛擬實境能為失落遺產提供什麼。
Here is an example of one of the tower tombs that was destroyed in Palmyra. Using Sketchfab's online viewer, we can show that we have reconstructed three parts of the exterior of the tomb, but we also have photos of the inside, so we're beginning to create a reconstruction of the wall and the ceiling. Archaeologists worked there for many, many years, so we also have architectural drawing plans of this lost heritage.
這裡有個例子,這是在帕邁拉 被摧毀的兩座墓塔之一。 用 3D 模型網站 Sketchfab 的 網上看圖軟體, 可以看見我們已經重建了 這座墓外部的三個部份, 但我們也有內部的照片, 所以我們開始在對牆壁以及天花板 進行重建。 考古學家在那裡努力了 非常非常多年, 所以我們也有 這項遺產的建築平面圖。
Unfortunately, we are not only losing cultural heritage to areas of conflict and at war -- we're also losing it to natural disasters. This is a 3D model of Durbar Square in Kathmandu, before the earthquake that occurred last April ... and this is after. You may be thinking, you didn't create these 3D models with only tourist photographs, and that's true. But what this represents is the ability for large, public organizations and private industry to come together for initiatives like ours.
不幸的是,我們不只是在 有衝突和戰爭的地區才會失去 文化遺產, 天災也是原因之一。 這是加德滿都王宮廣場的三維模型, 在去年四月地震之前它是這樣子的, 這是地震後的狀況。 你也許會想, 你並不只是用遊客的照片 來建立這些三維模型, 的確沒錯。 但這代表的意義是, 大型政府組織以及私人產業能夠 協力進行像我們這樣的方案。
And so one of the major challenges of our project, really, is to find photographs that were taken before something happens, right? Well, the internet is basically a database with millions of images, right? Exactly. So we have begun to develop a tool that allows us to extract images from websites like Flickr, based on their geotags, to complete reconstructions.
我們的專案要面對的主要挑戰之一, 是要找到在物品被摧毀 之前的照片,對吧? 而網路基本上就是個 有百萬張影像的資料庫,對吧? 沒錯。 於是,我們開始開發一種工具, 讓我們能從如 Flickr 等網站,依據地理標籤 取得影像, 再用它們來完成重建。
Because we're not only losing cultural heritage to natural disasters and in war, but we're also losing it to something else. Any idea, just looking at these two pictures? Maybe it's a little difficult to remember, but only a few weeks ago, this was the example of human destruction by human stupidity. Because a tourist in Lisbon wanted to climb onto this statue and take a selfie with it --
因為我們不只在天災 和戰爭中失去文化遺產, 還有其他造成遺產失落的原因。 只看這兩張照片,能猜出來嗎? 也許有點難記得, 這例子在幾週之前才剛發生, 因為人類的愚昧而造成損毀。 因為里斯本的一名遊客 想要爬上這座雕像, 來跟它自拍。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
and pulled it down with him. So we're already finding photographs to complete a digital reconstruction of this.
結果拉著雕像一起摔倒。 所以我們已經在尋找照片 來完成這個雕像的數位重建。
We need to remember that the destruction of cultural heritage isn't a recent phenomenon. In the 16th century, European priests and explorers burned thousands of Maya books in the Americas, of which we only have a handful left. Fast-forward to 2001, when the Taliban blew up the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan.
我們必須要記住, 文化遺產的損毀並非 近期才有的現象。 在十六世紀, 歐洲祭師和探險家在美洲 燒毀了數以千計的馬雅書籍, 只有少數還存留下來。 快轉到 2001 年, 塔利班炸毀了阿富汗的巴米揚大佛。
You see, cultural heritage is about our shared global history. It helps us connect with our ancestors and their stories, but we're losing pieces of it every day to natural disasters and in areas of conflict. Of course, the loss of human life is the most heartbreaking loss ... but cultural heritage offers us a way to preserve the memory of the people for future generations. We need your help to reclaim the history that is being lost. Will you join us?
你們要知道, 文化遺產是我們共有的全球歷史。 它協助我們與祖先 及祖先的故事做連結, 但每天,我們都在失去 它的一小部份,因為天災、 還有地區衝突。 當然,人命的損失是最讓人心碎的。 但文化遺產讓我們能 保有對這些人的記憶, 讓後世也能認識他們。 我們需要你們的協助, 來恢復失落的歷史 你們願意加入我們嗎?
(Applause)
(掌聲)