Reconstructing the past: providing an enhanced perceptual experience

Accurate modeling/reconstruction and visualization of real environments, particularly archaeological sites, is both a major challenge and a crucial task. This work will address the entire process of the virtual reconstruction of archaeological sites, since the construction of the virtual model until its visualization. The chapter begins with an introduction to the process of virtual reconstruction of archaeological sites, where the several stages that should take place to obtain a faithful virtual representation of an archaeological site and its artifacts are identified. Moreover, each stage is characterized and its main methods and techniques are identified, in dedicated sections. The authors' contribution for the state of the art will be highlighted in each stage. The chapter ends with the authors' vision about future trends for this field and unveils what could be their contributions to this vision.